USA and Canada

An impressive lineup of world-class experts and leaders has been assembled for Forest Products: Solutions for a Global Green Economy, an international convention held by the Forest Products Society on June 3-5, 2012 in Washington, DC. The technical program has 160 presentations covering topics that include greenbuilding, biomass conversion, nanotechnology, bioenergy feedstock, tropical hardwoods and many more. Learn more and register on the Forest Products Society's conference website.

The Forest Service has released its 2012 call for nominations to fill four of fifteen positions on the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council. The Council serves in an advisory capacity to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Program and related natural resources. Nomination(s) must be received (not just postmarked) by May 31, 2012.

States in the south and northeast continue to look for solutions to the emerald ash borer, an invasive species that kills ash trees.

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In response to the Senate Agriculture Committee's adoption of their version of the 2012 Farm Bill, NASF released a statement, finding that the bulk of the legislation is consistent with their platform.

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The USDA Forest Service is seeking applicants for the Station Director for the Pacific Southwest Research Station. The director is the administrator responsible for Forest Service research in the geographical areas of California, Hawaii and other U.S. Pacific Islands.

Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care.  John Rosenow of the Arbor Day Foundation credits strong partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service and NASF in the progress that has been made in the conservation of trees and forests.

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Officials with Texas Forest Service and The Texas A&M University System unveiled new web applications that will help homeowners and communities determine wildfire risk -- and take measures to mitigate potential hazards. Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal, or TxWRAP, allows users to identify wildfire threats for a particular area based on landscape characteristics, historical fire occurrence, weather conditions, terrain and potential fire behavior.

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The Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters (NAASF) seeks a Cohesive Wildland Fire Strategy Regional Support Project Contractor to provide staff assistance to the association in its work on the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. Send cover letter and resume to ian.macfarlane@mail.wvu.edu or fax to (202) 526-4805 by May 8.

The Friday newsletter will be on hiatus for the next two weeks. Watch for the new edition with a new look and feel on May 11. Thanks for your patience!

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar discussed the federal government's readiness for the upcoming wildfire season to ensure protection for communities and restoration of forests and public lands. The Secretaries were joined by FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell and National Predictive Services Program Manager of the National Interagency Fire Center Ed Delgado.

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NASF recently signed on to a letter to the Senate Agriculture Committee urging support for the inclusion of permanent reauthorization of the Stewardship Contracting Authority in the 2012 Farm Bill. Stewardship contracting offers forest managers the use of innovative contracting methods to achieve forest management objectives, increase and diversify job opportunities, and lengthen work seasons. Reauthorization would restore and foster healthy forest ecosystems and provide stability and employment to rural communities.

Dovetail Partners Inc. has published a new report on the debate over the certification of federal lands, and why there has been no certification of National Forests. The report explores the history of the discussion about certification of the National Forest System, potential challenges associated with certifying these lands, and the importance of moving forward.

Governor Mike Beebe has accepted the nomination of Joe Fox as the new Arkansas State Forester. Fox has been director of conservation forestry for the Arkansas field office of The Nature Conservancy and was recommended by the Arkansas Forestry Commission last week. 

Effective April 23, Genevieve O'Sullivan has joined NASF as Communications Director. Genevieve has relocated to DC from the state of Washington and comes to NASF from the Washington Redistricting Commission as Communications Director. She can be reached at gosullivan@stateforesters.org.

The Virginia Department of Forestry is utilizing a geospatial application that allows Virginians to better evaluate how forest cover impacts water and air quality. Taking information entered into the program by an individual, InFOREST uses a complex set of models to provide an estimate of ecosystem services associated with a proposed change of land use.

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USDA Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell testified this week before the Senate Committee on Appropriations and Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies on the proposed FY 2013 Forest Service budget.  According to an agency press release, the $4.86 billion budget request, an increase of $15.5 million from last year, will be administered through programs and services that focus on restoration projects, community outreach and fire management.

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CompassLive reports that the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station is working to improve protective structures for operators of forest machines. A new testing program serves as the basis for the development of new equipment standards, and the results will be used to improve international safety standards through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

High temperatures and lack of snow between January and March in the Northeast have put many states on high alert for forest and brush fires. "It's dry as a bone," said Paul Dolan, deputy state forester for the Rhode Island Division of Forest Environment.  Similar scenarios are playing out in other regions as well.

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Treecycler is new website that allows companies and consumers to plant trees in reforestation projects around the globe. Unique Treecycler codes that enable tree planting donations are distributed through mail, packages, and websites. For a limited time, "Like" Treecycler on Facebook and receive a free code to plant a tree on Treecycler anywhere on their map.

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The emerald ash borer, which has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees over the past decade, has been found east of the Hudson River for the first time, marking its closest known threat to New England. The USDA Forest Service is working with several state forestry agencies to manage the EAB population as New England state foresters brace for the arrival of the dreaded bug.