Community Forestry Resource Center
Weekly News and Event Summary
June 29, 2006
NOTE: There will be no CFRC Weekly Summary next Thursday, July 6 th
.
This message includes news, headlines, and information gathered during the week.
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CONTENTS:
HEADLINES:
Vanishing forest (MN)
Growth of wild elk herd stalls (WI)
New fuel source grows on the prairie
Drilling in the forest (WY)
Loggers use a primitive kind of pull (KY)
Songbird needs greater habitat protection, VINS says (VT)
In Acre, northern Brazil, furniture makers seek green stamp
Mahogany imports 'are wiping out Peru tribes '
OTHER HEADLINES ON http://www.forestrycenter.org/News/News.cfm
* A range of estimates on ethanol's benefits
* Toyota's "green" efforts extend to cow dung (Japan)
* Ex-Paramilitaries Plant Trees (Guatemala)
* Federal officials say they’ll review plea for forest protection (NM)
* Attacks on Forest Service workers increase dramatically
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EVENTS:
Hybrid Poplar 101
July 13, 2006, Alexandria, MN
Forestry in the Driftless Area: A Bird Habitat Perspective
July 15, 2006, Winona, MN
Forest Resources Institute for Teachers

August 8-9, 2006, University Park, PA
New York State Woodsmen’s Field Days
August 18-20, 2006, Boonville, NY
2006 Biobased Industry Outlook Conference
August 28-29, 2006, Ames, IA
Third Northern Forest Genetics Association Conference
September 6-8, 2006, Cloquet, MN
“Interior Forest” Bird Friendly Forestry Workshops
September 8, 9, and 23, 2006, Sandstone, MN
For more event listings visit: http://www.forestrycenter.org/Calendar/Cal.cfm
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INFORMATION:
Public Input Needed:
2006 Deer Population Goal Setting (MN)
MN DNR Logging Plans
For more documents and information visit: http://www.forestrycenter.org/Search/search.cfm
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PUBLICATIONS:
International Standards and Trade Barriers
Status of Tropical Forest Management 2005
Balancing Ecology and Economics: A Start-up Guide for Forest Owner Cooperation
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HEADLINES:
Vanishing forest (MN)
With little fanfare or even public notice, chunks of Minnesota's north woods are being divided up, sold off and developed. Thousands of acres of privately owned land that for a century were managed by timber and mining companies and open to the public have been sold to investment companies that often parcel it off for re-sale.

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/14815839.htm
OR http://www.forestrycenter.org/headlines.cfm?refid=88342
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Growth of wild elk herd stalls (WI)
Growth of the new elk herd that was started in northern Wisconsin about a decade ago has stalled, in part because wolves are killing more calves and young bulls, and car crashes are killing cows. The latest count after the birth of at least 25 calves this spring puts the herd at 120 elk -- the same as two years ago. The trend follows years of steady growth that already had generated rules for a limited hunt of bulls amid predictions the herd would swell to 500 by 2007 or 2008. http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/14903616.htm
OR http://www.forestrycenter.org/headlines.cfm?refid=88312
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New fuel source grows on the prairie
Farmers have pushed for years to get more people using gasoline mixed with ethanol made from corn kernels, but so far such ethanol has replaced only about 3 percent of the nation's gasoline, and by most estimates, the country would never be able to grow enough corn to replace more than 10 or 12 percent of its fuel supply. Now many scientists -- and eager Silicon Valley venture capitalists -- are focusing on a new type of ethanol made from agricultural wastes and other plant residues, a potentially vast supply of material known as biomass. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/06/21/AR2006062101769.html?referrer=emailarticle OR http://www.forestrycenter.org/headlines.cfm?refid=88316
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Drilling in the forest (WY)
Should U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas's vision of no new energy development on national forests become reality, several places in Wyoming would be affected. Perhaps most notable is the Wyoming Range of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, now under intense scrutiny by oil and gas companies. Some energy leases have been sold in a 44,000-acre swath in the area, but permits to drill have not been issued. http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2006/06/25/news/wyoming/d3a4264014138d4e
87257197002101d1.txt
OR http://www.forestrycenter.org/headlines.cfm?refid=88278

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Loggers use a primitive kind of pull (KY)
Some timber-cutters in Kentucky are reviving an environmentally friendly practice that traces to the state's frontier days. "Horse-loggers," as they are often called, are using draft horses and mules to snake logs from the forest. While animals alone could not feasibly handle the volume of timber harvested in Kentucky, foresters note that some sites are particularly well-suited for horse or mule logging. Especially in woodlands where choice logs are too scattered to make the use of heavy equipment profitable, or where other plant species need special protection. http://www.courierjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060623/COLUMNISTS04/606230384 OR http://www.forestrycenter.org/headlines.cfm?refid=88280
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Songbird needs greater habitat protection, VINS says (VT)
Biologists from the Vermont Institute of Natural Science have completed a new and pioneering strategy, in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service, to help protect one of eastern North America's most at-risk songbirds, the Bicknell's thrush. http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060625/NEWS/606250337/
1017/FEATURES08 OR http://www.forestrycenter.org/headlines.cfm?refid=88341
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In Acre, northern Brazil, furniture makers seek green stamp
The northern Brazilian state of Acre definitely isn't a state symbol of furniture making in the country. In the capital city Rio Branco, for example, there are only 55 companies, according to the manager of the city's furniture hub, Elisângela Rocha. The production is small, the consumer market is local and the word 'export' is barely pronounced. But from there comes one of the best examples of producing without devastating. http://www.anba.com.br/ingles/especial.php?id=293 OR http://www.forestrycenter.org/headlines.cfm?refid=88281
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Mahogany imports 'are wiping out Peru tribes '
They are the people who turned their back on the industrialized world, having decided long ago to live in isolation or else having never made direct contact with outsiders. But

campaigners say that in the jungles of southern Peru, these so-called "uncontacted tribes" face an unprecedented threat from illegal loggers who are increasingly moving into remote areas in search of rare mahogany trees. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article1099169.ece
OR http://www.forestrycenter.org/headlines.cfm?refid=88303
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EVENTS
Hybrid Poplar 101
July 13, 2006, Alexandria, MN
This class will cover some of the basics of growing, tending and managing hybrid poplar from site preparation/establishment to maintenance of plantings. This class is specifically designed for landowners and others (i.e., professionals, foresters) who wish to learn more about practices of growing hybrid poplar.
Contact Diomy Zamora at 888-241-0720 ext 2332 or zamor015@umn.edu
or see http://www.cnr.umn.edu/cfc/wa/
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Forestry in the Driftless Area: A Bird Habitat Perspective
July 15, 2006, Winona, MN
Woodland owners can take some very simple steps to ensure their land is an ideal nesting place for birds, and this birding and forestry workshop in Lacher Valley will provide suggestions. The Driftless Area Initiative is sponsoring woodland workshops to inform landowners about what they can do to combat threats to forest songbirds such as invasive species and increasing amounts interior forest converting to edge habitat.
Contact David Wilson at 608-723-6377 or David.Wilson@rcdnet.net
or see http://www.forestrycenter.org/calendar.cfm?refid=88291
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Forest Resources Institute for Teachers
August 8-9, 2006, University Park, PA
Grade school teachers can refresh or expand their knowledge about ecology and the environment by attending the Forest Resources Institute for Teachers organized by Penn
State's School of Forest Resources and Penn State Cooperative Extension. The focus of the program is to provide the tools and information needed to teach a balanced environment and ecology curriculum that relates to some of Pennsylvania's natural resources.

Contact Sanford Smith at 814-865-4261 or sss5@psu.edu
or see http://sftrc.cas.psu.edu/pdfs/FRIT06.pdf
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New York State Woodsmen’s Field Days
August 18-20, 2006, Boonville, NY
The Woodsmen’s Field Days have evolved into one of the predominant lumberjack contests in the United States today. The primary goals of the Field Days are promotion of the forest industry in general and the lumberjack in particular. Featuring forestry exhibits, parade, fireworks, greased pole climb, lumberjack contests, and demonstrations throughout the weekend.
Contact Phyllis White at 315-942-4593 or Fielddays@aol.com
or see http://www.starwebhosting.net/woodsmen/
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2006 Biobased Industry Outlook Conference
August 28-29, 2006, Ames, IA
This Midwestern conference is an opportunity for industry and community leaders, academicians, and government agencies to gather to learn and share information about manufacturing, distributing, and marketing biobased products. This year’s conference features sessions focusing on the financial, scientific, equipment, and educational investments needed in order for U.S. agriculture to supply a significant portion of U.S. energy needs, while maintaining production of food, feed, and fiber.
Contact Jill Euken at 712-769-2600 or jeuken@iastate.edu
or see http://www.bioeconomyconference.org
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Third Northern Forest Genetics Association Conference
September 6-8, 2006, Cloquet, MN
This conference marks the first formal gathering of the Northern Forest Genetics
Association since 1993. Great strides have been made to advance conifer tree improvement programs in the region during this time. A new emphasis on hardwoods has also emerged, igniting interest in tree improvement efforts for both fine hardwoods and short rotation woody crops.
Contact Louise Levy at 218-726-6404 or llevy@umn.edu
or see http://sfec.cfans.umn.edu/featured.html#nfgac

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“Interior Forest” Bird Friendly Forestry Workshops
September 8, 9, and 23, 2006, Sandstone, MN
Offered on three separate occasions, the objective of this workshop is to provide training in interior forest bird species of concern in the region, types of forest management techniques that benefit those species, and special considerations for planning forest activities to benefit songbirds. In-class and field sessions will be a part of the evening workshop on September 8 th
and the day-long workshops on September 9 th
and 23 rd
.
Contact Craig Prudhomme at 888-404-7743 or prudhomm@audubon-center.org
or see http://www.forestrycenter.org/library.cfm?refid=87978
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INFORMATION
Public Input Needed:
2006 Deer Population Goal Setting (MN)
The public is invited to view the information about the deer population goal setting and then complete a brief survey. These responses will help the DNR make a decision on deer populations in your area, so your answers are very important. To read the information and take the survey, go to: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/deer/dgs/index.html
MN DNR Logging Plans
Comments on the Minnesota DNR’s new logging plans for the North Shore Highlands,
Toimi Uplands and Laurentian Uplands are being accepted from July 5 through August 4,
2006. For more information on the plan and how to comment, see: http://www.forestrycenter.org/headlines.cfm?RefID=88311
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PUBLICATIONS
International Standards and Trade Barriers
Certification of consumer goods based on environmental and/or social responsibility standards, such as certification of forests and forest products, can be used as an effective and cost efficient tool by governments and inter-governmental organizations to improve compliance with a wide variety of social and environmental policies and commitments.
However, thus far governments around the globe have generally been reluctant to show strong support for forest certification and other certification programs despite the growing evidence of their positive impacts.

Available at http://www.dovetailinc.org/documents/DovetailTradeStandards0606.pdf
OR http://www.forestrycenter.org/library.cfm?refid=88343
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Status of Tropical Forest Management 2005
This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the forest management situation in all
33 of the International Tropical Timber Organization’s producer member countries.
Using information submitted by the countries themselves and supplemented by data from a wide range of other sources, it addresses the policy and institutional settings in each country, the approaches taken to the allocation and management of resources, and the status of management of those resources.
Summary Report available at: http://www.forestrycenter.org/library.cfm?refid=88293
Full Report available at: http://www.forestrycenter.org/library.cfm?refid=88296
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Balancing Ecology and Economics: A Start-up Guide for Forest Owner Cooperation
The 160-page guide is intended to show how private landowners, working together, can improve the ecological conditions of their lands while improving their own economic well-being and that of the communities in which their forest land is located.
Intended primarily for landowners and resource managers, the guide provides essential information on all aspects of establishing a forest owner cooperative, including: forest management, marketing, business planning, co-op governance, cooperative structures, non-timber forest products, sustainable certification, developing member education programs, and more.
For more information about Sustainable Forestry Cooperatives, or to order a copy of
Balancing Ecology and Economics: A Start-Up Guide for Forest Owner Cooperation, please visit: http://www.forestrycenter.org
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NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information, go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this newsletter for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
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