It's spring, the time when people's minds turn to thoughts of. . . circumference, crown spread, height.

That's right, it's Big Tree time again, and big tree hunters nationwide are out with tape measures and straight sticks or more sophisticated gear in search of potential record holders. Forget the day spring or summer starts-July 1 is the date that really matters. That's the deadline for nominating a tree to be considered for champion status.

American Forests' National Register of Big Trees is a showcase of the largest known of 826 native and naturalized species in the continental U.S. and Alaska. There are currently 99 species without a national champion, trees ranging from the fireberry hawthorn and velvet elder to the desert apricot and sweetbay magnolia.

Six states-Delaware, Kansas, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Wyoming-and the District of Columbia currently do not have any champion trees listed on the national Register. Entries from those locations are especially encouraged.

National champs are ranked based on a point system that is calculated by adding the tree's trunk circumference in inches, the height in feet, and 1/4 of the average crown spread in feet. The Big Trees section of American Forests' website (www.americanforests.org) now features a searchable database, a downloadable nomination form, a measuring guide, and a list of FAQs. You can also find tree trivia.

"General Sherman," the national champion giant sequoia may be the acknowledged "biggest living thing in the world," but no title has been more sought-after than that of the national champion white oak. Since American Forests began keeping records in 1940 that title was held by Maryland's 508-point Wye Oak, which blew down in a storm last June. Maryland is trying to hang onto the title but is being challenged by several other states. That good-natured rivalry often plays out between states as each wants to claim the bragging rights for its state tree or for a tree that's especially near and dear to its heart (the champ Kentucky coffeetree is in Ohio).

"Our big trees are national treasures and they should be revered as symbols of strength, resilience, and luck," says Karen Fedor, American Forests' vp of Global ReLeaf and the person charged with running the Big Tree program. "This spring and summer, I hope everyone will get out into their communities and join in the search for these treasured trees." Think you know of a tree that has what it takes? Search the Register online or download a nomination form. AF

Nearly 1.5 million Liberty Trees will be planted to honor America's Armed Forces in a new program launched by American Forests and the VFW Foundation. One tree will be planted to honor each serviceman or woman on active duty. The trees will be planted in selected ecosystem restoration projects designated as Liberty Tree Forests.

Participating businesses are asked to donate $2 for each soldier to be honored. Active duty personnel will each receive a letter thanking them for their service to this country and a tree-planting certificate of appreciation.

The start of 2003 has been fast, confusing, and somewhat unsettling for forest policy at the national level. The 108th Congress began with some major unfinished business from the last Congress, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 appropriations bills. Overarching these discussions were concerns about going to war with Iraq, a slumping national economy, and growing federal budget deficits. In this political environment, congressional action has been subdued. To a significant degree, it seems Congress has deferred to the Administration to demonstrate and test its leadership, particularly as President Bush decided to go to war.

This tendency seems to be true in the forest policy arena as well, as the Administration continues to press for policies supporting the President's "Healthy Forests Initiative" (HFI). HFI is among President Bush's top policy priorities, and the Administration is aggressively proposing new legislative authorities and administrative rule changes to make the different components of HFI a reality.

Congress' debate over the FY 2003 Omnibus Appropriations bill covered all appropriations bills for federal programs, including the Interior Appropriations bill that funds the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other natural resource management programs. Diverse interests in the forestry and conservation community, including American Forests, worked together to urge Congress to provide additional funds to pay back money borrowed from federal agencies to fight wildfires last summer. The broad support for this request helped Congress pass $825 million for that.

The Omnibus Appropriations bill also included several controversial "riders." One proposed expanding the use of stewardship contracting by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, a proposal that matches one of the key legislative components of the President's HFI. This rider quickly became controversial; many environmental and conservation groups felt it premature to expand stewardship contracting from its pilot status while new authorities, such as "goods-for-services," were not well understood and might be applied inappropriately.

American Forests was already on record as advocating the development of more information about the stewardship contracting authorities through multiparty monitoring of 84 existing pilot projects. As the rider moved quickly through Congress, we wrote a set of letters to Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and Interior Secretary Gale Norton urging them to open up the process of developing national guidelines for implementing the new stewardship contracting provisions. Our first letter, cosigned by several community forestry partners, expressed concern that the rider "could severely damage the significant level of trust that has been being built among diverse community interests-including local environmental and industry groups as well as a range of local government agencies, nonprofit groups and other business enterprises-through their participation in the existing Forest Service stewardship contracting demonstration program" (see www.americanforests.org for a copy of the letters). We are currently working with partners on a mid-April meeting where diverse interests from around the country will be able to tell federal agencies their views on national guidance for program implementation.

The Administration's FY 2004 spending proposals were released in early February and are currently being considered by Congress. Proposals for the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management highlight the HFI and the National Fire Plan. American Forests' testimony on these proposals reflects our focus on programs that restore and maintain healthy ecosystems through efforts that openly engage communities (see our website for a transcript of the testimony). For example, we support the Administration's proposed $231 million for thinning small-diameter trees and reducing hazardous fuels under the National Fire Plan, but we urge the Administration to improve collaborative mechanisms with communities and community capacity building through programs such as rural community assistance. We are concerned that the Administration has again eliminated funding for rural community assistance in its FY 2004 budget. Our testimony also recognizes the Administration's continued support for Urban and Community Forestry, but we urge Congress to increase funding from $38 million to $50 million for critical ecological and "green infrastructure" needs for major metropolitan areas.

Finally, the Bush Administration has proposed a number of administrative rule changes to help federal agencies implement natural resource management programs more expediently. The Administra-tion has also released a major revision of the rules affecting National Forest Manage-ment Act implementation. American Forests' comments on these proposals generally reflect our belief that the Administration needs to engage communities in an open and transparent planning process, ensure multiparty monitoring for learning and to take corrective action. Specific comments on these proposed rule changes can be found on our website.-Gerry Gray

From the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction file comes the story of Nebraska's budget woes and one proposal by the University of Nebraska to help it meet a state mandate to cut $41 million from its budget: Eliminate the state Forest Service.

Nebraska's Forest Service, which is operated out of the University of Nebraska, has 27 employees. Eliminat-ing it would save an estimated $837,000, according to the Omaha World-Herald. In addition to the obvious problems, the newspaper pointed out that the elimination would require the recall of more than 360 fire trucks now on loan to counties and force the forfeiture of about $1.6 million in federal funds for Forest Service programs.

State Forester Gary Hergenrader told the paper he can list more than two dozen ways the shutdown would hurt-including making his the lone Forest Service-less state.

Last year Nebraska's Forest Service got more than $2 million in federal funds to deliver to state programs such as landowner assistance and fire assistance, according to the Lincoln Journal Star. Now Congress has gotten involved, but not in the way you might think. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) has introduced legislation that would allow the state Forest Service to negotiate forest management contracts on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service, according to a March 27 story in the Omaha World-Herald. Hagel suggested that localizing that control would reduce fire danger.

If state and university officials are unsuccessful in their attempts to save the Forest Service, the state would still retain a state forester. A spokeswoman for Hagel told the Omaha World-Herald that state officials had OK'd the idea before Hagel introduced it, saying that having just a state forester should suffice for the legislation.

The newspaper added, "Of course, it remains to be seen how much additional work the forester could absorb, given that he would be losing 25 of his 26 colleagues."

This photo from our archives was shot in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, around 1880. Tell us what's going on; one correct entry will win a tree from American Forests' Historic Tree Nursery. Send responses to: mrobbins@amfor.org or mail to: On Second Thought, c/o American Forests, PO Box 2000, Washington, DC 20013. We'll tell you the correct answer and the winner next time. No phone calls, please!