Community Forestry Resource Center
Weekly News and Event Summary
July 3, 2003
This message includes news, headlines, and information gathered during the week.
------------------------CONTENTS:
HEADLINES:
Are cougars moving east? (MN)
Wolves may set sights on tourist spot (WI)
Economic Impact of Cooperatives in the State of Minnesota
African Americans’ environmental concerns equal to or greater than whites’
Portland Field Seminar to Help Foresters Get a Handle on Technology
Whether arson or accident, people start most wildfires
Northern Minnesota loggers literally board up shop as activists arrive
------------------------For more headlines visit:
http://www.forestrycenter.org/cfrc/News/News.cfm
EVENTS:
Making FSC-Certified Paper Available in the Twin Cities
July 9, 2003, Minneapolis, MN
Second Annual Catskill Mountain Ginseng Festival
September 20, 2003, Catskill Point, Village of Catskill, NY
Strengthening Global Partnerships to Advance Sustainable Development
of Non-Wood Forest Products A Side Event to the World Forestry Congress
September 20, 2003, Quebec City, Canada
13th Executive Director Development Program
October 12-17, 2003, Ortonville, MI
----------------------For more event listings visit:
http://www.forestrycenter.org/cfrc/Calendar/Cal.cfm
INFORMATION:
NY Master Forest Owner/COVERTS Program
EPA Draft Report on the Environment
USDA Wood Packaging Regulation
USDA Forest Service International Programs
Request for Proposal Southwest Oregon Wood Products Center
Arsenic-Free Lumber From Duluth
Making Waves - Center for Community Enterprise
-------------------------For more documents and information visit:
http://www.forestrycenter.org/cfrc/library/listcontent.cfm
PUBLICATIONS
The Impacts of Forest Degradation on Medicinal Plant Use and Implications
for Health Care in Eastern Amazonia by Patricia Shanley from CIFOR and
Leda Luz from the State Forestry Institute in Minas Gerais, Brazil
Nonnative invasive plants of southern forests: a field guide for identification and control
Circle of Life - Living in Harmony with Nature
The Nature of Wood and Wood Products - CD-ROM
Choices in Building Materials
U.S. Forest Service National Leadership Proposal for Selection of
Work Activities for Competitive Sourcing Study
Balancing Ecology and Economics: A Start-up Guide for Forest Owner Cooperation, 2nd
Edition
------------------------------
HEADLINES
Are cougars moving east? (MN)
The Web site of the Eastern Cougar Network tells stories of large predators in unlikely
places.
These and other reports suggest that North America's most widespread native cat is
returning to Minnesota.
http://www.startribune.com/stories/531/3960663.html
-----------------------------Wolves may set sights on tourist spot (WI)
NEWPORT STATE PARK, Wis. - Wolves are continuing their remarkable
comeback by returning to one of the most unlikely spots in northern
Wisconsin - tourist-rich Door County.
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/states/wisconsin/6200132.htm
---------------------------Economic Impact of Cooperatives in the State of Minnesota
by Joseph Folsom, Joseph.Folsom@mn.usda.gov , 651-602-7803.
Cooperatives, as a form of business, have been a part of Minnesota economic and cultural
history.
Its 1,026 cooperatives (as of 12/31/01) make it one of the leading states in the country
with this
form of business structure. The ability to come together collectively to create an
organizational
structure able to meet community needs is often seen as making them an effective tool for
economic and community development.
http://www.wfcmac.org/coops/mac/mac.html
-------------------------------African Americans’ environmental concerns equal to or greater than whites’
Contrary to commonly held assumptions, African Americans are as concerned as
white Americans and in some cases more so about environmental issues.
http://www.seek.state.mn.us/article.cfm?id=1443
------------------------Portland Field Seminar to Help Foresters Get a Handle on Technology
Hand-held computers to record data. Geographic positioning systems (GPS) to map forest
acreage.
Geographic information systems (GIS) and other software to help process and analyze
forest
inventory information. These are just some of the areas in which technological innovation
has led
to dramatic changes in the way field foresters do their work.
The seminar, titled “Integrated Tools for Rugged Field Data Collection,” which will be
held at the
historic Edgefield Hotel in Portland, Oregon, on September 2426, is the latest installment
in the
SAF Field Seminar Series.
For additional information about the SAF Field Seminar Series, contact Terry Clark,
SAF’s science
manager, 5400 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814-2198; (301) 897-8720, ext. 123;
fax (301) 897-3690; clarkt@safnet.org, or visit the SAF website at
www.safnet.org/meetings/index.cfm.
------------------------Whether arson or accident, people start most wildfires
PHOENIX From careless campers to opportunistic arsonists, people start most
of the wildfires that rage in the United States each year, fire officials said.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20030630-1616-wst-wildfire-causes.html
---------------------------Northern Minnesota loggers literally board up shop as activists arrive
During its last memorable visit to northeastern Minnesota, the
environmental activist group Earth First! protested the cutting of 6,000
red pines at the Little Alfie timber site, blocked logging roads and
sparked a 15-month controversy that had to be settled in federal court.
So when area lumber companies learned that Earth First! was holding its
annual Summer Rendezvous this week along the Caribou Trail, some
contractors and loggers virtually boarded up shop -- hiring extra
security, meeting with law enforcement officers and, in at least one case,
purposely scaling down business to stay as anonymous as possible.
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3969043.html
--------------------------EVENTS
Making FSC-Certified Paper Available in the Twin Cities
July 9, 2003, Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota is at the forefront of a new revolution in environmentally sustainable
paper products. Now, businesses, organizations, and individual consumers can,
for the first time, purchase paper products that come from well-managed forests
and support local community development. On July 9 at 10 A.M., the Institute for
Agriculture and Trade Policy will be hosting an informational meeting to introduce
and present the availability of new paper products that are certified under the
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as coming from well-managed forests.
For more information, contact: Lesley White, 612-870-3466, lwhite@iatp.org
http://www.forestrycenter.org/cfrc/Calendar/detail.cfm?whichevent=609
--------------Second Annual Catskill Mountain Ginseng Festival
September 20, 2003, Catskill Point, Village of Catskill, NY
Join us for the Second Annual Catskill Mountain Ginseng Festival in beautiful
Greene County NY. Learn about the history and folklore of Catskill Ginseng as
well as how it is grown in our forests. Sample ginseng foods, snacks, teas and
other ginseng beverages. Examine 100+ year old wild ginseng roots. Taste freshly
harvested wild ginseng. Purchase the highest quality wild ginseng available
anywhere in North America. Stratified (ready to plant) ginseng seeds and rootlets
will be offered for sale. Enjoy live music and view spectacular fall foliage as you
look out on the Hudson River from the Festival Dock. Sponsored by Cornell
Cooperative Extension of Greene County, Catskill Kiwanis Club, Greene County
Promotion Department, Village of Catskill.
For more information contact Bob Beyfuss at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Greene
County at (518) 622-9820 or email rlb14@cornell.edu.
----------------Strengthening Global Partnerships to Advance Sustainable Development of Non-Wood
Forest Products A Side Event to the World Forestry Congress
September 20, 2003, Quebec City, Canada
This side-event will examine three major issues that affect the conservation, development
and management of non-wood forest resources and products. The forum will formulate
broad strategies and recommendations to advance research and action oriented programs
on these products and their relationship to the sustainable development of social and
ecological communities.
For more information:
IUFRO research group 5.11 (non-wood forest products), Jim Chamberlain jachambe@vt.edu;
540-231-1655; http://www.sfp.forprod.vt.edu
-----------------13th Executive Director Development Program
October 12-17, 2003, Ortonville, MI
The Great Lakes Executive Director Development Program is an 8-month program
specifically
tailored to meet the needs of Executive Directors (EDs) and leaders of conservation
groups in
the Great Lakes Region. Many of these EDs have risen to their positions as activists,
without
formal training in organizational management. This Program, which has been in
refinement for
over 11 years, gives EDs the skills, knowledge and support they need. If you have any
questions
or would like an application, please contact Brad Webb brad@icl.org. For more detailed
information on the program, please visit the Great Lakes ED page on our website:
http://www.icl.org/programs-workshops/executive-director.shtml#gled
----------------------INFORMATION
NY Master Forest Owner/COVERTS Program
The Master Forest Owner (MFO)/COVERTS Program provides private forest owners
of NY State with the information and encouragement necessary to manage their forest
holdings wisely.
http://www.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/mfo/
----------------------EPA Draft Report on the Environment
The Draft Report on the Environment is designed for general reading. It highlights the
progress the nation has made in protecting its air, water, and land resources, and
describes
the measures that can be used to track the status of the environment and human health.
http://www.epa.gov/indicators/
--------------------------USDA Wood Packaging Regulation
Most of the foreign or exotic insects that threaten our forests enter the
country by hitchhiking on crates, pallets, or other forms of packaging made
of wood. Examples of recent introductions on wood packaging include the
Asian longhorned beetle and emerald ash borer. The US Department of
Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is now
accepting comments on a proposed rule.
Comments are due by July 21, 2003.
Docket #: 02-032-2, Title: Importation of Solid Wood Packing Material
Docket Type: Proposed rule and notice of public hearings.
Publication Date: May 20, 2003, CFR Part: 7 CFR Part 319
Citation: 68 FR 27480-27491
APHIS Home Page: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/
Listing of regulations:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html
(Scroll down to May 20th)
--------------------------USDA Forest Service International Programs
For all the latest news on the Forest Service International Programs,
please visit http://www.fs.fed.us/global/wsnew/welcome.htm
--------------------Request for Proposal Southwest Oregon Wood Products Center
This Request For Proposal is to identify a contractor (a person or persons)
to create and operate a clearinghouse to collect and disseminate better
information about the existing markets and to aggressively develop markets
for small diameter timber products and other products resulting from
thinning and fuels reduction activity.
Please call with any questions regarding this RFP call Bob Jones at
541-774-2439 or Amy Wilson at 541-476-5906.
--------------------Arsenic-Free Lumber From Duluth
Playing on arsenic-treated (CCA-treated) wooden playground equipment can
slightly increase a child's risk of getting lung or bladder cancer later in life,
according to a February 2003 staff report from the U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission (see http://www.enn.com/news/2003-02-11/s_2588.asp).
Responding to increased demand for safe, long-lasting outdoor wood, Innovative
Pine Technology of Duluth opened the state's first factory in June 2003 to
pressure-treat wood without using chromated copper arsenate (CCA). The $3
million plant operates a closed-loop system, discharging no chemicals into
Duluth's stormwater or sanitary sewers.
The Duluth business is preserving with ACQ (alkaline, recycled copper and quat,
a fungicide). The ACQ wood is rot- and insect-resistant wood with a bright cobalt
blue color, in contrast to CCA "green-treated" lumber. The wood-treating industry, after
discussions with the federal EPA, voluntarily agreed to eliminate use of CCA
for residential applications by the end of 2003
(see http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/cca_transition.htm).
The majority of outdoor wood uses -- utility poles, guard rails, marine piling, fences
and other commercial applications will continue to use CCA.
For a retailer of ACQ wood near you, more information on recycled-content
plastic lumber building products (another alternative to CCA lumber), and
dealing with existing CCA lumber, see
http://www.moea.state.mn.us/greenbuilding/residential.cfm#treated
For links to a sample resolution banning wood treated with arsenic and other
CCA information, see the Healthy Building Network page at
http://www.healthybuilding.net/arsenic_wood.html
(Information from: Philipp Muessig, Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance,
http://www.nextstep.state.mn.us , emailto:nextstep@moea.state.mn.us for biweekly
newsletter )
--------------------Making Waves Center for Community Enterprise
Rigorous analysis of economic development practice and policy, project and
organizational profiles, networking opportunities - four times a year, making
waves offers the straight goods on what the CED community in Canada is
thinking and doing. For practitioners active in development corporations,
credit unions, First Nations, trade unions, universities, government agencies,
and the private sector, making waves is an avenue for the exchange of solid,
frank information about what works, what doesn't, and why.
http://www.cedworks.com/cgibin/loadpage.cgi?id+fs_wvs.html
----------------------PUBLICATIONS
The Impacts of Forest Degradation on Medicinal Plant Use and Implications for
Health Care in Eastern Amazonia by Patricia Shanley from CIFOR and Leda Luz
from the State Forestry Institute in Minas Gerais, Brazil
The authors focus on the Amazon city of Belem and find that most of its 1.7 million
inhabitants use medicinal plants to treat a wide range of ailments. The city's markets,
shops, pharmacies, gas stations, and curbside vendors sell more than two hundred
different plants, of which about half grow naturally in the Amazon. The main
downtown outlets alone make more than one million sales each year, generating
several million dollars, and sales are growing fast. Some plants are just sold as is,
but there is also a growing variety of capsules, powders, liquid medications,
and shampoos.
To request a free electronic copy of this report in pdf or word formattoTitin
Suhartiniat t.suhartini@cgiar.org To send comments or queries to the authors
writePatricia Shanleyat p.shanley@cgiar.org
-------------------------Nonnative invasive plants of southern forests: a field guide for identification and control
Miller, James H.2003. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-62. Asheville, NC: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station.
93p. pubrequest@srs.fs.usda.gov 828-257-4832
Invasions of nonnative plants into forests of the Southern United States continue
to go unchecked and unmonitored. Invasive nonnative plants infest under and
beside forest canopies and dominate small forest openings, increasingly eroding
forest productivity, hindering forest use and management activities, and
degrading diversity and wildlife habitat.
http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/gtr/gtr_srs062/index.htm
---------------------Circle of Life - Living in Harmony with Nature
A 28 minute documentary video production of the Temperate Forest Foundation
dealing with the consumption and production of natural resources. Responsible
consumption and responsible production are both essential for the proper
conservation and development of natural resources.
http://www.seek.state.mn.us/compact2.cfm?ItemId=1418
----------------------The Nature of Wood and Wood Products - CD-ROM
This CD-ROM presents a series of fifteen modules to provide a basic understanding
of wood as a material and of the principal products made of wood. Each
module includes a review that tests understanding of key concepts. Instant
feedback is provided along with links to review material that is relevant to
any question that may have been answered incorrectly.
http://www.seek.state.mn.us/compact2.cfm?ItemId=1420
------------------------Choices in Building Materials
Every building product we use in our homes comes from a natural resource.
Our homes and buildings are made of steel, lumber (wood), concrete, and
aluminum, which bring us products such as windows, walls, floors, doors,
ceilings and roofs. But getting these resources out of the ground and into
our homes impacts our environment. We must ask how much the extracting,
manufacturing, and recycling of a product impact our air, water, the earth, and us.
http://www.seek.state.mn.us/compact2.cfm?ItemId=1414
----------------------
U.S. Forest Service National Leadership Proposal for Selection of
Work Activities for Competitive Sourcing Study
http://www.peer.org/forestry/USFS_Outsourcing_Proposal.pdf
------------------------Balancing Ecology and Economics: A Start-up Guide for
Forest Owner Cooperation, 2nd Edition
To help address some of the challenges faced by private woodland owners,
the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives (UWCC), Cooperative
Development Services (CDS) and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's
Community Forestry Resource Center (CFRC) have published a second edition
of 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
at the same time improving their own economic well-being and that of the
communities in which their forest land is located.
The guide draws upon the experiences of several established or forming sustainable
forestry co-ops, as well as the experience of CDS, UWCC, and CFRC of IATP.
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.
The cost of the manual is $13, plus sales tax for Minnesota residents.
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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