Carbon Market Opportunities Web Site

Some of you may have heard, but I thought I'd share this with those that had not. The USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area "Carbon Market" opportunities web site is up and running! Link to it from the Northeastern Area Homepage ( http://www.na.fs.fed.us/) or directly at: http://www.na.fs.fed.us/ecosystemservices/carbon/index.shtm .

The website delivers background information on climate change and forests and as well as information about how private forest landowners can engage in voluntary markets and the potential costs, benefits, risks and opportunities of doing so. Look for other updates, tools and resources on the website as well, including a link to CVal, a newly released forest carbon spreadsheet valuation tool designed for landowners and consulting foresters.

Many thanks to Sarah Hines of the Forest Servicefor compiling/creating this web content for us!

Carbon Trading 101 Webinar

A special one-hour web seminar program on carbon trading will be presented by Kurt Krueger, District manager or larson & McGowin, inc. on Thursday, April 30, 2009 from Noon to 1:00 PM (eastern time). The program will discuss the basics of forest carbon offset projects, how landowners might qualify, and how carbon credits are sold on various markets.

Web Access Instructions:
On the day of the webinar, go to: http://ethreemail.com/e3ds/mail_link.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fforestrywebinar.net&i=0&d=D700F836-6D5E-4818-9A73-676560F3F51A&e=robert_bardon@ncsu.edu about 10-15 minutes prior to the start of the session (pay attention to the time zone on the announcements), click on the particular webinar link, enter your name to login (no password is needed)....follow instructions for SAF CFE credit if desired, and the webinar will then load on your computer.

If you have not yet participated in a Elluminate webinar then Please go to http://ethreemail.com/e3ds/mail_link.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elluminate.com%2Fsupport&i=3&d=D700F836-6D5E-4818-9A73-676560F3F51A&e=robert_bardon@ncsu.edu for setting up your computer. You should do this at least 24 hours in advance of a live webinar in case you have any problems that need to be resolved. If you have any hardware or software issues you can call Elluminate Support at 1-866-388-8674, option 2.

New Invasive Plant ID Publication

A new publication entitled "Mistaken Identity? Invasive Plants and their Native Look-alikes, An Identification Guide for the Mid-Atlantic" is now available. The publication was published by the Delaware Department of Agriculture in collaboration with Claude E. Phillips Herbarium at Delaware State University and the Delaware Center for Horticulture and funded by the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.

This publication is a full-color, 62-page booklet. The purpose of the work is to facilitate correct identification of confusingly similar invasive and native plant species. Targeted at land managers, gardeners, conservationists, and all others interested in plants, this booklet provides side by side comparisons of over 20 invasive plants and their native look-alikes. Common trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and herbs are included. The booklet includes a section on controlling invasives as well as specific species control recommendations. Lastly, for those of you who are not up on your botany a very thorough glossary of botanical terms is included.

To view the publication on line (you will need a high speed internet connection) go to:

http://www.nybg.org/files/scientists/rnaczi/Mistaken_Identity_Final.pdf

Forestry Internet Seminar: Rehabilitate Cutover Stands

Many woodland owners and foresters find themselves confronted by the need to rehabilitate a woodlot that has been logged by the high grade method. Although recognition of the problem has increased, only recently have guidelines been developed to correct this unsustainable practice. On Wednesday April 15th, join Dr. Ralph Nyland for a webinar on “Rehabilitating Cutover Stands”. Dr. Nyland is a Distinguished Service Professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Dr. Nyland will cover the steps and criteria to guide forest activities, determine the optimum strategy to salvage the stand, and satisfy the owner’s objectives. This April webinar is a sequel to the February 2009 webinar by Dr. Nyland that covered the impacts of exploitation harvests. A recorded version of the February webinar can be viewed at the ForestConnect website (http://www.forestconnect.info/).

The Forest Connect Internet Seminar Series is an interactive web conference and was the first of its kind in the US. Each seminar uses the Internet to distribute, or webcast, a live and interactive presentation. Since May 2007, web-based seminars have connected forest owners, managers, and practitioners from throughout the United States and overseas. More than 1200 owners and managers from 40 states and nine countries are registered and receiving announcements for the monthly webcasts.

Seminars occur on the third Wednesday of each month. Each webcast is provided live, twice. The initial broadcast each month is from Noon - 1:00 PM with a repeat live broadcast the same day from 7:00 - 8:00 PM, Eastern Time. Participation is as easy as a high-speed internet connection via a web browser. Participants will connect to a secure Cornell Cooperative Extension server to join the presentation. Participants must pre-register once, without charge, at http://www.forestconnect.info/. Email notification of internet URL details for the web conference will be sent to everyone registered.

Web Seminar: Invasive Insects in Your Forest

The PA Forests Web Seminar Center ( http://rnrext.cas.psu.edu/PAForestWeb/) is pleased to announce the April on-line program. Greg Hoover, Senior Extension Associate, Penn State Department of Entomology, will be presenting, Invasive Insects in Your Forest on Tuesday, April 14th at noon and again at 7 p.m. Each seminar lasts approximately one hour.

Some exotic insects have found Pennsylvania forests a good home away from home. This session will explore the most troublesome exotic insects causing damage in Penn?s Woods and the control options available. This seminar also counts towards 1.0 credit of Category 2 SAF CFE credits.

Live seminars are scheduled for the second Tuesday of every month at noon and 7 p.m., skipping July and August. Each session is recorded and loaded onto the Web Seminar Center along with a copy of the presentation and any handout materials. So, if you are unable to participate in the "live" session, a recording of it will be available for you to view at your convenience. Of course, none of the interactive elements will be available when watching the recording.

To participate in the live seminars you must register and have a "Friend of Penn State" user ID. The "Register Now" page on the website will walk you through this process. If you are a member of the Penn State community, you already have your User ID, but we would ask you to register on the website so that you can receive reminders of upcoming programs.

Participation in the web seminar does not require any special software. To view live and previously recorded seminars all you need is a high-speed Internet connection and sound. To register and take part in the live seminars or to view the upcoming seminars schedule, visit http://rnrext.cas.psu.edu/PAForestWeb/.We look forward to having you join these discussions and learning experiences. "See" you there on April 14

Newly Released Estate Tax Planning Guide

The USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station and its collaborators recently released the estate tax planning guide titled “Estate Tax Planning: What Will Become of Your Timberland?” This is the updated version of one of the most widely used tax publications for private family forest owners. The electronic version is available free at: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/gtr/gtr_srs112.pdf

The publication contains 180 pages of practical estate planning techniques and estate tax laws and rules with many examples and applications specifically for woodland property. It is written to assist woodland owners and their advisors­attorneys, consulting foresters, tax preparers, financial planners, as well as state agency foresters and cooperative extension agents.

For more information contact Linda Wang at lwang@fs.fed.us or (404)272-4791, Neal Bungard at nbungard@fs.fed.us or 603-868-7719, or John Greene jgreene01@fs.fed.us or (504) 589-7130.