DOCSLIB.ORG

The Impact of Wood Use on North American Forests Educational-Advertisement

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Impact of Wood Use on North American Forests Educational-Advertisement EDUCATIONAL-ADVERTISEMENT 1 CONTINUING EDUCATION CONTINUING The Impact of Wood Use on CONTINUING EDUCATION 1 AIA LU/HSW North American Forests Learning Objectives After reading this article, you should be Can specifying wood for buildings contribute to able to: 1. Evaluate the use of wood as a construction forest sustainability? material in the context of long-term forest sustainability as well as attributes such as Sponsored by Think Wood | By Roxane Ward and Dave Patterson, RPF low embodied energy and light carbon footprint. 2. Discuss forest sustainability measures such s green building has evolved beyond As this course will demonstrate, the as biodiversity, soil and water quality, and its initial emphasis on energy answer to that question has several ele- harvest versus net growth. Aefficiency, greater attention has been ments. On one hand, North American forest 3. Examine the concept that using wood given to the choice of structural materials and practices are among the world’s best, and in buildings provides an incentive to the degree to which they influence a building’s the amount of forested land, in both the landowners to keep forested lands forested environmental footprint. Increasingly, wood United States and Canada, has been stable instead of converting them to uses such as urban development. from sustainably managed forests is viewed for decades. On the other, there are threats— as a responsible choice—for a number of such as climate change, increased wildfire, 4. Compare the carbon benefits of an unmanaged forest versus a managed forest reasons. Wood grows naturally by harnessing insect infestation and disease, and deforesta- where timber is used for wood buildings. energy from the sun, absorbing carbon tion due to urban development—which are dioxide and releasing oxygen. It is renewable broader than the forest industry and must be To receive AIA credit, you are required to and a carbon sink, and it outperforms other addressed at a societal level. Drawing from a read the entire article and pass the test. Go to materials in terms of embodied energy, wide range of research publications, the fol- ce.architecturalrecord.com for complete text air and water pollution, and other impact lowing pages will examine the current state and to take the test for free. This course may indicators.1 of North American forests, modern forest also qualify for one Professional Development But what about the forest? The benefits practices, and criteria for sustainability, and Hour (PDH). Most states now accept AIA credits for engineers’ requirements. Check above notwithstanding, how can building consider some of the challenges that could your state licensing board for all laws, rules, designers be sure that specifying wood does profoundly impact the future of the forest and regulations to confirm. not negatively impact the North American resource. In this context, the course will AIA COURSE #K1911C forest resource? also discuss why strong markets for wood 2 THE IMPACT OF WOOD USE ON NORTH AMERICAN FORESTS EDUCATIONAL-ADVERTISEMENT Photo courtesy of Plum Creek/© Frank Rosenstein; Source: www.pefc.org and www.fsc.org as of March 2019 Certified Forest Certified Area in Canada & Area in Canada & U.S. U.S. vs. Global Certified Area 300 CANADA & U.S. SFI, ATFS, CSA (PEFC) & FSC 250 200 CONTINUING EDUCATION CONTINUING 150 100 54% 46% Millions of acres of Millions 50 SFI FSC CSA ATFS Millions of acres 370 160 36 18 Millions of hectares 150 65 15 7 REST OF THE WORLD PEFC & FSC Shown is a second-growth working forest in Oregon. products provide an incentive for landown- Until the early 1900s, settlers coming to that net forest growth has outpaced the ers, not only to invest in forest management North America cleared an average of 2.1 acres amount of wood harvested for decades sup- but also to keep forested land forested even of forest per person to survive and grow food.3 ports the idea that landowners who depend though greater profit can often be made by Since then, the establishment of industrial economically on the resource have a strong converting it to other uses. agriculture and other changes in land use have incentive for their sustainable management mitigated the need for forest clearing, and forest for the long term. This aligns with global IS NORTH AMERICA RUNNING OUT acreage has been stable for close to a century. forest data, which indicates that forest prod- OF FORESTS? The United States reported an annual ucts and industrial roundwood demands According to the National Report on increase in forest area of 0.12 percent in the provide the revenue and policy incentives to Sustainable Forests–2010, “On the whole, 1990s and 0.05 percent from 2000 to 2005, support sustainable forest management.7 no evidence suggests that we are using up while Canada had no change, and twice as However, with urban development and our forests. In fact, the total area of forests much wood is being grown each year as is other uses increasingly vying for land, an has been stable and the volume of wood on harvested.4 In both countries, responsible issue going forward will be making sure that them increasing.”2 forest management has resulted in more landowners continue to have reasons to keep than 50 consecutive years of net forest forested lands forested. growth that exceeds annual forest harvests. Deforestation is the permanent Canada conversion of forest land to United States Canada has 857 million acres of forestland, non-forest land uses. Around The United States has approximately 765 which is about 90 percent of the forested million acres of forest area, which is about area it had before European settlement. 8, 9 the world, it is a major issue one-third of the country’s total land area.5 Ac- Ninety-four percent of the forest is publicly and contributor to global warm- cording to the National Report on Sustainable owned and managed by provincial, federal, ing. In the United States and Forests–2010, “This stability is in spite of a and territorial governments. The remaining Canada, the rate of deforesta- nearly three-fold increase in population over 6 percent is on private property belonging to the same period and is in marked contrast more than 450,000 private landowners. tion has been virtually zero for with many countries where wide-scale defor- Wood supply is the term used to describe decades; however, the value of estation remains a pressing concern.” the estimated volume of timber that can forest land in agriculture and Forty-two percent of U.S. forests are be harvested from an area while meeting owned by entities such as national, state, environmental, economic, and social objec- real estate maintains pressure and local governments; the rest are owned tives. Governments regulate harvest levels 6 to convert. by private landowners, including more than on public lands by specifying an annual 22 million family forest owners.5 The fact allowable cut. EDUCATIONAL-ADVERTISEMENT THE IMPACT OF WOOD USE ON NORTH AMERICAN FORESTS 3 Photo: www.naturallywood.com DEFINING FOREST SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION CONTINUING Forest sustainability was first described in the book Sylvicultura oeconomica by German author Hans Carl von Carlowitz, published in 1713—and, while our understanding of what constitutes sustainability has evolved significantly in 300 years, it has long been a cornerstone of forest management.14 Von Carlowitz’s work planted the seed for what we now know as sustainable development, defined in the landmark 1987 report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (the ‘Brundtland Report’) as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines sustainable forest management as “the stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way and at a rate that maintains their biological diversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality, and potential to fulfill, now and in the future, relevant ecological economic and social functions at local, national, and global levels, and that does not cause damage on other ecosystems.” In the United States and Canada, forest sustainability is measured against criteria and indicators that represent the full range of forest values, including biodiversity, ecosystem condition and productivity, soil and water, global ecological cycles, economic and social benefits, and social responsibility. Sustainability criteria and indicators form the basis of individual country regulations as well as third-party sustainable forest certification programs. Certification bodies conduct forest man- agement audits as part of the third-party Wood is the only building material that procedures, systems, and performance of on- certification process. has third-party certification programs in the-ground forest operations against the pre- place to demonstrate that products being determined standard. The audits, performed sold have come from a responsibly managed by experienced, independent foresters, TOOLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY resource. As of March 2019, more than 584 biologists, socio-economists, or other profes- Although types of ownership vary, forest million acres of forest in the United States sionals, are conducted by certification bodies management in the United States and Canada and Canada were certified under one of the accredited to award certificates under each of operates under layers of federal, state/provin- four internationally recognized programs the programs. A certificate is issued if a forest cial, and local regulations and guidelines that used in North America: the Forest Steward- operation is found to be in conformance with foresters and harvesting professionals must ship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry the specified forest certification standard.13 follow to protect water quality, wildlife habitat, Initiative (SFI), Canadian Standards As- soil, and other resources. Laws addressing sociation’s Sustainable Forest Management EPDs and Forest Certification safety and workers’ rights also govern forestry Standards (CSA), and American Tree Farm The wood industry has been a leader in the activities.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Forests in Focus
    FORESTSAMERICAN WINTER/SPRING 2019 Forests in Focus PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS See the inspiring photography that earned top honors in our annual Forests in Focus photo contest BE PART OF THE SOLUTION JOIN AMERICAN FORESTS With a membership gift of $25 or more, you’ll receive the following benefits: 8 Satisfaction and Pride. Know your gift will be used wisely to restore America’s forests to health and resiliency. 8 Annual Membership Card. Carry this with you to signify your commitment to American Forests. 8 Magazine Subscription. Read and share our award-winning, colorful and informative publication. 8 Merchandise Discounts. Shop with periodic members-only discounts from our Corporate Partners. 8 Invitations to Special Events. Be the first to be notified about special events and volunteer opportunities in your area. 8 Insider Updates on Our Work. Stay informed about the impact your gifts are having on our critical work and progress. ■ Make a difference for forests and the world. Become a member today! www.americanforests.org/ways-to-give/membership AF_FP Ads.indd 1 11/8/18 10:38 AM VOL. 125, NO. 1 CONTENTS WINTER/SPRING 2019 Departments 2 Offshoots A word from our President & CEO 4 Treelines PROJECT SHOWCASES: Read about our work planting trees for healing and nurturing in a Boston community and restoring fire-stricken land in the San Bernardino Mountains. FROM THE FIELD: From Texas to Baltimore, follow what we’ve been 32 up to in the field. PROFILES: Learn about our partnership with Alliance Data and how two of our supporters are returning to their roots by being involved in conservation.
    [Show full text]
  • OUR ROOTS RUN DEEP 2019 Year in Review AMERICAN FORESTS’ IMPACT
    OUR ROOTS RUN DEEP 2019 Year In Review AMERICAN FORESTS’ IMPACT WILDLIFE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND CASCADES WATER PEOPLE SIERRA NEVADAS AND SOUTHERN CA RANGES LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY YOUR VISION OUR MISSION OUR ROOTS RUN DEEP here at American Forests. Throughout our 144-year history, we have tackled global challenges with small actions done again and again: like planting trees. Best of all, planting trees and caring for forests has a role for everyone, from cities to rural communities. With your help, American NORTHERNForests is empowering people to take action and make our GREAT LAKEScountry stronger together. LAKE But our work today is more urgent and complexCHAMPLAIN than ever. Thanks to our partners and donors, we’re tappingBASIN our deep PEOPLE roots in science, forestry, policy and CLIMATEmovement leadership to overcome forest threats like drought and fire made worse by climate change. When we take care of our forests, they take care of us by providing water, wildlife, jobs and even the ability to slow climate change through natural carbon capture. But our challenges go beyond the environment. America has APPALACHIANgrowing inequities across lines of race and income that include ANDurban OZARKS tree cover. I am proud that our new push for Tree Equity is building a movement to give every person the benefits of city trees for health, wealth and protection from climate change. With your help, we have stretched in new ways. We have published scientific breakthroughs on forest soil carbon and developed new ways to link underserved communities into urban forestrySOUTHERN careers. We are stepping up to plant more trees PIEDMONT and innovateAND climate-resilient PLAINS planting techniques with new field staff around the country.
    [Show full text]
  • The History of Fire in the Southern United States
    Special Section on Fire Human Ecology The History of Fire in the Southern United States Cynthia Fowler Wofford College Spartanburg, SC1 Evelyn Konopik USDA Forest Service Asheville, NC2 Abstract ern Appalachians, and Ozark-Ouachita Highlands. Using this holistic framework, we consider “both ends of the fire stick” Anthropogenic fires have been a key form of disturbance (Vayda 2005) examining elements of fire use by each cultur- in southern ecosystems for more than 10,000 years. Archae- al group that has inhabited the South and its effects on south- ological and ethnohistorical information reveal general pat- ern ecosystems. terns in fire use during the five major cultural periods in the South; these are Native American prehistory, early European Table 1. Major Periods of Human-Caused Fire Regimes in the settlement, industrialization, fire suppression, and fire man- South agement. Major shifts in cultural traditions are linked to sig- FIRE Native Early Industrial- Fire Fire nificant transitions in fire regimes. A holistic approach to fire REGIME American European ization Suppression Management ecology is necessary for illuminating the multiple, complex Prehistory Settlers links between the cultural history of the South and the evolu- DATES 12,500 BP 1500s AD 1800s to 1920s to 1940s/80s tion of southern ecosystems. The web of connections between to 1500s to1700s 1900s 1940s/1980s to Present history, society, politics, economy, and ecology are inherent AD AD to the phenomena of fire. TYPICAL Low Low Stand Federal Prescribed BURNS intensity intensity replacing lands fires of brush fires brush fires fires set protected mixed Keywords: fire, culture, Native Americans, US South mainly for by loggers from fire intensity and agricultural and farmers frequency A Holistic View of People and Fire purposes Written documents that address fire ecology in the South include more than 380 years of publications, ranging from The Native American Contribution to Prehistoric Fire Smith’s 1625 monograph to Kennard’s 2005 essay.
    [Show full text]
  • Urban Forest Assessments Resource Guide
    Trees in cities, a main component of a city’s urban forest, contribute significantly to human health and environmental quality. Urban forest ecosystem assessments are a key tool to help quantify the benefits that trees and urban forests provide, advancing our understanding of these valuable resources. Over the years, a variety of assessment tools have been developed to help us better understand the benefits that urban forests provide and to quantify them into measurable metrics. The results they provide are extremely useful in helping to improve urban forest policies on all levels, inform planning and management, track environmental changes over time and determine how trees affect the environment, which consequently enhances human health. American Forests, with grant support from the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, developed this resource guide to provide a framework for practitioners interested in doing urban forest ecosystem assessments. This guide is divided into three main sections designed to walk you through the process of selecting the best urban forest assessment tool for your needs and project. In this guide, you will find: Urban Forest Management, which explains urban forest management and the tools used for effective management How to Choose an Urban Forests Ecosystem Assessment Tool, which details the series of questions you need to answer before selecting a tool Urban Forest Ecosystem Assessment Tools, which offers descriptions and usage tips for the most common and popular assessment tools available Urban Forest Management Many of the best urban forest programs in the country have created and regularly use an Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) to define the scope and methodology for accomplishing urban forestry goals.
    [Show full text]
  • Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Human Activities
    4 Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Human Activities CO-CHAIRS D. Kupfer (Germany, Fed. Rep.) R. Karimanzira (Zimbabwe) CONTENTS AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND OTHER HUMAN ACTIVITIES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 77 4.1 INTRODUCTION 85 4.2 FOREST RESPONSE STRATEGIES 87 4.2.1 Special Issues on Boreal Forests 90 4.2.1.1 Introduction 90 4.2.1.2 Carbon Sinks of the Boreal Region 90 4.2.1.3 Consequences of Climate Change on Emissions 90 4.2.1.4 Possibilities to Refix Carbon Dioxide: A Case Study 91 4.2.1.5 Measures and Policy Options 91 4.2.1.5.1 Forest Protection 92 4.2.1.5.2 Forest Management 92 4.2.1.5.3 End Uses and Biomass Conversion 92 4.2.2 Special Issues on Temperate Forests 92 4.2.2.1 Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Temperate Forests 92 4.2.2.2 Global Warming: Impacts and Effects on Temperate Forests 93 4.2.2.3 Costs of Forestry Countermeasures 93 4.2.2.4 Constraints on Forestry Measures 94 4.2.3 Special Issues on Tropical Forests 94 4.2.3.1 Introduction to Tropical Deforestation and Climatic Concerns 94 4.2.3.2 Forest Carbon Pools and Forest Cover Statistics 94 4.2.3.3 Estimates of Current Rates of Forest Loss 94 4.2.3.4 Patterns and Causes of Deforestation 95 4.2.3.5 Estimates of Current Emissions from Forest Land Clearing 97 4.2.3.6 Estimates of Future Forest Loss and Emissions 98 4.2.3.7 Strategies to Reduce Emissions: Types of Response Options 99 4.2.3.8 Policy Options 103 75 76 IPCC RESPONSE STRATEGIES WORKING GROUP REPORTS 4.3 AGRICULTURE RESPONSE STRATEGIES 105 4.3.1 Summary of Agricultural Emissions of Greenhouse Gases 105 4.3.2 Measures and
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Environmental Implications of the American Forest and Paper Association's (AF&PA) Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Pr
    Environmental Implications of the American Forest and Paper Association's (AF&PA) Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Program in Comparison with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Program for Forest Certification. June 1999 Sustainable Forest Initiative While the American Forest and Paper Association's (AF&PA) Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program may represent a start to make necessary improvements in US forest products industry practices, no leading environmental advocacy organizations currently endorse the program or any environmental claims arising from it. Despite SFI's tagline ("Showing the World a Higher Standard"), leading environmental groups are not convinced that the program is, in fact, showing the world an appreciably higher standard at this time. Exemplifying concern about environmental performance under SFI is the participation of The Pacific Lumber Company (Maxxam). Pacific Lumber formally complied with the requirements for SFI according to AF&PA’s annual progress reports for SFI in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999. Nonetheless, during this period, Pacific Lumber became well-known for its role in the Headwaters controversy over clearcutting ancient redwoods, and it had 128 citations and approximately 300 violations of the California state forest practices rules since 1995 which resulted in the suspension of its license to practice forestry in the state of California from November 1998 through early 1999. Obviously, the overall rigor of the SFI is called into serious question by such performance. By association, the performance of other AF&PA members is also called into question. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative has been developed and is administered by the American Forest and Paper Association for its members (approximately 200 companies and trade associations representing 56 million forested acres and 90% of US industrial timberlands).
    [Show full text]
  • Restoring Forests for the Future: Profiles in Climate-Smart Restoration on America's National Forests
    RESTORING FORESTS for the FUTURE Profiles in climate-smart restoration on America’s National Forests Left: Melissa Jenkins Front cover: Kent Mason Back cover: MaxForster. Contents Introduction. ............................................................................................................................................2 This publication was prepared as part of a collaboration among American Forests, National Wildlife Federation and The Nature Conservancy and was funded through a generous grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Principles for Climate-Smart Forest Restoration. .................................................................3 Thank you to the many partners and contributors who provided content, photos, quotes and Look to the future while learning from the past. more. Special thanks to Nick Miner and Eric Sprague (American Forests); Lauren Anderson, Northern Rockies: Reviving ancient traditions of fire to restore the land .....................4 Jessica Arriens, Sarah Bates, Patty Glick and Bruce A. Stein (National Wildlife Federation); and Eric Bontrager, Kimberly R. Hall, Karen Lee and Christopher Topik (The Nature Conservancy). Embrace functional restoration of ecological integrity. Southern Rockies: Assisted regeneration in fire-scarred landscapes ............................ 8 Editor: Rebecca Turner Montana: Strategic watershed restoration for climate resilience ................................... 12 Managing Editor: Ashlan Bonnell Writer: Carol Denny Restore and manage forests in the context of
    [Show full text]
  • North American Forest Futures 2018–2090
    WFRXXX10.1177/1946756718757751World Futures ReviewBengston et al. 757751research-article2018 Article World Futures Review 2018, Vol. 10(2) 152 –169 North American Forest © The Author(s) 2018 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Futures 2018–2090: Scenarios https://doi.org/10.1177/1946756718757751DOI: 10.1177/1946756718757751 for Building a More Resilient journals.sagepub.com/home/wfr Forest Sector David N. Bengston1, Jonathan Peck2, Robert Olson2, Melissa Barros3, Richard A. Birdsey4, Daniel R. Williams5, Juan Carlos Leyva Reyes6, and Francisco José Zamudio7 Abstract North American forests and forest management institutions are experiencing a wide range of significant ecological disturbances and socioeconomic changes, which point to the need for enhanced resilience. A critical capacity for resilience in institutions is strategic foresight. This article reports on a project of the North American Forest Commission to use Futures Research to enhance the resilience of forest management institutions in North America. The Aspirational Futures Method was used to develop four alternative scenarios for the future of North American forests and forestry agencies: (1) an extrapolation of current trends into the expectable future titled Stressed Forests, (2) a scenario of growing desperation titled Megadisturbances Call for Military Intervention, (3) a high aspiration future titled High Tech Transformation and Cooperation, and (4) an alternative pathway to a highly preferable future titled Cultural Transformation Embraces
    [Show full text]
  • Download the Entire Fall 2013 Issue
    american fall 2013 The Long Ride The Tour DiviDe is 2,800 miles of ruggeD foresT Terrain, unforgiving weaTher anD enDurance pusheD To The limiTs, all from The saDDle of a bike. Vol 119 No 2 CONTENTS Fall 2013 Departments 2 Offshoots A word from our CEO 4 Tree Doctor Advice from tree care experts 6 Treelines Alligator juniper, longleaf pine and post-Irene reforestation in 24 44 Vermont, plus: FOREST FRONTIERS: Meet Phil Radtke, a member of the Big Tree Program’s new Measuring Guidelines Working Group. PARTNERS: Bank of America e. L Charitable Foundation partners with us for Community ReLeaf easda t in five cities. Plus, join our exclusive trip to Mexico to meet aron the monarchs. a y B FROM THE FIELD: American Forests staffers report on proj- ects happening in Wyoming and Tennessee and share exciting oute. Photo oute. Photo r news of an award. 38 People and Trees By Ruth Wilson Muse upon our connection to trees and the many ways they bring ivide Mountain Bike ivide Mountain d meaning into our lives. 44 Earthkeepers A WILD CROP AND BACKYARD HARVEST 16 By Jack Wax Meet the man who turns a wild crop into the nuts in your snack drawer. Features 48 Last Look By Tatiana Boyle ed Meadow Pass in Montana on the Great on the Great in Montana Pass ed Meadow 16 24 32 r The Long Ride Aspen in a Reintroducing By Bob Marr Changing Elk to the es toward es toward CL Join us on a bike ride along the y CORRECTIONS C continental divide from Canada to World Great Smoky Spring/Summer 2013, cover and “Islands By Tyler Williams in the Balance,” p.
    [Show full text]
  • Ramping up Reforestation in the United States: a Guide for Policymakers March 2021 Cover Photo: CDC Photography / American Forests
    Ramping up Reforestation in the United States: A Guide for Policymakers March 2021 Cover photo: CDC Photography / American Forests Executive Summary Ramping Up Reforestation in the United States: A Guide for Policymakers is designed to support the development of reforestation policies and programs. The guide highlights key findings on the state of America’s tree nursery infrastructure and provides a range of strategies for encouraging and enabling nurseries to scale up seedling production. The guide builds on a nationwide reforestation assessment (Fargione et al., 2021) and follow-on assessments (Ramping Up Reforestation in the United States: Regional Summaries companion guide) of seven regions in the contiguous United States (Figure 1). Nursery professionals throughout the country informed our key findings and strategies through a set of structured interviews and a survey. Across the contiguous U.S., there are over 133 million acres of reforestation opportunity on lands that have historically been forested (Cook-Patton et al., 2020). This massive reforestation opportunity equals around 68 billion trees. The majority of opportunities occur on pastureland, including those with poor soils in the Eastern U.S. Additionally, substantial reforestation opportunities in the Western U.S. are driven by large, severe wildfires. Growing awareness of this potential has led governments and organizations to ramp up reforestation to meet ambitious climate and biodiversity goals. Yet, there are many questions about the ability of nurseries to meet the resulting increase in demand for tree seedlings. These include a lack of seed, workforce constraints, and insufficient nursery infrastructure. To meet half of the total reforestation opportunity by 2040 (i.e., 66 million acres) would require America’s nurseries to produce an additional 1.8 billion seedlings each year.
    [Show full text]
  • Forests in the Farm Bill Coalition
    Forests in t he Farm Bill Coali tion Photo: David Harvey, Dixfield, Maine Forest Priorities for the 2 012 Farm Bill January 2011 Congress and the Administration must work to ensure that the Farm Bill provides the necessary resources to support the healthy management and conservation of America’s private and family-owned forests that provide a multitude of public benefits. Forests in the Farm Bill: A Strong Beginning The 2008 Farm Bill added new opportunities to increase conservation and improve management of private forests. Congress affirmed forests’ importance to America’s economic vitality and quality of life and put forest conservation on par with agriculture land conservation. These investments in private forests for the public good were a strong beginning. Since enactment of the 2008 bill, funding has supported such projects as wildlife habitat improvement, water quality improvement, carbon sequestration, wetlands restoration, insect and disease mitigation, controlled burning, reforestation, windbreak plantings, and firebreaks that improved the health of America’s private forests. The following Farm Bill programs have been enhanced to invest in the health of private forests: • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding for forests increased by nearly 134% from 2007 to 2009. Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP) funding for forests nearly quadrupled to almost $8 million in the same time. Page 2 • In 2009, the Forest Stewardship Program helped nearly 16,000 forest owners develop management plans covering over 2 million acres, bringing the total acreage covered by forest stewardship plans to 34 million. US Forest Service monitoring found that 86% of acres enrolled in the program are managed consistent with landowners’ Forest Stewardship Plans.
    [Show full text]
  • PARTNERING for FORESTS a Look at the U.S
    PARTNERING FOR FORESTS A look at the U.S. Forest Service’s Cooperative Forestry Program and its Partners Contents Cooperative Forestry ...................................................................................................................................................2 This publication was produced through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Partner Profile: National Association of State Foresters ......................................................4 Thank you to the many partners and contributors who provided content, photos, quotes and Forest Stewardship .........................................................................................................................................................6 more including the U.S. Forest Service, American Forest Foundation, Arbor Day Foundation, Case Study: Managing Forests Together .............................................................................................8 Chesapeake Bay Program, The Conservation Fund, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, National Association of State Foresters, New Mexico State Forestry Division, Treasure Valley Case Study: Heirs Property: Access for All .....................................................................................10 Canopy Network and The Trust for Public Land. Special thanks to American Forests’ staff and Partner Profile: American Forests Foundation ............................................................................14 interns who drafted sections
    [Show full text]