American Forests Forestbytes February 2008

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused ecological devastation that is only now being fully understood via satellite imagery, according to the Washington Post. Considered the largest forestry disaster to ever occur in the nation, these storms killed or damaged approximately 320 million trees throughout Mississippi and Louisiana. READ MORE

The Dwindling Forests Some three-dozen American cities across the country have lost more than one-quarter of their tree canopies since 1977, read more

ConocoPhillips Settlement Means More Trees for California
American Forests will receive $2.8 million to plant trees in wildfire-damaged areas in California as part of a $10 million settlement between the state of California and ConocoPhillips.

Can One Man Save the Vanishing Hemlock?
Filmmaker David Huff’s upcoming documentary “The Vanishing Hemlock: A Race Against Time,” will follow arborist and big tree hunter Will Blozan into the hemlock forests of the southern Appalachians where Blozan will document the loss and its impact. The film will be shot in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. READ MORE

Gift Cards Can Plant Trees
Have a pile of unused or partially used gift cards lying around? Why not use them to plant trees. You can send cards of any amount to Gift Cards For Trees, who will then exchange it for cash market value and make a donation to American Forests to plant trees. READ MORE

Linkin Park Plants More Trees
If trees indeed sing in the wind, they’re singing the praises of Grammy award-winning rock band Linkin Park, which continues to find innovative ways to support American Forests’ tree planting efforts. Its eBay auction of various music celebrity items raised $22,000 for California Wildfire ReLeaf, American Forests’ effort to help replant that fire-ravaged state. READ MORE

Anne Frank Tree Saved
After intense negotiations, an agreement has been reached that will protect the historic chestnut outside the apartment where Anne Frank hid during WWII. The tree is plagued with fungi and parts of the trunk have rotted, leading to safety concerns. But the tree will be given a supporting structure by May of this year and the crown pruned and anchored to give it at least another five to 15 years of life, according to the Anne Frank House (www.annefrank.org). READ MORE

Climate Change Security Concerns
A London think tank is warning of dire effects unless governments begin to plan now for security issues that stem from global climate change. An Oxford Research Group report says up to 200 million people could become “environmental refugees” by the middle of the century, Planet Ark reports. READ MORE

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