Our Centennial Year
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U N I V E R S I T Y O F W A S H I N G T O N Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Seattle, WA Permit No. 62 Coll e g e o f F o r e st Re so u r c e s Box 352100 | Seattle, WA 98195 WINTER 2008 “Creating Futures since College of1907” Forest Resources News IN THIS ISSUE CELEBRATING THE CENTENNIAL JON BAKKER PROFILE PHYTOREMEDIATION RESEARCH COLLEGE NEWS 2006-2007 REPORT TO CONTRIBUTORS ALUMNI FOCUS ARBORETUM HOLLY COLLECTION MESSA G E F RO M T H E D E A N The College of Forest Resources Centennial Year has given us many opportunities to come together as a community to reminisce, reflect, and to reinvigorate our vision for the future of our college. Your participation helped make this past year a special time for us all. From families dependent on the forest and marine resources of the Olympic Peninsula, to timber and wildlife managers of the Yakama Nation, to volunteers conserving Washington’s endangered plants through the UW Botanic Gardens Rare Care Program, to students and faculty working on sustaining water, green spaces, working forests, and a healthy environment in our urban areas, the College’s community truly encompasses our Northwest world. Your generosity throughout this centennial year has also made it possible for us to increase our national and global connections, with students and faculty attending conferences and doing research across the country and the world in places like Costa Rica, China, Germany, Mexico, South Korea, and Taiwan. Whether we are discovering innovative sources of biofuels, developing precision tools to manage forests in new and efficient ways, studying how climate change may affect the iconic forests of the Pacific Northwest, using plants to neutralize toxic wastes, or designing new collections for education and discovery in the UW Botanic Gardens, your support is central to our future. All of our faculty, students, and staff thank you and look forward to our continued shared contribution to the sustainability of our communities and our planet. Please stay in touch as we continue to create futures through excellence in teaching, research, and outreach, both locally and globally. Your involvement will always make a difference! B. Bruce Bare C R E AT I N G F U T U R E S S I N C E 1 9 0 7 Our Centennial Year Honoring the Past and Celebrating the Future! Tuition was $10 a semester and courses ranged from wood technology — including learning how to recognize commercial timbers and know their properties — to how to thwart fungi, insect pests, and forest fires on timberlands. “Woodcraft” was a required first semester course covering “food lists, camp cooking, woods clothing, camp equipment, camp sanitation, packing a horse, general woodcraft.” “. . .Seattle is in the center of the timber industry of Washington and the Northwest,” a 1917 College catalog explains to potential students. “In its many sawmills and wood-working industries, the student has unrivaled opportunities for studying wood utilization.” The catalog describes the 335-acre UW campus as partly covered with timber, and work underway on an arboretum, forerunner to the Washington Park Arboretum that today is managed by the College in partnership with the City of Seattle. During its November 2007 Centennial Gala Weekend, the College celebrated the opportunity to look back in time and forward to the next 100 years. Events included a research showcase on biofuels and bioenergy and a gala in the Don James Center attended by 250 alumni, students, faculty, staff, and supporters. “Natural resources management is now about integrated uses,” says Dean B. Bruce Bare, who has worked to focus the College on natural resources sustainability, responding to increasing awareness of climate change and biodiversity issues and changes in how green spaces are valued by urban and rural residents. The College has also increased its international focus, participating in UW Worldwide initiatives and studying the sustainability of habitats and the issues of global trade in places such as Costa Rica, China, and Japan. continued on next page Poplar Plants Disarm Toxic Pollutants says. Trichloroethylene is a heavily used industrial degreaser that has made its way into groundwater due to improper disposal. Both unaltered poplars and transgenic poplar plants produce enzymes that break down trichloroethylene into chloride ions — harmless salt that the plant sheds — and recombine the carbon and hydrogen with oxygen to produce water and carbon dioxide. The transgenic poplar plants just do it a lot faster. The enzymes used to metabolize the contaminants are from a group called cytochrome P450 found in both plants and animals. Poplars have a lot of P450s and Doty says scientists hope to sort them to find ways to manipulate the plant’s own genes to ramp up pollution degradation. In the meantime they are inserting into the plants a gene that produces cytochrome P450 in the livers of rabbits. Doty says. “Using the mammalian gene to ‘overexpress’ the desired enzymes is just a step toward understanding the poplar P450 genes well enough to be able to enhance production of their own enzymes that degrade contaminants. With the plant’s own genes, the results should be even better.” Assistant Professor Sharon Doty with poplar plants in laboratory vials. Photo: Kristen Atik. Scientists since the early ‘90s have seen the potential for cleaning up contaminated sites by growing plants able to take up and render harmless groundwater pollutants that are incorporated into roots, stems, and leaves or released into the air. This process, called phytoremediation, is slow, halting when growth stops in winter, and often hasn’t fit timetables required by regulatory agencies at remediation sites. Scientists from the UW, Oregon State, and Purdue, led by the College’s Assistant Professor Sharon Doty, reported recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that genetically engineered, or transgenic, poplar plants grown in a laboratory were able to take as much as 91 percent of trichloroethylene, the most common groundwater contaminant at U.S. Superfund sites, out of a liquid solution. Unaltered plants removed three percent. The plants — all cuttings just several inches tall growing in vials — also were able to metabolize the pollutant into harmless byproducts at rates 100 times that of the control plants. Federal regulations allow the growing of transgenic plants in greenhouses and controlled field trials for research purposes only. Sometimes the plants’ own genetic material is altered and sometimes genetic material is added from other plants, bacteria, or animals. The poplar research raises the question of the commercial potential for using transgenic trees on sites where toxic plumes of pollutants are on the move in groundwater. “Small, volatile hydrocarbons, including trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, carbon tetrachloride, benzene, and chloroform, are common environmental pollutants with serious health effects. Some are known carcinogens,” Doty Celebrating the Centennial Along with the trichloroethylene tests, the new results also found improved rates of uptake from solutions of chloroform, the byproduct of disinfecting drinking water; carbon tetra-chloride, a solvent; and vinyl chloride, a substance used to make plastics. In air pollution experiments using six-inch plants in closed containers, the transgenic plants increased absorption of gaseous trichloroethylene and benzene. Contaminated groundwater is treated in a variety of chemical, physical, and microbial ways, says Research Professor Stuart Strand, a co-author of the paper. In some places the groundwater is pumped out and the contaminants are allowed to evaporate. In other places sugars pumped into the ground can clean contaminants but make the water anaerobic — oxygen starved — and can produce other toxic byproducts. Additional experiments are planned to determine detoxification rates when transgenic poplars are grown in soils, and to ensure that plant tissues don’t harm non-target organisms. “We know that some people see transgenic plants as risky and we want to make sure concerns are addressed and risks minimized,” says Doty. The researchers believe poplars may be a good choice. Poplars grow fast and can grow for several years without flowering, at which time they could be harvested to prevent seeds from generating. And unlike some other trees species, branches of the poplar being studied do not take root in soils when they fall to the ground. Even so, Doty and her co-authors imagine that transgenic trees planted at contaminated sites would need to be rigorously contained; federal regulations are becoming increasingly strict for transgenic plants intended for biopharmaceutical or industrial use, including phytoremediation. Says Doty, “In contaminated sites we already have known risks from carcinogens and other hazardous pollutants. Our goal is to provide a faster way to reduce the amount of carcinogens, one that is affordable so many sites can be treated.” continued from page 1 Last fall, for example, the College held a Northwest Environmental Forum on Washington’s working forests, which include areas managed both for forest commodities, such as timber, and for environmental services, such as fresh water, carbon sequestration, and wildlife habitat. The forum included representatives of forest companies, small landowners, environmental advocates, Native American tribes, legislative staff, and agencies. In another example, the College provided the Washington State Legislature with studies on the susceptibility of Eastside forests to wildfires and insect invasions, pressure on some forests to be converted to other uses such as housing developments, and the state of the forest products industry. The Legislature then funded College research to develop recommendations for prioritizing forest lands at risk for conversion, especially in the Cascade foothills, and for exploring the use of forest biomass to generate energy as well as the markets for such biomass. Facing the retirement of one-fifth of its faculty in the recent 18 months, the College recruited 11 new faculty, nine tenure track and two joint appointments, one with Washington State University and one with the U.S. Geological Survey. It’s been an opportunity to add expertise in new disciplines. For example, faculty members Rick Gustafson, Kevin Hodgson, and Bill McKean and Research Scientist Larry Mason, were joined at the Gala Weekend’s bioenergy showcase by three new Assistant Professors: Renata Bura, a chemist studying how to unlock the lignin that surrounds wood cells, allowing more ready conversion of lingo-cellulosic biomass to ethanol and other fuels; L. Monica Moskal, who is using LIDAR to estimate the amount of biomass in stands of trees; and Sharon Doty, a biotechnologist using genetic techniques and microorganisms found in poplar plants to optimize them for biofuel production. “A significant change in forestry in the past 35 years is the move out of its strictly professional domain into the broader arena of science,” says Professor Emeritus Reinhard Stettler, who joined the College 44 years ago. “Research used to be published exclusively in forestry journals, but today you’ll find much of it in journals like Nature, Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and more. The College has played a distinguished role in this transformation through the nature and quality of faculty it has hired, its attraction of well qualified graduate students, and the collaboration it has encouraged with other disciplines across campus.” J U LY 1 , 2 0 0 6 – J U N E 3 0 , 2 0 0 7 The nearly $2 million raised during fiscal year 2007 helped ensure the excellence of our faculty and students and support for professional and intellectual growth for the teachers, researchers, and students in all of our programs. It helped make possible our engagement with the public we serve and enhanced our collaborations across the University of Washington campuses and with our cooperating partners in institutions, organizations, and communities across the state, the nation, and the globe. We deeply appreciate your contributions to discovery and exploration as we work together to sustain our natural resources for future generations. The three-way partnership of support from state funding, sponsored research, and private donors helped the College achieve many successes — the following pages highlight many of these exciting achievements and ongoing projects. Notable accomplishments include: • Continuing success in recruiting new faculty with the hiring of two additional assistant professors for academic year 2007-2008 in the fields of natural resource economics and natural resource informatics (joining nine new faculty recruited for the 2006-2007 academic year). • Ongoing programs in forest management, forest technology transfer, and the study of forested ecosystems carried out by the Precision Forestry Cooperative, the Rural Technology Initiative, the Stand Management Cooperative, the Olympic Natural Resources Center, the Center for International Trade in Forest Products, the Center for Sustainable Forestry, The Water Center, and the Wind River Canopy Crane Research Facility. • Progress in fundraising to implement programs at the UW Botanic Gardens, including the Washington Park Arboretum Master Plan and the Elisabeth C. Miller Library. • A productive partnership with the Washington Pulp and Paper Foundation to fund scholarships and fellowships in paper science and engineering and bioresource sciences. • A healthy research program, with total expenditures of nearly $8.5 million in fiscal year 2007. Additional achievements that we could not have accomplished without your support and partnership include our year-long Centennial celebration, surpassing our monetary goal for Campaign UW: Creating Futures, and our ongoing work on the Future of Washington’s Forests project, facilitated by the Northwest Environmental Forum. The College’s Centennial Year was truly a demonstration of support from alumni, friends, and colleagues. Our “CFR community” came together, reminisced, celebrated, and renewed our vision for the future, energizing our commitment to answering the increasingly complex and urgent challenges surrounding the sustainability of our environment and natural resources. Surpassing our $17.7 million campaign goal is a testimony to the College’s 100-year legacy of philanthropy. Just as important as the monetary achievement has been the growing awareness and support of the College’s role in sustaining our Northwest world and beyond. To secure the College’s future, we must all continue to support the extraordinarily talented faculty and students who continue our legacy of excellence. The Future of Washington’s Forests project provided an opportunity for many stakeholders across the state to come together through the Northwest Environmental Forum to help sustain a threatened and highly valued resource for our state — our working forests. Working with multiple and diverse constituencies and providing input to legislative decisions, our researchers have made an important contribution to a challenge that affects us all. You can take pride in how our College — of which you are an integral part — is serving the citizens of Washington and the world. B. Bruce Bare A N N U A L R E P O RT T O C O N T R I B U T O R S Individual Donors Polly Rosmond and Phillip Smith Mack Hogans Gary and Judy Shirley Gordon and Irene Bergum James Cooper and Jewel Adams PRESIDENT’S AND DEAN’S CLUBS Jocelyn Horder David Strathairn Phillip and Marilyn Bird Walter and Gayle Corbin Bruce and Bonnie Bare Edward and Linda Schreiner Charles and Jessie Hotes Richard and Hope Stroble Karen Black-Jenkins David Crooker Charlotte and John Behnke Carolyn Scott John Blake C. Richard Crowther Wenonah Sharpe James Howard and Nancy Winder Lily and Bobby Takatsuka Sally Behnke Donald and Florence Theoe Mary Blanton Patricia Danford Jon and Barbara Christoffersen Orin and Althea Soest Gretchen and Lyman Hull David Thorud and Ann Goos Audre Bleecker Amanda Davis Allen and Victoria Symington Dale and Raelyn Cole Michael and Mary Van Winkle Gloria and John Boettcher James and Karan Dawson David Syre Daniel and M. Darlene Huntington Carrie Cone Bottler Charitable Trust Mary Debyle The Trimble Family Trust Laurence and Diane Istvan Richard and Merridee Vuori James Ellis Errol Johnson Scott and Lorna Wallick Elisabeth and Edgar Bottler Malcolm and Janet Dick Thomas Unfried Peter Farnum and Christine Dean William Brickett Nathaniel Dickens Gary and Karla Waterman David and Pamela Johnston Silas and Lorie Wild Robert Kelly William and Patricia Wilson David and Anne Briggs Jonathan Diemer John Wott Bill and Alicia Winchell David Brown Nedra and Robert Dils Robert and Janet Witter James Brown Tena and Earl Doan Thomas Wolford Walter and Dona Bubelis James Dole Gary and Patricia Bullock Ronald and Linda Dowden $100-$499 Charles Burget Victoria Dowling Anonymous Clara Burnett Sylvia Duryee Shiva Achet Ann Burns and Bruce Williams James Eastman James and Wendy Agee Stephen Butterworth Robert Edstrom Stephen Alley and Amy Scott Gary and Linda Buzzini Rae Edwards Robert and Sharon Alverts John and Judith Calhoun Donald and Diane Elliott Alex and Maureen Anderson Wayne Callaghan Virginia Ellis Ara Erickson $2,000 and over Robert Franklin Thomas Friberg and Shannon Johnson Richard and Rhonda Getty Ardis Grunow Margaret and Benjamin Hall Benjamin and Doris Harrison William Hatheway Elizabeth Hebert and Donald Guthrie Henry Kyle $500 -$1,999 Morten Lauridsen, Jr. DEAN’S CLUB Scott and Susan Lipsky Anonymous Dale Marks Ellsworth and Nancy Alvord Sandra and Sean McDowell Donald and Lorraine Andrews W.H. and Elizabeth Meadowcroft Richard and Marie Atkins Helen Ball Joanna and David Beitel Sandy and Alfred Moy Murdock Family Trust Arline and Thomas Hinckley Charles Bingham John O’Brien and Mary Welborn Paul Hylbert Brian Boyle and Susan Whittington Cecilia Paul and Harry Reinert Paul Anderson Gordon and Jacklyn Bradley Charles Peterson and Susan Sater William Anderson William Carlson and Constance Harrington James Brain and Suzanne Meredith Lyssa and Daniel Anolik Barbara Carman Robert Espeseth Sarah and Brian Reichard Kenneth and Brenda Arnold Virgil and Edna Carrell Gregory Ettl Donald and Carla Reukema Michael and Janice Carter Helen Felton Patricia and Walter Riehl Christine Arredondo and Richard Kummerle John Caruso Thomas and Margaret Fleming Kari Kovasin James Lassoie and Ruth Sherman Marshall and Joan Marley Douglas and Anne Erickson Ruby McLachlan Douglas Chatfield and Kea Rehn Toby and Laurie Murray William and Paula Clapp Steven and Connie Rogel Martha Avery David Catlin Gordon and Susan Nelson Otto Rombouts Sylvia and Roger Baird Dale Flynn and Jeanette Mills Jean and Patrick Cummins Kenneth and Sue Chisholm Mark Plummer and Catherine Phillips Harold Rosenkrans William and Joan Ball Rosemary and E. David Ford Robert and Helen Curtis Carl and Catherine Christensen Jane Puccinelli Walter and Carol Sande Steven Banks Leonard Fuller Richard Gustafson and Laura O’Hara Victoria Christiansen Charles and Patricia Beckert William and Patricia Fuller Katherine and Lee Reinleitner John Sawyer Maureen Connors Thomas Hanson Shirley and James Beebe Ronald Garton Julia Rosmond Philip and Therese Schnell Lewis Consiglieri John and Beverly Henderson Julieanne and William Belknap Janice Gentle Mary Rosmond James Senko Philip Cook Sara Hinckley Morris and Dorothy Bergman Betty Gerard Charles and Andora Sharpe Educating the next generation of leaders, scientists, and informed citizens During the last two years, the College of Forest Resources recruited eleven new faculty members, strengthening its historic, one-hundred year legacy of leadership and innovation in environmental and natural resources and broadening its expertise in emerging disciplines. A long history of philanthropy has allowed the College to provide its faculty with support for teaching and research programs. All of these new faces were on board by the start of the 2007-2008 academic year. In their collaborative research and educational leadership, within the College, across the UW, and with agency, nonprofit, academic, and corporate partners, all of the College’s faculty are a vital resource in ensuring innovative leadership and world-changing discovery by future generations. A snapshot of our new faculty faces… Jon Bakker’s expertise in ecosystem restoration and management strengthens the College’s focus on sustainability in urban and wildland landscapes. One of his current projects is working to restore prairie and savanna ecoystems in western Washington. Participating in the UW’s Restoration Ecology Network, managing the Union Bay Natural Area, and engaging in sponsored restoration research, the College is a leader in sustaining valued forest and urban landscapes. This leadership role is greatly enhanced by private support for its restoration and rare plant conservation programs. Renata Bura, natural products chemist and Denman Professor in Pulp and Paper Science, is researching the conversion of biomass into ethanol, an emerging field in bioresource science and technology. The Professorship, along with the Denman Chair in Bioresource Science, supports the College’s new center of excellence that is discovering how to use renewable raw materials as a source of energy, fuel, and chemicals. Sharon Doty’s work on phytoremediation — using plants to suck up toxic materials in contaminated sites — supports the College’s expanding new initiatives in bioresource science. She is also working on increasing the efficiency of biofuel production from non-food crops. Several of her graduate students have received scholarships and fellowships from donor-supported funds. Greg Ettl directs the Center for Sustainable Forestry at Pack Forest. With expertise in silviculture and forest ecology, he is developing the Center’s programs in sustainable forest management through research, demonstration, and technology transfer. C.E. Pack Experimental Forest, established in 1926 through the philanthropy of Charles Lathrop Pack, continues to receive private support from the David B. Thorud Endowed Fund for Pack Forest. The College shares Dean Glawe’s expertise in plant pathology with Washington State University (WSU), where he also holds a faculty appointment. With research focusing on mycology and taxonomic databases, Glawe also edits the online journal Pacific Northwest Fungi and is a co-founder of the Pacific Northwest Fungi Project. UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON Co l l e g e o f Fo r e s t R e s o u r c e s D. Jean Gillespie Donald and Gene Hopkins Richard Lund Michael Oster Sandra Solack Ann Wyman Elbridge and Gloria Gockerell Richard Hopkins Anne MacArthur Douglas Owens-Pike Karen and Mani Soma Pamela Yorks and Stephen West Johanna Goering Roberta Howard Larry Maechler Thomas Palm Frederick Stark Gary and Carol Zielke Stanley and Jeanette Gordon Stanley Hungerford Sid Malbon Nancy Pearson Harold and Gail Steen Vera and W. Jerome Zimmerman Patricia Grantham Dinah Hutchinson Robert and Dianne Polson Douglas Stern Samuel Greeley and Julie Wade Larry Jaeck Michelle Margroff and James Ellingboe Dale and Joann Potter Howard and Catherine Stern $1-$99 Peter Jameson Michael and Corenne McBeth Francis Powers Alan Sugino Anonymous James and Carol Green Patricia and Donald Janssen Kenneth and Patricia McBride Ray Quintanar James Swift David Alban Alan Randall Joseph Taggart John Albers Randall and Linda Greggs Neil Johannsen and Hilary Hilscher Wendy McClure Wilbur McCollum Michael Regan Roland Takami Steven Albert George Grimes Gregory Jones Patrick McCrary Lavon Ring Frederick and Kimberlee Tebb Elva Alden April Grimm and Christopher Stecko Clyde Kalahan David McIntyre Walter Ring George Thornton Thomas Kelly William McJohn Charles Griswold Long and Megan Tran Michael King Kenneth McKay Ann Risvold and Lawrence Donovan Stephanie Amoss and Jerald Herting Gretchen Griswold Barbara Klee and Ralph Pease Alan and Penny Meiners Gary and Marilyn Ritchie J. Richard Grodt Mary Turner Andrea Knowles Ruth Mikels Frederick Rix Raymond Guries Lewis and Connie Ulrey Arthur Kruckeberg Robert Miller Luke and Heather Rogers William Hagenstein Leo Utter Arild and Ruby Krystad Mike Mohundro RST Family Trust Judith Hance Theresa Valentine Jack and Eleanor Krystad Gerald Monahan Barbara Rumpf Betty and Roger Harding Cecil Volkman Thomas Kuykendall Peggy Moore Richard Ryan Dorothy and Jerome Harrigan Henry and Carolyn Wachter Susan La Joe Judith Morris Sam and Ruth Ann Saunders Milton Hartley Iris and Theodore Wagner Lauren and Gaylle Laakso Donald and Jean Morrow Lyn and Hans Sauter Charles Backman and Peggy Pantel Robert and Sally Hasselbrack Jeffrey Walker Bruce Lachney Jeanne Wallin William Lacy Carol Scheuffele and Percy Tierney Glenn Baker Teresa and Arthur Hathaway L. Monika Moskal and Mathew Dunbar Neal Baker Roy Hedden Gregory and Mary Lambert Joy Munkers Michael Schmidt Connie Walsh Norma and S. William Baker Thomas and Shaula Hedwall Donald and Eloyce Landon John and Lee Neff Margaret Schneideman Jackie Wang Robert Baldwin Charles Heimbigner George and Carla Lankow James and Janette Nelson Edna Seaman George and Charlotte Warren Paul Banko John and Jean Helm Malcolm Lea Wayne Nishijima Richard Seaman Mark Webster Richard Bare John Hendee Steven and Stephanie Leitz Patrick Nooney Elizabeth Seder Raymond and Meredith Webster Patrick Bates James and Ellen Heneghan Ken Lentz Terry Norberg Richard and Nancy Shaffer Laura Weinstein William Hennessey Brian and Joan Letourneau Steven and Kathryn Norgaard Christopher Sharpe Reed and Annette Wendel Sandra Hines Frank and Geraldine Lewis Arthur Noskowiak James Shoop Greg and Peggy Wendt Betty Hirano-Kramer and Douglas Kramer Madalene Lickey Kathy O’Briant Robert Siceloff Susan Wheatley Carsten Lien Matthew O’Connor Lloyd Skinner D. Edward Williams Maxine Linial Patricia Olson Hans Smith Kenneth Wilson Willis and Jennifer Littke Donald Olsson Ron and Victoria Smith Alan Winslow Stephen Greenway Thomas and Patricia Hoesly Roger Hoesterey Collaboration with WSU is an important College resource; private support for joint projects such as the Rural Technology Initiative helps sustain this valuable relationship. Soo Kim is discovering management practices that use less water and reduce runoff in urban landscapes, and researching plants’ adaptation to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Using the Washington Park Arboretum as the research site, he is estimating the carbon budget of urban forests to assess their ecological benefits and costs in the context of climate change. Private support for the Washington Park Arboretum strengthens its role as a valued research and educational resource. Josh Lawler’s expertise in conservation biology and landscape ecology contributes to the College’s integrating theme of sustainability. His work focuses on how human activities affect ecological systems at large spatial scales, including improving conservation tools and studying the effects of climate change on species distribution. David Trzil Douglas Andersen Sue Anderson Robert Antieau Wendy Asplin Donald Atkinson Salman Aziz Adela Backiel Linda Beeman Philip Beguhl Arthur Benefiel Mark Benner Matt Bennett Arthur Beres Judith and John Bergvall L. Monika Moskal’s work with the Precision Forestry Cooperative focuses on applied spatio-temporal multi-scale modeling of forest and vegetation characteristics, patterns, and processes, using remote sensing, GIS, and geospatial techniques. The cooperative works to ensure that the practice of forestry produces economic as well as environmental benefits. Support for the College’s precision forestry initiatives comes from a wide range of public Christian Torgersen leads the Cascadia Field Station of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center. He studies spatial heterogeneity in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems to identify how scale of observation influences our understanding of ecological patterns and processes. The field station, housed at the College, is an example of longstanding collaboration with public agencies that strengthens the College’s research and and private organizations. education programs. Sergey Rabotyagov contributes to the College’s international leadership in natural resource economics. His interests include designing pollution permit markets, mitigating uncertainty in agricultural soil carbon offsets, and developing technologies to solve nonpoint water pollution. Collaborating with the Center for International Trade in Forest Products and the Northwest Environmental Forum, the College’s natural resource economists are helping to sustain the region’s rural, resourcebased economies. Sandor Toth’s expertise in natural resource informatics supports the College’s expanding leadership role in developing quantitative decision support tools to aid forest and natural resource managers. He focuses on building and testing mathematical models that can quantify and visualize the resource trade-offs and production possibilities between conflicting management objectives, including non-timber forest benefits. A N N U A L R E P O RT T O C O N T R I B U T O R S Individual Donors continued Ronald Billings Christopher Carusona Sheri Denkensohn Thomas Binder Stephen and Donna Cass Jon and Jeanne Blackburn Susan Chadd Edwin Heller and Ellen KipperHeller Jeffrey Jones Robert and Sandra Dexter Peter Frenzen and Denise Fidel Nancy and Mark Deyrup Roy and Jeanette Friis Rose and Robert Helmer Marie Kaare John Hendrickson Kathleen and Peter Kalapaca Vaclav Kalas Kristian Blanchard William Chamberlain Sally Dickman Jane Fulcher Nancy Blase and Charles Goldstein Laurie Chambers Barbara Dillard Sue and Steve Funk Walter and Mary Lou Chance Carolyn Dillman William Gaines John Hennes and Margaret Lahde Gloria Hennings Oliver Judd Richard and Ok-hi Kang Norman Bliss Steven Chandler David Dolling Alan and Diane Galbraith Daniel and Renata Bloom Vivian Chapin Scott Downes Robert and Jacquelyn Geimer John Henry Beatrice Kaufman-Monohon and Bryon Monohon Mary Body Michael Chiu and Kari Gilje Edward and Kristen Draper Ann Gibson Frederick Herber and Joylee Vaughn-Herber William Keeton Jean Bolton and Frank Horton Glenn Clements Judith Duncan Betty and Kenneth Giske Neal Bonham and Suzanne Ferris Margaret Cloud Sharon Dunn Heidemarie Glasser Robert and Victory Edmonds Robert Goertz Julie Combs Harold and Malvina Eidsvik Leta and David Goldberg Eleanor Connolly Jean Emmons Meg Goldman Sarah Corson Kathryn Englert Deborah Gordon Brian Cosby Heather Erickson Keith Gormezano Kaleen Cottingham Leola and Eldon Estep Anne Goslin Gerard Coyle Dale Farley Michael Gracz Joyce and David Brewster Robert Crain Walter Ferguson Allan Gray Beverly Brice Henry and Bettylee Cramer Patricia Field Judy Griesel Martin Brittan Kristine Cramer Joseph and Carol Fielding Thomas Guobis Virginia Brower Raymond Crist Alvin and Lana Finegold Robin Haaland Kenneth Brynestad Janet and Bob Crites Charles and Rose Finkel Nancy Haigwood Sharon Buck Abigail Cummings Gary Buechner Grant Cummings Elizabeth and Charles Fitzgerald Cleveland Hall Raymond Burns Matthew Dahlgreen Mabel Flotlin Robert Haner Shane and Margaret Campbell J. Scott and Maria Davidson Kathleen Foley Thomas and Edith Hankins John Capell Lawrence and Claire Davis Janice Fong Ellen Hanna Suzanne Carbaugh Nancy Davis Janet and Douglas Footh John Hansen N. Eric and Brenda Carlsen Kathleen Day Susan Frankel Donald Harpel Sherrill Carlson Jane DeBrock Joan Franz David and Cynthia Hartmann Roberta Carlyon Margaret DeDecker Derik Frederiksen Robert Haugen Patricia and George Carpenter Amantino DeFreitas Robert and Phyllis Freeman Albert Hedin Lisa Cartwright Craig Delphey Steven French Richard and Claylia Heilman Joann Bopp Sandra Bowman Dale Boyce Stephen Boyce Karen and Mark Boyd John Brandt and Cathy PatnoeBrandt Tina Cohen Barbara Ham Daniel Herring Karl Hinze Michael and Jana Hobbs Cathleen Bailey Mary Kemp Philip and Marcia Killien Pamela Kingsbury and Robert Ohrn Mary Hoff James Kinskey and Kimberly Frappier Joel Holtrop Richard Klein Steven Hood Fred and Jane Knight Roberta Hopkins Kristian Knutzen Burton Hovander Leon Konz Patrick and Meriden Huggins Jana and Frank Krejsl Marilyn Hughes Thomas Hundley Nikolai Kristensen and Patricia Leblanc Virginia Hunt George Kritsonis Robert and Ilene Hunter Jeffrey and Dolly Krueger Martha and David Hurd Leon Kuijper Mary Jacanin Anne Kuntz Robert Jackson Janet Lam-Rogers and Toby Rogers David Jenkins Barbara Jensen Kimberly Jensen Darryll and Cherry Johnson Donald Johnson Ray Johnson Rebecca and Mark Johnson Carla Langdon Pamela Langer Laura and Jay Laughlin Larrie Lavoy Elaine and Richard Leir Megan Leuteneker Anne Lian Advancing cutting edge research and breakthrough technologies Research and innovation on the cutting edge has been “business as usual” at the College since its founding in 1907. During the last year College faculty, students, and research staff investigated the use of transgenic poplar plants to remediate harmful pollution, studied the social and psychological benefits of trees on the urban landscape, formed a UW Bioenergy Group to research the use of biomass from forests and agricultural wastes as an alternative source of energy and fuel, and used precision forestry tools to help ensure standardized wood quality for a more efficient use of timber for forest products. Biomass Conversion to Biofuels Using waste biomass to produce energy can reduce the use of fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce pollution and waste management problems. A recent publication by the European Union highlighted the potential for waste-derived bioenergy to contribute to the reduction of global warming. But biomass-derived ethanol is still too expensive to compete with fossil fuels without subsidies, and requires a greater amount of processing to produce ethanol by fermentation. Researchers at the College, including members of a newly-formed UW Bioenergy Group, are approaching the problem from a number of Poplar Science different angles — using wheat straw left after harvesting or low-quality, small diameter trees from forest thinnings as the “waste biomass”; enhancing the efficiency of biofuel production using endophytic microorganisms; and natural products chemistry research into the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass (plant biomass that is composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) to ethanol. Assistant Professor Renata Bura, holder of the Denman Professorship in Pulp and Paper Science, is also researching the conversion of fastgrowing poplars to ethanol, with gift support from HM3, Inc. Photo: P. stipitis CBS 6054 is the best of only a few yeasts known to ferment xylose (found in hemecellulose) to ethanol in high yield. What do you get when you cross a rabbit with a tree? Less pollution. If that doesn’t strike you as particularly funny, that’s because it’s no joke. CFR researchers, including Assistant Professor Sharon Doty, Research Professor Stuart Strand, graduate students Jun Wong Kang and Glenda Singleton, and research staff Zareen Khan and Azra Vajzovic, working with UW, Oregon State University, and Purdue University colleagues, recently discovered that poplar trees became extra-good at gobbling up toxic chemicals from the air and water when they’d been inoculated with rabbit genes. Suddenly the trees were capable of neutralizing benzene, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON James Lincoln Robin and Elizabeth Lindley Gene Little Fu-Mei and Soung-Nan Liu Diane Logan John Lombard Ben Lonn David Lowry Albert and Nora Lucas Nancy Lundquist Elizabeth Lyons Thomas Lyse William and Mayumi MacDonald Co l l e g e o f Fo r e s t R e s o u r c e s James Meador and Susan Picquelle Patricia Medvick Helen Meeker Constance Mehmel Calvin Meier Nora Mena Paul Mena Thomas and Catherine Mentele Michael Meske Patricia Meursinge Maxwell Meyring Christine Miller and Eric Jones Edwin and Bonnie Miller James O’Halloran Aaron Roark Irving Smith Phillip and Shelagh Tucker Suzanne Olsen Martha Robbins Lindley and Georgiana Smith William Turner Diana Olson Vicki Robinson Theodore Smith James Valentine Lloyd Olson Phillip Rodbell Amanda Snyder Helga Van Miegroet Richard Olson Mark and Barbara Roller Dorene Snyder Helen and Wieland von Behrens Tobian Oppenheim John Rombold Michael and Elizabeth Spafford Janet and David Voorhees Roger Ottmar Ernest and Ruth Rotter Genelle and Warren Spangler Paul Wagner and Phyllis Reed Duane Partee Ralph and Jacqueline Rudeen Marilyn and Harry Wall George Peabody Victor Rudolph Court Stanley and Kelly Zuck-Stanley Susan Pendleton William and Carol Rust Russell and Beatrice Stensrud Raedell and Henry Warren Tegan Pennell Debra Salas-Haynes Mindy Stern Wendy and Christopher Wayne Bradley Peters Steven and Sheila Sauer Robert and Erlene Stevenson Van Webb George and Christina Pfeiffer Sammy Saunders Kristine and Herb Stimpson Estate of Richard H. Weiland Denise Phares Darlene Schanfald Sharon Stoffel Wilhelm Welzenbach Phyllis Pierce Mary Schmitt Eleanor Stopps Roger and Judith West Anna Plager Randall and Alice Schroder August and Beverlee Storkman Roy West Lynn Poser Gary Schuyten Philip Strand Debra Wheeler Kenneth and Lois Prestrud Jane and William Sebring Helen and James Strang Erin Whitesell James Pringle and Delene Oldenburg David Selk Susan Strasser Barbara Williamson V. Scott Senter Daniel and Lore Swett Jeremy Wilson George Serfess Ellen Switkes Betty Wing Elaine Talbot Archer Wirth John Withey Susan Magnuson Eileen and Ray Miller Richard Main Peggy Miller Audrey Mainwaring Richard Miller Dave Maltos Joshua Millspaugh Christine and Craig Marbet Sara and Paul Mockett Margaret Marshall Jeffrey and Tamala Moffett Mary Marshall David Mong David and Barbara Martin Donald and Loral Morgan Kenneth Raedeke and Dorothy Milligan Robert Martin and Betsy Seidel John and Michelle Morrell Alexis Raphael Kathryn Sharpe and Robert Weinstein Timothy and Cynthis Martin James “Ciscoe” Morris Paul Rasanen Loretta Sharpe Lauri Taylor and George Keeney Monte and Katherine Martinsen John Moskeland Robert and Susan Moss Kathleen Maruoka Jorji Raskob Daniela Shebitz Robert Teskey Gregory Rau Madeleine Shindle Inge Theisen Paul and Katherine McCausland David and Marlene Munger Louise Munson Constance McDermott Gloria Reading Eric Shofner Clara and William Thisius Bruce and Jill Reed John and Constance Sidles Robert Thomas Keith McGonagill Reiko Myers Jerry and Corinne Reeves Stuart Simon Edwin Tolstrup Catherine McGowan Justine and Charles Nagel Mary Reid Nancy Totton Margaret and William McLaughlin Richard Nelsen Jackie Rick Charles Simrell and Deborah Giles Kennard Nelson Stephen and Gloria Ricketts Nils Sjoberg Brent and Bonnie Trim Matthew McLaughlin Henry Noble and Helen Gilbert Philip Rigdon Jeffrey and Joan Slottow Dean Tsuji Bryan McMeekin Paul and Joann O’Bernier Michael Rivera James Trappe Kenneth Walters Karen Wolf Frank Wright Fumiko and Richard Yamasaki Clarence Yarnell Ronald Yarnell Helmut Zahn Eva Zanassi Richard Zarnowitz Tara and Paul Zimmerman Without natural resources life itself is impossible. —GIFFORD PINCHOT Wood Quality Evaluation vinyl chloride, and a host of other cancer-causing toxins. The discovery raises all the usual concerns about genetic manipulation and unintended consequences to the ecosystem. But handled cautiously, the scientists say, it also holds a good deal of promise for the future of environmental protection and disease prevention. From an article by Eric McHenry originally appearing in the December 2007 issue of Columns, the UW alumni magazine. Researchers in the Stand Management and Precision Forestry Cooperatives and the Rural Technology Initiative are collaborating with the U.S. Forest Service and CHH Fibre Gen on a study that includes evaluating wood quality by measuring the acoustic velocity of logs and standing trees. The study is also investigating the genetics of wood stiffness with cooperators at Oregon State University. Professor Dave Briggs, holder of the Corkery Family Endowed Chair, says this will help find a way to monitor the natural variability of stiffness among trees within a stand and incorporate the results into tools that help managers assess stands and stand treatments and make better marketing decisions. Non-destructive methods to test lumber and veneer for mechanical properties are important because mills need raw material with wood elements best suited to the type of engineered wood products they manufacture, and timber growers need to assess tree properties to know which stands are best suited for those markets. And silviculturists need to monitor properties of stands as they develop and respond to cultural practices. These precision forestry technologies will provide an innovative and efficient way to link properties from tree to log to product. A N N U A L R E P O RT T O C O N T R I B U T O R S Corporate and Foundation Donors A. H. Lundberg Associates, Inc. EKA Chemicals, Inc. Leon’s Landscaping Pilchuck Tree Farm Tetra Tech NUS, Inc. West Coast Theatre Corporation Acrowood Corporation Euro Urban Forestry Byron W. and Alice L. Lockwood Foundation PJM I, LLC The Campbell Group, LLC West Fork Timber Company, LLC Plum Creek Marketing, Inc. The Canada Goose Program, Inc. Western Polymer Corporation Plum Creek Timber Company The Harris Group, Inc. Weyerhaeuser Company Andritz, Inc. Flotsam and Jetsam Garden Club Lone Rock Timber Company Longview Fibre Company Ponderay Newsprint Company Arboretum Foundation Foliage Gardens M & R Services Company Port Blakely Tree Farms, L.P. The Henry M. Jackson Foundation Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation Arcadia Gardening, Inc. Forest Capital Partners, LLC M.L. Gatewood Company Wilson Associates Bank of America Foundation The Nature Conservancy Women’s University Club BE&K, Incorporated FRM Consulting McBride Construction Resources, Inc. Port Townsend Paper Corporation The HG Foundation Forest Systems, Inc. Potlatch Corporation The Oeser Company Woodland Forestry Consultants Benjamin and Margaret Hall Foundation GDP Properties, Inc. Microsoft Corporation Processum The Russell Family Foundation Wyman Youth Trust Georgia-Pacific Corporation Mithum Associates The Boeing Company Gerrish H. Milliken Foundation Professional Forestry Services, Inc. The Seattle Foundation Murray Pacific Corporation Boise Cascade Corporation Myrtle DeFriel Arboretum Unit #16 Pruning Specialist Buckman Laboratories, Inc. Green Diamond Resource Company Capstone Technology Corporation Hancock Natural Resource Group, Inc. National Audubon Society Roberts Group, LLC Roger A. West, D.M.D., P.S. Cascade Land Conservancy Hayes Nursery National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. Cascade Timber Consulting, Inc. Hi-Lites Garden Club North Pacific Paper Corporation Center for Plant Conservation Howard Family Trust CH2M Hill Foundation Huntsman Corporation North American Rock Garden Society, PNW Chapter CH2M Hill, Inc. Ingraham High School Clark County Farm Forestry Association J. H. Kelly, LLC Albany International Corporation Family Forest Foundation All About Adventure Northwest Arborvitae, Inc. Northwest Horticultural Society NW Hydraulic Consultants, Inc. Columbia River Carbonates Jim Brown Consulting Forestry, LLC Conservation Northwest Johnson Controls Foundation Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc. Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials Kemira Chemicals, Inc. Olympic Resource Management CP, LLC Donald E. Elliott, P.S., Inc. Kimberly-Clark Foundation, Inc. Dunbabin Design Kovasin Consulting Oy Eaton Corporation Lanoga Corporation Kenneth A. McKay, LLC Northwest Perennial Alliance Puget Sound Energy Seattle Garden Club Sidcup, Inc. The Trust for Public Land The Wollenberg Foundation TimberWest Forest Corporation Tobian J. Oppenheim Trust Univar USA, Inc. URS Corporation Visions in Wood Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. Voith Paper Silvicultural Engineering Washington Contract Loggers Asssociation, Inc. Simpson Fund Simpson Investment Company Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs Skylark, Inc. Wabash Farms Smart Destinations, Inc. Washington Alder, LLC Solvay Polymers, Inc. Washington Forest Protection Association PacifiCorp Stillwater Sciences Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation Sue Moss Garden Design Taylor Associates, Inc. Washington Pulp and Paper Foundation Terry Ann Norberg, LMP, Inc. Sustaining our Northwest world and beyond The beauty and diversity of our Pacific Northwest forests, landscapes, and gardens are integral parts of our lives. Our forests have long been cherished — both for their beauty and recreational opportunities and for their economic value in sustaining forest resource industries and communities. Our urban landscapes and gardens educate, inspire, and engage us. But as the region grows more populated, urbanization and its impacts present an increasing challenge for managing these landscapes. Discovering ways to maintain healthy and beautiful urban environments, to preserve and restore habitats for native plant and wildlife populations, to keep rural lands in forestry, and to ensure stewardship of our forest and urban environments are just some of the ways our faculty and students help sustain our Northwest world and beyond. UW Botanic Gardens — Sustaining the Human Spirit through Plants The UW Botanic Gardens comprises more than 320 acres of gardens and woodlands, including one of the oldest arboretums west of the Mississippi, one of the West Coast’s largest horticulture centers and libraries, and a natural area bordering Lake Washington. With a mission to “sustain managed to natural ecosystems and the human spirit through plant research, display, and education,” the gardens serve the public, students and faculty, naturalists, gardeners, and nursery and landscape professionals. Private support has long been the lifeblood of its programs and services and two gifts last year illustrate this enduring generosity. The UW Botanic Gardens’ education program got a major boost when longtime Arboretum supporter Nancy Davidson Short pledged a gift of $300,000 in her will. This gift will create an endowment for the youth education program, and stems from her love for the Arboretum and for children, and her particular desire that low-income children have access to UW Botanic Gardens elementary school programs, long supported by the Arboretum Foundation. In another gift, Charlotte, John, and Sally Behnke provided generous support to provide and maintain four benches within the grounds of the Union Bay Gardens, so that visitors can rest and contemplate the beauty of the gardens. UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON Co l l e g e o f Fo r e s t R e s o u r c e s Planned Giving COLLEGE OF FOREST RESOURCES AT A GLANCE 2006 – 2007 Grateful thanks are extended to the following donors who have made planned gifts to the College. Planned gifts include future gifts provided under a will, retirement plan, or similar arrangement, as well as irrevocable gifts, which pay lifetime incomes to a donor or named beneficiary, with the remaining assets directed to the College in the future. Anonymous Milton Gashck STUDENTS Undergraduates AUT 2006 MAJORS FEMALE 181 64 ETHNIC MINORITY 39 144 74 15 30 30 MS, 1 MEH, 4 MFR, 9 PhD 138 54 32 113 RESEARCH TEACHING TOTALS 2 36 38 Bruce and Susan Asplund Ben and Dorie Harrison Nancy Davidson Short Gordon and Irene Bergum Daniel Hinkley and Robert Jones Orin and Althea Soest Associate Professors 1 5 6 Russell and Beatrice Stensrud Assistant Professors 0 8 8 Mary Ellen and W. Richard Denman Morten Lauridsen, Jr. Allan Treuer Totals 3 49 52 Michael and Carol Lazara Paul and Frances Vance Richard and Rita Dinger Tom and Cathy Mentele DEVELOPMENT (FY 2007) John Wott Thomas Friberg Ralph Oldroyd Individual Contributions: 1,521,721 Corporate/Foundation Contributions: Total Jo Ann Fray Carey Miller Gordon and Irene Bergum William and Frances Murdock James and Dorothy Bethel Thomas Friberg and Shannon Johnson John and Ann Bethel Richard and Rhonda Getty Marg Stenzel Leland Carlisle Ardis Grunow Lily and Bobby Takatsuka George Corkery Ben and Dorie Harrison Allan Treuer Jack and Vada May Corkery William Hatheway Gary and Karla Waterman Paul and Deborah Cressman, Jr. Thomas and Arline Hinckley John Wott Paul Cressman and Lee Kraft Otis Hyde Mary Ellen and W. Richard Denman Carol Isaacson Alice Eastman Morten Lauridsen, Jr. James Ellis Michael and Carol Lazara Jane Erkenbeck Ruby McLachlan Orin and Althea Soest 69 BS 325 FACULTY Bruce and Bonnie Bare 2 Totals Gale Schwarb Dean’s Club Lifetime Members DEGREES AWARDED Graduate Students AUT 2006 Professors Elroy and Marcelline Bohlin INTERNATIONAL 407,337 Number of Endowed Funds: 77 Value of Endowed Funds: $28,807,616 $1,929,058 RESEARCH EXPENDITURES (FY 2007): $8,453,748 COLLEGE OF FOREST RESOURCES ADMINISTRATION FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL OR WRITE: B. Bruce Bare Gordon Bradley DEAN FACULTY CHAIR Robert Edmonds Clare Ryan ASSOCIATE DEAN FACULTY VICE CHAIR Tom Mentele Director of Development and Alumni Relations 107B Anderson, Box 352100 Seattle, WA 98195-2100 206.543.9505 email tmentele@u.washington.edu Stephen West ASSOCIATE DEAN Visit the College of Forest Resources website at http://www.cfr.washington.edu. We have made every effort to be thorough and accurate in our fiscal year 2006-2007 donor listing. We appreciate the opportunity to update addresses and apologize for any errors or omissions. Please use the enclosed self-addressed envelope for corrections. Kari Kovasin PHOTO CREDITS Kirsten Atik, Arthur Grossett, Dave Hogan, Mary Levin. www.cfr.washington.edu Firecrown Hummingbird Preserving endangered species is a big job with big questions. Can we save them all? Should we even try? Wildlife science PhD student Erin Hagen is trying to help just one: the Juan Fernández firecrown, a charismatic hummingbird that lives only on Robinson Crusoe Island, 400 miles off the coast of Chile. The firecrowns’ numbers have declined dramatically in recent decades and are now numbered in the low hundreds. Hagen is working with the Chilean government to learn more about the bird’s dramatic decline and to develop conservation plans. Findings so far suggest that causes include predation by introduced mammals, loss of habitat, and competition with a co-occurring species, the green-backed firecrown, which arrived from continental Chile in the late 19th century. Hagen’s work on the island reflects her interest in invasive species roles’ in native ecosystems, island ecology and conservation, and the development of community environmental stewardship. She says “Although my focus is now on this tiny island in the middle of the Pacific that most people have never heard of, its conservation challenges are mirrored worldwide.” Hagen has received the Byron and Alice Lockwood Endowed Fellowship, and this year she was awarded the UW’s Huckabay Teaching Fellowship, awarded to nine graduate students from across the UW each year. Wind River Canopy Crane The Wind River Canopy crane, set in southwest Washington’s Wind River Experimental Forest, is helping answer questions about forests and their ability to counteract global warming. The crane, cooperatively managed by the College and the USDA Forest Service, is the largest in the world dedicated to forestry research, and the only one in North America. Using the crane, scientists have shown that old forests continue to grow and act as a sink for carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, and that old forests are storehouses for vast amounts of carbon that would take decades for new forests to accumulate. A recent mystery under investigation is why Douglas-fir trees that would normally have three cones per branch, this year have thirty or more. It may be global warming or it may be a natural cycle. It’s all part of an effort to understand what climate change, both natural and man-made, will mean for the Northwest’s iconic forests. Without understanding how trees respond to a changing climate, evaluating programs claiming to offset carbon emissions by planting trees or protecting forests is difficult. Existing data gaps could be filled if federal funding comes through for the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), a nationwide network of ecological monitoring stations; the Wind River crane is on the shortlist to be included in the network. College faculty working on projects at Wind River include Professors Jerry Franklin, David Ford, holder of the Rachel A. Woods Professorship, and Tom Hinckley, holder of the David R. M. Scott Professorship. New Design for Arboretum’s Holly Garden In terms of species, the UW’s collection of hollies is second in the nation only to the National Arboretum in Washington, DC, and this area may have the mild weather suited for an even wider collection. The bulk of the current holly collection is at the south end of the Arboretum on a site it shares mainly with big leaf maples. That area will be remade as the Pacific Connections Garden featuring plants from around the Pacific Rim, according to the Arboretum master plan approved by the UW regents and the City of Seattle. Plans for this garden trigger a cascade of changes, the first of which involves moving the collection-worthy hollies to a new site. Hollies too large to move will be propagated; the English hollies that will be removed will be cataloged in the UW’s herbarium Challenges in designing the new holly garden included site conditions with excess surface and subsurface water. Seattle Public Utilities was consulted and a plan developed to incorporate swales — broad, shallow channels — where native plants will be grown as a cost-effective way to manage the excess water. Getting ready to move the hollies using a tree spade. Photo: Fred Hoyt. A new home for the hollies — which includes both elegant and humorous elements — is being planned at the Washington Park Arboretum, a part of the UW Botanic Gardens. Designed by UW Landscape Architecture Associate Professor Iain Robertson (who has an adjunct faculty appointment in the College), the garden includes space for relocating 40 holly species already at the Arboretum and room to grow after a 2007 UW Botanic Gardens expedition to China. Says Robertson, “The genus Ilex is divided into ‘clades,’ or subdivisions, according to taxonomic relationships of species within the genus, some related to geographic location and some to the morphological difference between deciduous and evergreen species. A big challenge is considering what species might be added to the collection; in some cases, taxonomists may not have determined the proper clade.” Robertson has decided to place these species based exclusively on place of origin. He says, “It’s an example of the many unknowns we faced in developing the design — in this case one that directly relates to the collection’s educational message.” For more information on the holly garden and the Pacific Connections project, see http://depts.washington.edu/wpa/pacific_connections.html. The design also includes a place to symbolically “cage” the species of holly that can be a competitor for native trees and plants. Ironically, that’s the very species many people think of as holly: the holiday evergreen with dark green, spiny leaves and brightly colored berries. Unfortunately Ilex Aquifolium, or English holly, can grow in dark conditions like those in the Northwest’s native forests, and birds eating the berries have spread it to places it doesn’t belong. English holly has become a serious pest in both the Olympic National Park and Forest, and the Seattle Urban Nature Project puts holly second, after ivy, as the worst invasive plant in urban settings. Thus Robertson’s design includes a “garden folly” — a structure or area quirky enough to make one stop and ask, “Who dreamed this up?” In this case a specimen of English holly will sit isolated, “caged off” from the rest of the collection. Robertson says he hopes the design gives viewers pause, reinforcing the site’s educational information urging gardeners and landscapers to consider carefully what kinds of hollies they use. “The design meets our requirements as stewards of a world-class collection of hollies and also provides an elegant, interesting, and humorous display,” says Professor David Mabberley, UW Botanic Gardens Director. College Welcomes Dr. Jon Bakker Jon Bakker is one of eleven new faculty members recently recruited by the College. Appointed at the beginning of the 2006-2007 academic year, Bakker is Assistant Professor of Natural Resources Restoration and Management. He was selected from a pool of finalist candidates in a nationwide search. Bakker holds a BA in biology and environmental studies from Dordt College in Iowa, an MS in plant ecology from the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada, and a PhD in ecosystem science from Northern Arizona University. Says Bakker, “My research interests focus on the restoration and management of ecosystems. Currently, my students and I are working to restore prairie and savanna ecosystems in western Washington, to understand how trees invade meadows, and to develop new statistical tools for use by community ecologists.” For example, a recent project examined the dynamics of a Garry oak (Quercus garryana)/Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) woodland in the San Juan Islands. This project was conducted in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, who owns and manages the site. Because this ecosystem is relatively uncommon and its history is connected with Native American management practices, it is of significant conservation interest. Says Bakker, “Prior to Euro-American settlement in the 1880s, an open woodland was maintained by surface fires, likely set by Native Americans. Historical stand density was 175 trees/ha, with an equal mix of Garry oak and Douglas-fir. By 2006, Douglas-fir density had increased ten-fold, and young Douglasfirs were overtopping and shading out the established Garry oaks. Factors causing this change include the long-term exclusion of low-intensity surface fires, selective logging, and the cessation of sheep grazing. One management objective for the site is to modify the stand to more closely resemble its structure and composition prior to European-American settlement. It may also be possible to reintroduce historically significant processes such as surface fire.” Bakker teaches classes in restoration ecology, native plant production, and statistics. His office is in Merrill 36 at the UW Botanic Gardens, Center for Urban Horticulture. Bakker lives in Shoreline, Washington with his wife, Erika, and their children Aidan (7), Linnea (5), and Marijka (3). When he isn’t at the UW, he spends time hiking at a kid’s pace, playing with his kids, working on home improvement projects, and reading in a variety of disciplines. College News In Memoriam Yakama Nation Wild Horse Field Trip The College sadly noted the passing of W. Richard “Dick” Denman in November 2007. Denman and his wife Mary Ellen’s generous gifts to the College included endowments to support a chair in bioresource science, a professorship in sustainable resource science, a professorship in pulp and paper science, a student excellence fund, a paper science scholarship, and a charitable remainder unit trust. Beyond this financial support, Denman was a special friend who provided counsel and advice on a variety of topics, and helped promote the College’s programs, especially the transformation of the paper science and engineering program into a bioresource program. He will be missed professionally and, more importantly, as a wonderful friend. The Yakama Nation hosted a field trip in September for College alumni, faculty, staff, and friends to see the tribe’s Wild Horse (K’u-see) Project. Participants from the UW included College alums Pat Cummins (’50) and Janet Wainwright (’75); College faculty and development staff Nancy Davis, Tom Hinckley (’72), and Tom Mentele; and UW alums Henry Kuharic, Neil Lessenger, and Katherine Reinleitner. Hosts from the Yakama Nation included Tim Brown (’99, ’02) (see in memoriam tribute, p. 12); Russell Jim, tribal elder; Phil Rigdon(’91), Natural Resources Director; Steve Rigdon (’02); Jim Stephenson, big game biologist; and Arlen Washines, Wildlife, Range, and Vegetation Resources Management Program Director. The group had the opportunity to see several large herds of horses. Other sightings included two coyotes, the mountains from Mt. Hood to Mt. Rainier, and the Reservation from the lowland steppe- shrub to the summit of Signal Peak (5,241 feet). The Yakama Nation hosts discussed natural resources management with the group, including horses, historical practices, streams, current range management and stewardship, and forest restoration. The trip raised over $12,000 for the Yakama Tribal Natural Resources Endowed Scholarship, established by Tom Hinckley in 2007 through the UW’s Faculty-Staff-Retiree Campaign for Students. Northwest Environmental Forum College Wins EPA Clean Water Award The Northwest Environmental Forum met in September 2007 with representatives from conservation organizations, timberland owners and investors, and public agencies to continue the forum’s work on retaining threatened working forestlands and enhancing biodiversity. The meeting solicited ideas for how the College can contribute solutions as it embarks on studies commissioned by the 2007 Washington State Legislature. The studies will seek new ways to enhance biodiversity on working forestlands and to provide landowners with incentives to retain their working forests when confronted with competing land use proposals. The College will recommend ways to retain the highest valued working forestlands at risk of conversion to non-forest uses. Research Associate Professor Sally Brown, along with UW Bothell Lecturer Chuck Henry recently received for the College a first-place Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Clean Water Recognition Award. The project, initiated by Brown, used some of the nearly 115,000 tons of biosolids produced annually in King County, Washington treatment plants to fertilize canola in eastern Washington. Natural Selection Farms in Sunnyside, Washington was also a partner. (Biosolids are organic matter recovered from municipal wastewater treatment that is often used as a fertilizer.) The biofuel produced from the canola will fuel Metro Transit buses. The Clean Water Act Recognition Awards program, sponsored by EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management, recognizes advances in waste treatment and pollution abatement programs. and serving as session moderators. The College’s alumni reception was attended by a crowd of nearly 100. Distinguished Teaching Award to Tom Hinckley (’81), Honorary Alumnus Award to Doug Sutherland, and Distinguished Service Award to Colonel Ralph Jenkins. William Richard Denman Jr. 1927 – 2007 Pacific Connections Garden An October 2007 groundbreaking celebration launched construction of the Washington Park Arboretum’s Pacific Connections Garden. Celebrants shook gourd rattles as they accompanied a carved cedar column that was transported across the Arboretum to be used to support the planned Pacific Connections interpretive shelter. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, UW Provost Phyllis Wise, Dean Bruce Bare, and UW Botanic Gardens Director David Mabberley attended the celebration events. The Pacific Connections Garden is a key phase of the Arboretum’s 20-year plan for renewal and includes five gardens featuring plants of Pacific Rim regions, a welcoming meadow, trails, and an interpretive shelter. The plan, developed with extensive community participation, is designed to fulfill the Arboretum’s mission of conservation, education, and recreation. Before the groundbreaking ceremony, Mayor Nickels planted a crabapple tree on the north end of the Arboretum’s Azalea Way. Known as the Whitney Crabapple, this particular cultivar has a close personal connection with the Mayor, who is a direct descendant of the Whitney family who operated a nursery in Illinois in the late 1800s. The tree will fit well with other spring blooming trees along Azalea Way, and produces edible fruits in the fall. Rare Plant Conservation Lecture The CFR-UWAA Winter Lecture Series, “Sustaining our Northwest World,” featured Associate Professor Sarah Reichard speaking on “Rare Plant Conservation in the Pacific Northwest.” Highlights Faculty news includes the appointment of Research Associate Evan Girvetz, effective October 1, 2007 and the promotion of Assistant Professor Christian Torgersen, Research Landscape Ecologist at the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Cascadia Field Station, to the next research grade by the USGS Research Grade Evaluation Panel. Recent faculty retirements included: Professors Jim Agee, Bob Gara, Bill McKean, Gerard Schreuder, and John Wott. Professor David Mabberley accepted a new position as Keeper of the Herbarium, Library, Art and Archives at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. A search for his replacement will be initiated during this academic year. ONRC Director John Calhoun was appointed to the Ecosystem Coordination Board for the Puget Sound Partnership. The Board is made up of 27 individuals representing specific interests around the Sound Research Scientist Kathy Wolf’s paper on urban roadside landscapes (with co-author Karen Dixon of Oregon State University) was selected as a “best of” paper for presentation at the National Transportation Research Board’s 2008 conference. The College’s Autumn 2007 undergraduate enrollment was up 19.3 percent over Autumn 2006 and is now at the highest since 2003. The College held its annual Strategic Planning Meeting on September 25, 2007. Gene Duvernois, founder and President of the Cascade Land Conservancy, gave the keynote speech. The Society of American Foresters National Convention, October 23-27, 2007, in Portland, OR was attended by many College faculty, staff, students, and alumni who were involved in presentations, posters, roundtables, A six-member delegation from the Chinese Academy of Forestry visited the College on October 26, 2007. The visit included a demonstration of stand visualization, and reports on the Northwest Environmental Forum, biofuel and bioenergy research, and the College’s international research connections in China, including CINTRAFOR projects and the UW Worldwide Initiative. The College’s Centennial Gala Weekend, November 2-3, 2007, included a social, a research showcase on biofuels and bioenergy, and a banquet featuring keynote speaker Roger Hoesterey (’80) and College of Forest Resources Alumni Association annual awards. Awards included Honored Alumnus Award to Michael Gerdes (’80), Distinguished Achievement Award to David Sandberg (’74), The Denman Forestry Issues Series on November 13, 2007 presented speakers from the College of Forest Resources, the College of Engineering, Washington State University, the WA Department of Trade, Community, and Economic Development, and private industry on “Biofuels and Bioenergy.” Speakers from the College included Renata Bura, Sharon Doty, Rick Gustafson, Larry Mason, and Kristiina Vogt. Denman programs are recorded by UWTV in digital format and broadcast nationwide on the UWTV cable channel and the ResearchChannel. They can also be viewed via streaming video at the UWTV website. The series is funded with support from Mary Ellen and W. Richard Denman. Alumni Focus College Honors Memory of Timothy M. Brown (’99, ’02) Timothy M. Brown 1972 – 2007 UW doctoral student, Timothy M. Brown died Saturday, September 15, 2007 in an auto accident near Wapato, Washington. He was born in Yakima on April 27, 1972 to George Brown and Helen Olney. A 1990 graduate of Wapato High School, Brown earned a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources (Forest Engineering) in June 1999 and a Master of Science (Forest Hydrology), with Professor Susan Bolton, in December 2002. He entered the UW Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s doctoral program in Fall 2002 to study with Professor Stephen Burges. He was also accepted into the Student Career Employment Program with the USDA Forest Service in June 2002 and worked part of each summer with colleagues at the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Much of his doctoral research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation. He was a 2006-2007 recipient of the UW Graduate School’s Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP) “Stroum Endowed Minority Fellowship.” Colette Daigle-Berg (‘79) is the Sub-District Ranger for the Tower area of Yellowstone National Park. Colleen Ponto (‘81) is a member of the core faculty of Seattle University’s graduate program in Designing and Leading Organizational Change. Brown played a leadership role in creating the Yakama portion of the exhibit: “Our Lives: Contemporary Life and Identities” at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. He derived much pleasure from explaining Native American cultural beliefs and traditions to his immediate colleagues and friends. He served as a role model for many and provided a strong link between the Yakama Nation and the UW. Brown’s colleagues and friends appreciated his collegiality, generosity, and commitment to excellence in all that he did. He was inspirational in his devotion to his two young daughters. Tim influenced many in his too short life. He will be deeply missed by his large extended family and his two precious daughters as well as those who had the privilege of working with him professionally. We are all richer for having known him and enormously poorer that his life has been tragically cut short. Gifts in his memory can be made to the UW College of Forest Resources Yakama Tribal Natural Resources Scholarship. Alumni News Carroll Dubuar (‘42) is a 35-year veteran of the Bureau of Land Management’s Portland, OR office, where he held positions as forester and administrator. He is a long-term (25+ years) volunteer at Portland’s Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Arno Brune (‘70) is Professor of Forest Engineering at the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Tapio Mattila (‘70) is Director of Sales and Marketing for Steveco Oy, Finland’s leading port operator and the market leader in transport of products by Finnish woodprocessing industries. Clifford (Doug) Rushton (’71, ‘75) is Policy Analyst for the WA State Department of Ecology‘s Water Resources Program. John Sacklin (‘77) is Chief of Planning and Compliance for Yellowstone National Park, where he has invested more than a decade crafting the park’s winter-use plans. Lezlie Murray (‘78) is the Director of the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center, Chugach National Forest, located 50 miles from Anchorage, Alaska. Kaleen Cottingham (’79) was recently appointed Director of the WA State Recreation and Conservation Office. The office manages 11 grant programs for recreation, conservation, and salmon recovery projects. Tom McShane (‘79) is Principal Investigator for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation-supported Advancing Conservation in a Social Context research initiative, based at the Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University. Previously, he was a senior conservation advisor to the World Wildlife Fund. John Takekawa (‘79 ) is U.S. Geological Survey Research Wildlife Biologist at the agency’s San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, which he established in 1995 under the Western Ecological Research Center. Sterling Miller (‘70, ‘80) is Senior Wildlife Biologist with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) in Missoula, MT. Prior to joining NWF, he worked for the AK Department of Fish and Game for 21 years as a bear research biologist. Gretchen Nicholas (‘83), WA Department of Natural Resources Senior Manager, was recently named by the Washington State Society of American Foresters as the 2007 State Forester of the Year. Dan Hinkley (‘85) has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s 2007 Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contributions to North American horticulture as a nurseryman, writer, lecturer, plantsman, and plant explorer. Linda Heath ( ‘89) is Research Forester with the USDA Forest Service’s Northern Research Station in Durham, NH. Douglas Steinberg ( ‘90) is Country Director for Save the Children’s unified presence in Angola. Lucy Hutrya (‘98) completed her PhD at Harvard University this year and is back at the UW, currently serving as Research Scientist and Laboratory Manager for the Urban Ecology Research Lab in the Department of Urban Design and Planning. Upcoming Events Calendar Janita Gurung (‘98) is currently a PhD candidate in Kathmandu University’s Department of Environmental Science. She has worked for the World Wildlife Fund in Nepal and is also the general manager of Crystal Mountain Treks, a family-run tour operator based in Kathmandu. Michelle Salemi (‘99) is a laboratory technician in the UC-Davis Genome Center Proteomics Core Facility, where she does mass spectrometry on proteins and peptides. Roger Rosenblatt (’03), Professor and Vice Chair of the UW Department of Family Medicine, received the Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility’s 2007 Malcolm Peterson Award. Christopher Licata (‘04) writes, “I just started a PhD program in biology at the University of Denver; my research will focus on charcoal in forest soils in fire-dominated ecosystems.” In Memoriam Albert Becker (’73) CFR News JANUARY 30, 2008 APRIL 18, 2008 MAY 7, 2008 Environmental Career Fair and StudentAlumni Networking Session, UW CAMPUS CFR Centers Review of Research, Scholarship Luncheon, UW CAMPUS UW CAMPUS Please direct all corrections and inquiries to CFR News, University of Washington, College of Forest Resources, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195-2100. FEBRUARY 7, 2008 APRIL 24-26, 2008 MAY 22, 2008 DL @HK9cece@u.washington.edu OGNMD9206-543-3075 CFR-UWAA Lecture Series, “Sustaining our NW World, “UW CAMPUS Washington Weekend Open House, WPPF Annual Meeting, UW CAMPUS UW CAMPUS FEBRUARY 14, 2008 MAY 29, 2008 The Water Center Annual Review of Research, Denman Forestry Issues Series, UW CAMPUS UW BOTANIC GARDENS FEBRUARY 29, 2008 Graduate Student Symposium, UW CAMPUS C A M PA I G N U W : C R E AT I N G F U T U R E S Share your news: CFR alumni activities and successes are of interest and inspiration to faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends of CFR. Update your contact information at http://www.washington.edu/alumni/addresschange.html. This newsletter can also be found on line at: www.cfr.washington.edu. The stories on the Centennial celebration, phytoremediation, and the holly garden were written by Sandra Hines and originally appeared in the UW publication, University Week.
