American Forests Forestbytes September 2009

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The deadline for Big Tree nominations for the 2010 register is coming up! You’ve only got until October 1 to submit your nominations, so its time to get measuring.

The 2010 National Register of Big Trees, sponsored by The Davey Tree Expert Company will be the first edition of this publication to be entirely online, so that it can include the most up-to-date information for all big tree enthusiasts. For more information on the new format of the register, its release date, and guidelines for measuring and nominations, visit www.americanforests.org.
For a great guide to a Big Tree Champion-viewing road trip, check out “Go See A Champion” in the 2009 summer issue of American Forests magazine.

2010 Edition of National Register of Big Trees has changes

Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed!
This month we celebrate the 235th birthday of the tree-planting legend, Johnny Appleseed. Born John Chapman on September 26, 1774, this historic figure soon became a living legend, known for his generosity, leadership, and emphasis on conservation as well as, you guessed it, apples! Johnny Appleseed got his now-famous nickname by planting millions of trees (mostly apple trees) all across the country as he journeyed from east to west, leaving apple groves and nurseries in his wake. READ MORE

Neighborwoods
Mark your calendars now, because here comes Neighborwoods! Organized by American Forests’ tree-planting partner Alliance for Community Trees (ACT), Neighborwoods is a month-long series of community service programs that address both the social and environmental issues of communities by using tree planting as a way to bring people together to improve their neighborhood.

There are Neighborwoods events across the country throughout the month of October, so everyone will have a chance to participate. If there isn’t an event planned for your neighborhood, ACT and their partners will help you set one up. Visit neighborwoodsmonth.org for more information.

Back To School
Well folks, it’s September again, and we all know what that means: back to school. If you’re an educator, that means its nose to the grindstone once again, buried in curriculums and reports, right? Not necessarily. READ MORE

American Forests Magazine Fall Preview

Join American Forests and enjoy one of our best membership benefits: a free subscription to our flagship publication, the quarterly American Forests magazine.

The upcoming issue this fall will feature in-depth looks at the mountain pine beetle epidemic in the Rockies, and guidance on turning your own backyard into a font of biodiversity using native plants.

Visit americanforests.org to learn more about this great publication.

For a complimentary copy of the summer issue of American Forests, send an email with your address to info@amfor.org


	The Sibley Guide to Trees Well-known for his illustrations and identification skills, David Allen Sibley of The Sibley Guide to Birds is switching his attention to something American Forests can get really excited about: trees! The Sibley Guide to Trees, available starting September 15, is a wealth of knowledge on tree identification, crafted in the aesthetic and easy-to-understand style of Sibley’s other guides. READ MORE


	California Wildfires The largest and most severe of this summer's wildfires are still burning in the Los Angeles area. As we go to press with this issue of Forestbytes, two firefighters have died in their efforts to contain the blaze, and thousands of people have been evacuated. For the current Forest Service map of the largest active wildfires in the country,click here http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us READ MORE

	Australia Takes After US with Big Tree Register Derek McIntosh, a retired property developer, is taking the great American tradition of big-tree hunting international. The Australian National Register of Big Trees will use the same system upon which American Forests’ own register is based; a points system with measurements for circumference, height, and crown spread. The website for the new Register launched in May, and encourages people, especially children, to nominate their own trees. READ MORE

	Farmers Protect Trees At the opening of the Second World Congress of Agroforestry in August, the World Agroforestry Centre announced the findings of a recent study: Contrary to popular belief, farmlands mean protection for trees more often than deforestation. On more than 2 billion acres of agricultural land around the world, the tree cover is above 10% READ MORE


	A New Direction and a Stronger Voice Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack outlined the new direction and vision for the U.S. forests as part of a speech on forest policy in mid-August. Vilsack outlined the increasing threats climate change poses for America’s forests – including increased frequency and severity of fires, disease, and pest outbreaks – and the heightened efforts the Obama Administration will support to help conserve forests for their benefits to the climate and water supplies. READ MORE

	Working Through Recess The Congressional August recess has brought delegates back to their home states and districts to connect with constituents, but Senate staffers remaining in D.C. have been hard at work. Over the last month, they have been crafting the Senate’s response to the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the comprehensive climate and energy bill passed by the House of Representatives at the end of June. Despite a clear focus on health care reform, Congressional leadership and the Obama Administration maintain that climate change policy is at the top of their policy agendas, and the Senate is expected to take up the measure in September.

	American Forests and the RVCC In order to communicate our priorities for forests and communities to Senate policymakers drafting the legislation, American Forests has developed a letter to key Senate members with the help of partners from the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition (RVCC). Among the issues discussed are expanded incentives for woody biomass-to-energy development, green jobs policies that recognize sustainable natural resource management, access carbon offsets and other incentives for forest landowners, and funding to help forests adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. We will be using the letter as a centerpiece to our advocacy efforts on the bill over the coming weeks and months. For more information, visit the RVCC or American Forests.

Tree or forest questions? Ask American Forests’ expert.
Email treedoc@amfor.org