Communicating with the Public: Prescribed Fire As a Case Study

DC Forester

October 2010

NCSAF Luncheon in October

Laura McCarthy Communicating with the Public: Prescribed Fire as a Case Study Tuesday, October 19

On Tuesday, October 19, NCSAF will hold its October meeting/luncheon. Though we haven't nailed down a place just yet, we have a fantastic speaker lined up. Laura McCarthy, a fellow SAF member from New Mexico, will be talking about her work organizing communications strategies for The Nature Conservancy and the Wildland Fire Leadership Council. Laura will talk about the recent national public opinion poll that TNC conducted to survey US attitudes toward wildland and prescribed fire--the first of its kind. Several lessons were gleaned from the poll, including how managers should package messages when communicating with the public. Laura will also discuss how this poll has informed the development of the current communications strategies in use by the federal firefighting agencies.

Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided. Lunch will be served about 11:30 AM, and we'll start the NCSAF-update portion of the meeting around 11:45 AM. Laura's talk will be from 12:15 pm to 1:00 pm. We’ll be sending out additional details over the next week, including location and directions, but mark the date!

1 Laura McCarthy is the Western Fire and Forest Restoration Program Director at The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Since 2005 she has represented the Conservancy in national policy for wildland fire management appropriations, fire management, forest restoration, and market- based strategies to finance restoration treatments. She assists TNC Chapters in the West to develop large landscape restoration projects and provides policy support to the U.S. Fire Learning Network. As the Conservancy’s representative to the Western Governors’ Association’s Forest Health Advisory Committee, Laura has been a co-convener of the Partners in Fire Education project to implement the 10-Year Comprehensive Strategy that included conducting the first national public opinion survey and poll of US attitudes toward wildland and prescribed fire.

Laura’s prior work includes more than a decade with the USDA Forest Service with assignments in Idaho, California and New England and work as a wildland firefighter, silviculturalist, ski area administrator, and forest planner. She also worked for the State Forester in New Hampshire, where she co-edited the first publication on New Hampshire’s biodiversity. After moving to the Southwest in 1996, Laura went to the Forest Trust where she worked as Southwest Program Director and Associate Director. Watching the Cerro Grande Fire in 2000, where an escaped prescribed fire changed national policy, was a pivotal experience and led Laura to develop policy expertise in fire management on public lands. Laura has earned several awards for her work, most notably the Society of American Forester’s Young Forester Leadership Award in 1998 and the USDA Secretary’s Honor Award in 1995. Laura’s degrees are in Forestry (M.F. 1987 Yale University) and Government (B.A. 1983, Bowdoin College).

NCSAF Auction and Wine Tasting

It’s that time of year again when the membership of NCSAF get together to raise a happy glass to one another and raise money for the year to come. This year’s event will take place on Nov. 4th near the Ballston metro stop (more details to come) so put it on your calendar now. Start shifting some of that clutter. Take a look in your closets for those treasures that you have never used, that great bottle of wine that you have not opened, or the opportunity to share your hobby or craft with others. A few White Elephants are welcome as well. Auction items for wine dinners, fishing trips, happy hours and lunches with leadership are already in the works. Doug Crandal has again volunteered to be our Master of Ceremonies so there is bound to be much laughter and stories to tell. If you have been planning ahead and already have auction items to offer, please contact Dwight Fielder, at [email protected] or on 202- 912-7230 or 703-534-6425 and provide a short description and estimated retail price of the item. Now more than ever, we need your support so come one, come all.

NCSAF Announces SAF National Convention Scholarship Recipients

The NCSAF has selected Paula Randler and Jeff Bradley as the 2010 SAF National Convention Scholarship winners. Both recipients have been NCSAF members for approximately two years. The scholarships will support both as they attend the SAF Annual Convention for the first time.

2 Paula received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina and her Master’s degree from the Yale School of Forestry. She served as a Presidential Management Fellow with the USDA Forest Service and is now employed as a Program Specialist with the agency’s State and Private Forestry Program. Paula has been active in organizing and participating in NCSAF related activities including the phone-a-thon and service projects at Wild Acres.

Jeff is a Maryland native and a graduate of Allegheny College. As the Manager of Forest and Wood Product Policy at the American Forest and Paper Association, his work focuses on private and Federal lands policy, forest research and promoting wood as a preferred material in green building. He has found the opportunity to network with other forestry professionals within NCSAF as an important component of his professional development. Presentations from other forestry professionals at the NCSAF luncheons have helped Jeff expand his understanding of the diverse viewpoints around many of the complex issues in forestry.

The NCSAF would like to congratulate both Paula and Jeff on their award!

HSD Meeting and Convention

The SAF Convention is fast approaching along with the House Society of Delegates meeting. Some folks don’t realize that the HSD represents the voice of membership to the council; they are a conduit. This is your opportunity to voice concerns, issues, suggestions and praise. The only way that the SAF can get better and continue to represent the membership is if you, the membership, participate. Please send any information you would want to share to NCSAF Chair, Michael Mortimer at [email protected], NCSAF chair-elect Christopher Farley at [email protected] or past NCSAF chair and HSD chair elect E.Lynn Burkett on [email protected].

SAF at the Scout Jamboree

Thousands of scouts, scout leaders and members of the public passed through the SAF exhibit, located at a prominent location within the award winning conservation trail at the National Boy Scout Jamboree - celebrating 100 years of scouting.

The entrance to the 2010 Boy Scout Jamboree Conservation. 3 Over forty dedicated SAF volunteers from 8 states braved the heat, the traffic, the 8 hours per day of standing, a bit of bureaucratic red tape and the joy of sharing forestry's story with the patch-seeking youth.

The SAF 2010 Boy Scout Jamboree patch

Mark Books of the Rappahannock Chapter and E. Lynn Burkett of the National Capital SAF came up with the idea that the SAF needed to play a bigger role in supporting the Scout Forestry Merit Badge and being a prominent part of the National Boy Scout Jamboree’s Conservation trail. Many of today’s foresters were scouts, and the scouting organizations can continue to groom future generations of “budding” foresters. After soliciting Neil Clark from the Southeast Chapter to wrangle the volunteers, the team put countless hours into implementation via fundraising, volunteer recruitment, meetings, paperwork, and logistical details. As usual, none of the ideas or efforts would have been successful without donations of time and money from chapters and volunteers across the country including NCSAF’s own Tim Resch, Dwight Fielder, Bryan Petit, McKinley Ben-Miller and Lillian Woods.

4 SAF volunteer Bill Kleinhaus, with help from Humbolt student volunteer Alexander Taylor, informs a group of scouts and associated family and leaders about the goods that come from our woods while volunteer Kristofer Alberga explains what SAF is and the many opportunities for education and careers within the field of Forestry.

Volunteer Ralph Willard helps scouts understand the wonders of wood properties and tree growth.

Many scouts learned wood and tree identification, and were amazed that wood and wood derivatives are used in everything, from houses to toothpaste; that opposite leaf arrangement is an easy and sure method of distinguishing ash from hickory; and that it is important to distinguish among wood species - especially if you happen to be a cooper. Additionally, special

5 presentations were made on forestry applications of geographic information systems, red- cockaded woodpecker habitat restoration, Forest Management tools and careers in forestry.

Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment played an important role by providing many display materials and equipment that enabled scouts to use an interactive dendrology key, print customized cards with their state trees (database contributed by the SAF New England Chapter) and view/print their progress level toward achieving a forestry merit badge. They also viewed portions of 'The Greatest Good' (donated by Steve Anderson with the Forest History Society) as they progressed through other presentations.

The words of one volunteer summed it up best after a frustrating attempt to navigate security, hunt for parking, hike to SAF’s tent, endure sore feet, and postpone bathroom breaks ... "I am tired, but it was very rewarding and well worth it to have been able to reach so many youngsters and see the light turn on, … to see their newly discovered appreciation of forestry." And from another volunteer, “…that one-to-one contact, putting a face and passion with the subject, can make all the difference. It takes more individual time and effort but has lasting effects”. Foremost amongst this band of volunteers was Bill Kleinhaus from Florida who at a young 80 years persisted in serving throughout the entire 11 days, providing consistency, leadership, and guidance to each new team of daily volunteers. We are tremendously grateful to Bill and to all of the hard working volunteers.

Over 14,000 people came by to see SAF at the Jamboree and over 4500 scouts received an SAF poplar patch to remind them of their experience for years to come. This was a grand slam for SAF and the forestry profession; all because of volunteers!

NCSAF Members Volunteer for Leadership Positions

Three NCSAF members have heeded the call for service and have put their names in the running for 2011 NCSAF leadership positions. NCSAF membership will have an opportunity to vote for these candidates through an online ballot which will reach your email inboxes in October. All three candidates are running unopposed for their positions.

Ted Beauvais is running for Vice-Chair, a position that is expected to transition to Chair in 2012. Ted is the Assistant Director for the Cooperative Forestry Staff at the US Forest Service headquarters, where his responsibilities include supervising the program managers for the Forest Stewardship, Forest Legacy, and Community Forest and Open Space Conservation programs. Ted has been an SAF member since 1984.

Jake Donnay is running for Secretary, a position that he currently holds. Jake serves as Director of Forest Policy at the National Association of State Foresters (NASF). In this role, he works to advance the interests of state forestry agencies with Congress and U.S. federal agencies on issues related to biomass energy, climate change, forest markets, urban and community forestry and others. Jake has been an SAF member since 2000.

Finally, running for Treasurer is Darrel Pendris. Darrel is Executive Director of the National Woodland Owners Association, a non-profit organization devoted to serving woodland owners, managers, and other stakeholders to conserve working family lands across the United States. Darrel has been an SAF member since 2005. 6 If elected, they will be serving alongside incoming Chair Chris Farley. We are grateful to all three of them for stepping forward. Additional information on each candidate will be in the ballot materials.

Treasurer’s Monthly Report August 14, 2010 thru September 15, 2010

No new income or expense transactions occurred this month. Total expenses to date are $400.00: $150.00 for frames and a $250.00 contribution to the Boy Scout Jamboree. Total income to date is from three dues distributions from SAF totaling $2,105.50 and dividends of $328.97 for a total income of $2,434.47..

As of September 15, 2010 our financial balance sheet is as follows:

Certificates of deposit: $14,907.67 Cash $100.00 Savings Account: $995.86 Checking Account: $2,612.17 Total $18,615.70

If you have any questions contact Dick Pardo at [email protected] or any member of the executive committee. Richard Pardo, Treasurer

Calendar of Events for 2010

October 15 DC Forester deadline Newsletter Editor

October 19 NCSAF Luncheon in October Laura McCarthy Communicating with the Public: Prescribed Fire as a Case Study

October 27-31 SAF National Convention Albuquerque, NM http://www.safnet.org/natcon10/index.cfm

November 4 NCSAF Auction and Wine Tasting

November 15 DC Forester deadline Newsletter Editor

December 15 DC Forester deadline Newsletter Editor

2010 NCSAF LEADERSHIP TEAM

Position Individual’s Phone number E-mail address Name Chair Michael MortimerW: 703 538 3762 [email protected] 7 Chair Elect Chris Farley W: 703 626 0647 [email protected] Immediate Past Chair E Lynn Burkett W: 202 785 6594 [email protected] Treasurer Richard Pardo H: 703 765 2386 [email protected] Secretary Jake Donnay W: 703 549 8700 [email protected] H: 202 302 0757 Program Chair Jon Menten W: 202 452 5029 [email protected] Membership Chair TBD W:

Phonathon Chair Paula Randler W: 202 401 4489 [email protected]

Communication Chair Terri Bates W: 703 538 1134 [email protected] Newsletter Editor TBD W: H: Webmaster Tim Resch W: 202 712 4453 [email protected] H: 703 660 9292 [email protected] M: 703 470 3166 Tellers and Auditors Chair Darrel Pendris W: 703 255 2700 [email protected] Nominating and Andrea Bedell- W: 202 205 8336 [email protected] Professional Recognition Loucks [email protected] Co-Chairs Nadine Block W:202 596 3456 Fundraising Chair Dwight Fielder W: 202 912 7230 [email protected] Historian Doug MacCleery W: 202 205 1745 [email protected] Policy Chair Rick Cooksey W: 202 205 1469 [email protected] Science and Technology Denise Ingram W: 202 205 3611 [email protected] Coordinator (WAS) Wild Acres Liaison Paula Randler W: 202 401 4489 [email protected]

SAF Council RepresentativeKenneth Jolly W: 410 260 8502 [email protected] H: 410 263 1989