City Considers Going Green to Make Green

The following article appeared in the December 22 electronic newsletter from the Society of American Foresters. It originally appeared on the Central New York web site. It appears as though carbon trading may have the potential to green up our cities.

December 19 – According to CNYlink.com (Central New York), the city of Syracuse is considering proposed legislation that would authorize it to enter into an agreement with Forecon, Inc., a forestry and natural resources company, to study the possibility of trading credits in exchange for lowering carbon emissions. A proposal currently before the city council recommends the city look into the possibility of trading carbon credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange. According to the website, at the heart of the proposal for removing carbon is a 216-acre, city-owned parcel of land made up of second-growth forest.

To read the full article go to:

http://www.cnylink.com/cnynews/view_news.php?news_id=1229703297

For a related article go to: http://memphis.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2008/12/22/story1.html?b=1229922000%5E1750035

Your Forest's Future: Regeneration Is the Next Woods!

Written by: Jim Finley, Penn State Professor of Forest Resources, December 11, 2008

Winter is great season to be afield. We'll all admit, sometimes it is difficult to give up the comfort inside for the chilly winds of winter. When you do, however, there are often some real benefits gleaned during a winter woods walk. You can learn much about a wood's condition and future by observing it when the foliage is missing. An important observation focus this time of the year is the next woods.

Looking to the future of the next woods may take a bit of effort. But when the non-woody plants are browned by the cold, it is often easier to look for the next crop of trees. When the leaves have fallen from the woody shrubs and understory trees, it is, again, sometimes easier to look for the next forest without vegetative interference.

Why should you care about the next crop of trees growing in your woods? Most of the things Pennsylvanians value about woods depend on the aesthetics, recreation, habitat, and income related to healthy, productive trees and woods. As our current forest matures and we harvest from it, it is critical we learn how to find the next forest.

To read the full story go to: http://paforeststewards.cas.psu.edu/News.html

Where Have All the Acorns Gone?

This was posted in the December 8th E-Forester, the Society of American Foresters electronic newsletter. Very interesting reading, especially since Pennsylvania experienced a similar lack of acorn crop. Appears as though it was region wide.

November 30 – Long before people paved over the area, oak and hickory forests—and occasionally acorns—covered much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. This year, however, the acorns are hard to come by.

Washington Post, November 30 - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/29/AR2008112902045.html

Lancaster Online, December 3 - http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/230940

NACD Handout: Who will own your family woodlands?

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and the U.S. Forest Service created a four page handout for landowners and those who serve them to be aware of the basic steps to take now to secure family woodlands for generations to come. This handout is a great resource to help families begin talking about estate and succession planning. The timing of this handout is meant to spark conversation over the holidays when families are together.

To read the the full publication go to:

http://www.nacdnet.org/news/publications/forestrynotes/ForestryNotes_November08_insert.pdf