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Save the date - July 13-15, 2010 for the 17th Annual National Tree Farmer Convention in Burlington, Vermont on the shores of Lake Champlain. Register today and reserve your space!

The American Tree Farm System is a program of the American Forest Foundation. For more than 68 years, the American Tree Farm System has served the needs of private forest landowners. Sustaining forests, watersheds, and healthy habitats through the power of private stewardship.

Francis "Champ" Zumbrun received Lifetime of Service Award


for steadfast commitment to promoting the guiding principals of forest conservation and stewardship to be presented to Francis "Champ" Zumbrun of LaVale, Maryland

Francis "Champ" Zumbrun retired after 31 years of service with the MD DNR Forest service. He began his career at the Allegany County Forest Project and then moved to Green Ridge State Forest in 1981, and became Forest Manager there in 1988. He has been a tireless promoter of scientific forest management, and has used the 46,000-acre mixed oak forests of Green Ridge to demonstrate ecologically sensitive management techniques. Aware of the opportunity that forest recreation offers in regard to helping citizens better understand the benefits that forests provide, Champ worked to get the Great Eastern Trail routed through Green Ridge State Forest, which no runs from the Potomac River to the Pennsylvania state line.
He is probably best known to his fellow MFA members as Maryland's own forest historian, complete with authentic 1930's era field uniform (pictured at right), his extensive research on the creation of Maryland state forest and park resource and its first state forester, Fred Besley, and his singing of the Smokey the Bear song.

Due to family needs, Champ was unable to attend the banquet,
so his award will be presented to him at a later time

Furman Forest Services, LLC has been named as the Maryland Forests Association Logger of the Yea

Furman Forest Services, LLC has been named as the Maryland Forests Association Logger of the Year for 2009. The family-run business has thirty years of experience in the wood products industry, and has operated in its current form since 2001. The Furmans are well known for their high standards in customer relations, their drive for innovation, and their dedication to getting the job done right.

Mark, Randy, and Matt leave every customer satisfied, and use practices that leave the job site at its highest potential to grow the next stand of timber. When heavy rain threatens to damage the soil if logging operations continue, the Furmans sacrifice productivity and shut down for the day. They often take extra time to leave the site just as the landowner requests, whether it be with a firewood pile or an additional circle drive, and always retire a site with adequate mulch and seed. On the rare occasion that a landowner has an issue or dispute after the job is closed out, the Furmans act quickly and professionally to right the wrong.

The Furmans keep a close watch on current market conditions as well as emerging trends. In order to operate in tight quarters with high efficiency, the Furmans recently purchased a John Deere 120 tracked feller/buncher. Only 8 feet wide, this machine helps them to complete thinning jobs quickly and with minimal damage to the residual stand. Products are sorted on the landing for as many as nine different markets from tops and branches to veneer. Their experience in harvesting and hauling tops and branches puts them ahead of the curve when the biomass market expands.

Mark and Randy have both been active Master Loggers since 2004, and also participate in New Page's Controlled Forest Management Certified Wood Program. These programs help set them apart from the competition, and ensure their clients that they are choosing loggers with up-to-date training and a history of good practices.

Furman Forest Services is located in Frostburg, Maryland (Allegany County). They were nominated by foresters Dan Hedderick of the MD DNR Forest Service and Juls Wood of Reynwood Forest Management Inc.

2009 Conference Exhibitors

ACM Forestry Program

Appalachian Mountains Woodcook Initiative

Community Woodlands Alliance

Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, Inc

MARBIDCO

Maryland Chapter of American Chestnut Foundation

Maryland Environmental Trust

MD/DE Master Logger Program

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Outdoor Underwriters

Society of American Foresters (SAF) MD/DE Division

The Nature Conservancy

U of MD Cooperative Extension Service

Conference Sponsors

MFA's 33rd Annual Conference was made possible in part through the support of the following members and friends of MFA:

GOLD CIRCLE

Bituminous Insurance Companies
Lutherville, MD

Edrich Lumber Company
Dick and Bobbie Stanfield
Windsor Mills, MD

MAR-LEN Environmental
Westminster, MD

NewPage Corp Luke Mill
Luke, MD

Outdoor Underwriters
Columbia, SC

The Mill
Bel Air, MD

USI Insurance Services
Falls Church, VA


SILVER CIRCLE

Borden Mining Company
Jamestown, NC

Forest Resources Association
Rockville, MD

MARBIDCO
Annapolis, MD

Ota Stevenson, Inc
Salisbury, MD

Timber Harvest, Inc.
Cordova, MD

University of Md Cooperative Extension
College Park, MD

David W. Weissert
Denton, MD


BRONZE CIRCLE

Carl W. Neutzel Services
White Hall, MD

Long Forestry Services
Manchester, PA

MidAtlantic Farm Credit, ACA
Westminster, MD

Renshaw Logging
Eden, MD

Ronald Seibel
Adelphia, MD

Southern MD RC&D
Waldorf, MD

The Laws Corporation
Snow Hill, MD

Western Pocahontas Properties
Huntington, WV

Student Scholarship Sponsors
MAERDAF grant plus
Fritz Bowers
Ben & Wendy Clements
Wade Dorsey
George Gilmore
Chris & Lynn Holmes
Robert B. Shives
Dick & Bobbie Stanfield
David W. Weissert

Thank you to the following for making MFA's 33rd Annual Conference such a success!

Forest Tour of Evergreen Estates brochure cover

Janice Keene and Family
logger Matt Diehl
forester Dan Hedderick
Carl W. Neutzel Equipment Services
ACM ~ bus transportation

2009 Annual Conference Speakers


Keynote Presentation

Richard Pawling ~ History's Alive!

Saturday Educational Sessions
Session I

Bill Imbergamo , Valerie Connelly , Chris Holmes
Session II
Ken Roberts , Mike Schofield , Dylan Jenkins
Session III
Dan Hedderick , Collin Miller , Jim Howell
Session Moderators
Bob Eaton , Donnelle Keech , John Jastrzembski

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Tim Smith - The Mill
providing Canvasback Drake decoys for speaker gifts

Dick & Bobbie Stanfield - Edrich Lumber
Hospitality Hosts and centerpieces

Atlantic Tractor
Chainsaw Safety Chaps and Helmet System
for MFA Logger of the Year

Annual Conference Program Committee
Dan Hedderick , Donnelle Keech , John Jastrzembski
plus
AV Coordinator - Steve Resh
Exhibit Coordinator - Donnelle Keech
Silent Auction Coordinator - Bob Shives
Registration Desk - Bobbie Stanfield and Lynn Holmes

Logistics - Karin Miller, MFA Executive Director

PROPOSED RULE CHANGE THREATENS REFORESTATION

RELEASE: October 22, 2009

CONTACT: Neil Ward (301/838-9385)
nward@forestresources.org

Rockville, MD - On October 20, the Forest Resources Association submitted testimony to the U.S. Department of Labor pointing out that DOL's proposal to move the status of non-native guestworkers employed in reforestation from H-2B to H-2A visa status would essentially shut down the guestworker program in that sector, threatening the reforestation work that underpins sustainable forestry in much of the U.S.

"A Task Group of 18 FRA-member reforestation contractors has reviewed the DOL proposal," stated Michael Kelly of Mike Kelly Forestry Services, who chairs FRA's National Forestry Contractors Task Group. "If implemented, this move will put many treeplanting firms out of business and threaten the future of U.S. commercial tree planting on millions of acres."

In FRA's submitted comment to the record, FRA President Richard Lewis pointed out that the H-2A visa program, directed toward conventional farm work, does not have the flexibility to deal with the special needs of treeplanting, brush clearing, and pre-commercial thinning. He noted that the need to arrange for inspected housing, and to specify work locations and working hours, months in advance of actual work, does not account for the special weather-related and logistical realities of this type of employment, with decisions about actual working locations often made within very short time-frames.

FRA's statement also observes that guestworkers presently employed in reforestation under the H-2B program are already covered under the federal Migrant and Seasonal Workers Protection (MSPA) Act, which addresses basic issues of housing, sanitation, and fair treatment.

FRA's Task Group has requested that DOL hold a formal hearing on the proposed rule, and has asked to testify at such a hearing. In addition, the Task Group has requested that the present hearing docket remain open for another 60 days, at a minimum, so that all contractors currently licensed under the H-2B program have an opportunity to submit individual comments.


The Forest Resources Association Inc. is a nonprofit trade association concerned with the safe, efficient, and sustainable harvest of forest products and their transport from woods to mill. FRA represents wood consumers, landowners, independent logging contractors, and wood dealers, as well as businesses providing products and services to the forest resource-based industries.

His leafy legacy

The forester Gifford Pinchot believed natural resources were ours to use as well as cherish. As we seek balance in a green economy, his ideals are relevant today.

At the dawn of the 20th century, the nation's forests were in trouble.

The country was headed for a timber famine. The great woodlands of the East had been cut, and those in the West were in the path of the loggers. Public land was being sold for pennies or given away outright.

To Gifford Pinchot, a young forester from Pennsylvania, it was "a gigantic and lamentable massacre."

He thought the nation's resources should belong to - and benefit - all, not just a wealthy and powerful few.

He decided to do something about it.

In 1905, largely due to his efforts, the U.S. Forest Service was created, and he became its first chief. His legacy is still being played out in forest conservation today. And his ideals are still its foundation, even as hitherto undreamed of challenges such as climate change threaten.

To be sure, the nation's foresters have never forgotten Pinchot. Two months ago, when U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack outlined his vision for the future of the nation's forests, he began by invoking "G.P," whose guiding principle was to manage forests "for the greatest good, for the greatest number, for the longest time."

But recently, Pinchot - a two-term governor of Pennsylvania who died in 1946 - has come back into wider public focus.

Today, publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is releasing The Big Burn by Timothy Egan, the story of the largest wildfire in American history.

In 1910, more than three million acres of western forest were incinerated by a wall of flames and black smoke that rolled across a parched landscape with a mighty roar. Eighty-five people died.

Central to Egan's story are the nation's forests themselves. And Pinchot's efforts to conserve them.

Ken Burns' recent PBS series on national parks touched on Pinchot's friendship with John Muir and their differing opinions on how to protect the wilderness they both loved.

Muir's romantic, spiritual philosophy was one of preservation - cordon nature off and leave it alone, basically. It led to the national park system, which now includes 84.6 million acres.

Pinchot's conservation philosophy was utilitarian - manage the lands for maximum public good, which could include recreation, protecting water quality, and, yes, logging. It led to the national forest system, which encompasses 192 million acres.

"Today, if you like that nice wooden salad bowl, you're going have to cut down a tree to get it. But, as long as the resource is used wisely and sustainably, then we can continue to have both - the forest and the product," says Lori Danuff-McKean, of the U.S. Forest Service in Milford, Pa.

"That was Pinchot's philosophy 100 years ago. And that's the same philosophy the Forest Service is using today."

Indeed, it was because the land could be used that it was saved at all, says Al Sample, president of the Pinchot Institute for Conservation.

Politically, "we never would have been able to protect 192 million acres of federal land as national park, managed strictly for preservation."

Pinchot was, perhaps, an unlikely hero. His grandfather was a timber baron who clear-cut wide swaths of Pennsylvania. Pinchot himself often touted the common welfare, yet lived in a family castle with 63 turrets - Grey Towers in Milford, now a national historic site.

He was tall, leggy, and had a bushy mustache. His sweetheart died young, but throughout much of his life, Pinchot often thought he was being visited by her.

He had studied forestry in Europe but found it lacking. In France, it was "a fussy thing practiced by a mildewed gentry," Egan writes.

Back in the United States, Pinchot became a friend of Teddy Roosevelt. They boxed, roamed the landscape outside Washington, D.C., and skinny-dipped in the Potomac.

That friendship led to Pinchot's post as the nation's first forestry chief.

In the beginning, his "Little G.P.s" - rangers sent to protect national forests - proved powerless to thwart the land thieves and loggers.

At one point, a ranger who found a swath of forest cut and replaced by a saloon wired his boss the following question: "Two undesirable prostitutes established on government land. What should I do?"

The snarky reply: "Get two desirable ones."

Eventually, Roosevelt left the White House and Pinchot returned to Pennsylvania, where he became the state's first forester in 1920. His nationwide efforts notwithstanding, Pennsylvania's forests were in terrible shape, says Jim Grace, executive deputy secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Virtually the entire state had been clear-cut; fires raged out of control; streams were polluted with erosion.

Pinchot, who later became governor, wanted to set aside 6 million acres of state forest land, but never achieved it. The state now owns 2.2 million acres of forest.

In Pinchot's day, Pennsylvania's forest had been so heavily logged that there was hardly a tree older than two decades. Now, the trees are "70 to 100 years old, from one side of the state to the other," Grace says.

Its management continues to reflect Pinchot's philosophy, Grace says. "You can harvest timber. You can extract natural gas. You can certainly have recreation. You can certainly ensure you're going to have clean water."

The secret, however, is balance, and "that's always been the difficult task."

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington state is, oddly enough, held up as an example of a new detente among differing interests.

In the 1980s, the Pinchot forest was under seige by loggers. Tempers flared, suits were volleyed. It was an us vs. them battle. Spotted owl, good. Logging, bad.

Now, "a lot of environmentalists have really changed their tune on logging," says Greenpeace's forestry director, Rolf Skar. Over the last 10 years, "I saw a dramatic shift from just saying 'no' to realizing there could be common ground."

The Nature Conservancy also is adjusting its approach, continuing to manage some of its lands under the Muir tradition, but adding a significant dose of Pinchot.

The Conservancy has found that, in today's world, management makes more sense than ever. With natural regimes suppressed, controlled fires can help rejuvenate some forests. And "using" the forests - for timber, even for carbon credits - gives forest owners an economic reason to hang on to their woods instead of turning them into malls.

But now, everything might be trumped by climate change. Foresters are already seeing the migration of tree and animal species, the influx of invasive species, infestations of diseases and insects, increased wildfires, and changes in precipitation.

With threats like those, even the most pristine land has to be managed, many say.

Bob Williams, a New Jersey forester who manages private forests as vice president of Land Dimensions Engineering, thinks Pinchot would be right at home, trying to figure it all out.

Muir would be cautious, worrying that wind turbines would destroy the prairies.

Pinchot, however, would be saying, "We need energy. We can put up turbines that won't harm birds."

"Out of the conflict has to come a solution," says Williams. "What can the ecosystem provide, and how do we do that without destroying it?"

Action Alert: House Could Vote on Estate Tax in Two Weeks!


Ask Your Representatives to Cosponsor HR 3524--A working woodlands estate tax bill

Dear Family Woodland Advocate,
The U.S. House of Representatives could vote on the estate tax as early as October 26th. Please call or write your Representatives TODAY, asking them to support HR 3524, the Family Farm Preservation and Conservation Estate Tax Act-to improve the estate tax for working woodlands.

Click "take action" above -it will only take a few minutes of your time! HR 3524 will give family woodlands owners options, so they do not have to sell their land or unsustainably harvest their timber to pay the estate tax. The bill exempts working woodlands from the estate tax if the land is passed on to heirs and corrects flaws in current estate tax law that limit woodland owner participation in special estate tax exemptions for working lands. HR 3524 currently has 27 cosponsors. We need to significantly increase the number of cosponsors on this legislation to show the Ways and Means Committee and House leadership that this bill should be included in the larger estate tax bill that could be considered by the full House in 2 weeks!


Final details of the larger estate tax bill that the House will consider have yet to be finalized. It's likely that the bill will include an extension of the current (2009) estate tax rates, which allows for a $3.5 million exemption from the tax and a tax rate of 45% for estates. Whether the extension will apply to only one year or multiple years, is still uncertain.

Click here for talking points or enter your zip code below and click "take action" to be directed to a sample letter you can edit with your story. Be sure to check if your Representative is already a cosponsor (for info click here). If they are a cosponsor, you'll be directed to a thank you letter.

Please contact your Representatives today, and let us know if you receive any feedback. It is critical that we show strong support for this legislation over the next 2 weeks!
Thank you for your support!
Rita Neznek
Vice President, Public Affairs
American Forest Foundation
202.463.2594
rneznek@forestfoundation.org

Take charge of your legacy - free workshop for Maryland woodland owners

~ 8:00 am to 12:00 pm Saturday, October 24, 2009
Owning woodlands can be a rewarding experience. However, the woodlands in our region face many threats that can make this experience challenging. Join us in Dorchester County for a free workshop to discover various programs, management techniques & opportunities designed to help you care for and improve the vitality of your woods.

Contact Craig Highfield (info below) with questions or to register.

Location: Thendara 4-H Center
6275 Lord's Crossing Road
Hurlock, MD 21643
Dorchester County

Contact: Craig Highfield
Program Manager
Forestry for the Bay
410 Severn Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21403
410.267.5723
chighfield@chesapeakebay.net

8:00-8:30—Registration Light refreshments will be provided

Agenda: 8:30 – 12:00
  • The benefits of a plan—an overview of the Forest Stewardship Program as well as other MD Forest Service programs
  • Restoring & enhancing wildlife habitat— Maryland DNR’s Landowner Incentive Program
  • Farm Bill 101; new opportunities for woodland owners
  • Early successional habitat—managing strategies after a harvest
  • New resources in MD - Forestry for the Bay & LandServer
  • Field tour—Q&A with natural resource professionals

Space still available for Friday afternoon field tour on Forest Operations at Evergreen Estates

As part of MFA 2009 Annual Conference

Friday ~ October 30th ~ 1:00pm to 5:00pm
Bus leaves Rocky Gap Lodge at 1 pm
Limited to 50 people / $5 registration fee
CFE and CE Credits awarded

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

The Evergreen Heritage Center will provide a unique experience with an overview of their education center and the outdoor classroom, plus the opportunity to tour local history through the eyes of the Keene family. The field tour includes a "green" small scale logging demonstration with local logger Matt Diehl & forester Dan Hedderick.

The Evergreen Heritage Center (Evergreen), located on 130 acres of "Federal Hill" in Allegany County, is an historic Maryland estate that pre-dates the Revolutionary War. Evergreen includes the Trimble family's ancestral home (now a museum), beautifully landscaped grounds, forest and streams, all in a scenic location adjacent to the Great Allegheny Passage and Western Maryland Scenic Railway. In 1976, Evergreen was recognized by the Maryland Historical
Trust and added to its inventory of historical properties. Two generations later, in 1993, the descendent landowners converted the family's ancestral farmhouse to a museum, displaying over 200 years of antiques, artifacts, and historical deeds and documents. (CLICK ON PHOTO TO GO TO EVERGREEN WEBSITE)

Evergreen also contains 115 acres of forest that have been managed per Maryland forestry guidelines since 1949. In 1984, Evergreen adopted a Forest Conservation Management Agreement, and in 1986 was named MD Tree Farm of the Year. Due to environmentally friendly tree harvesting methods used at Evergreen, the DNR frequently utilizes the Evergreen forest to conduct demonstrations on responsible logging for landowners considering timber
harvesting on small lots.

Maryland Receives National Acclaim for Enacting the Sustainable Forestry Act of 2009

Annapolis, Maryland: On September 21, 2009, Maryland's Department of Natural Resources (Forest Service) was honored at the 87th annual meeting of the National Association of State Foresters for having enacted the Sustainable Forestry Act of 2009 - "Outstanding Forestry Legislation of 2009". This prestigious award was bestowed upon Maryland by the National Woodland Owner's Association - an award not annually given and one most coveted within the Nation's forest community. Three days later at the same gathering, Maryland's State Forester (Steve Koehn) was elected as the President of the National Association of State Foresters.

"The honor bestowed upon Maryland by the Nation's forest community is unprecedented. At one time, Maryland is not only recognized for having enacted America's best sustainable forestry law, but its own State Forester (Steve Koehn) is elected by his peers as their new Leader" stated Gary Allen, Chairman of the Partnership for Sustainable Forestry. "Maryland's forest community has cause for celebration of this historic two-fold achievement. It will never happen again in our lifetime."

"On March 4, 2009 before the House Environmental Matters Committee (Maryland General Assembly), I informed the Members the eyes of the Nation were upon Maryland as it deliberated the proposed Sustainable Forestry Act", noted Steve Koehn. "When it was enacted, my peers from across the country called to congratulate Maryland for having enacted a sustainable forestry Act worthy of national emulation. It was an exhilarating moment and one rivaled only by the honor afforded me by my peers as being elected as the President of the National Association of State Foresters. It is an honor of a lifetime, from both perspectives."

The Partnership for Sustainable Forestry is an alliance of forestry, business and conservation organizations whose primary objective is to promote the prudent and sustainable management of Maryland's rural and urban forest resources through advocacy, education, awareness and collaboration.

Koehn Elected President of NASF

Steve KoehnNew Officers, Policy Decisions from State Foresters at
2009 NASF Annual Meeting


Washington, DC, September 29, 2009 - Steven W. Koehn, State Forester of Maryland, will lead NASF as president in 2009-2010. Mr. Koehn is the director of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service where he is responsible for the statewide delivery of all technical and financial forestry assistance programs on both public and private lands.

"It is an honor and a privilege to serve NASF as president and I am truly humbled to lead the nation's most dedicated and passionate natural resource professionals," said Koehn. "In the coming year, NASF will continue to advance initiatives dedicated to sustainable forest management and the resulting natural resource benefits important to all Americans, including clean and abundant water, renewable wood energy sources, carbon sequestration and mitigation, wildlife habitat, recreation and markets for thousands of forest products."

Mr. Koehn has previously served as NASF's vice president and treasurer, has served as the chair of the Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters and is a member of the Society of American Foresters. He has also held leadership positions in the Chesapeake Bay Program Forestry Workgroup, Society of American Foresters, Maryland Association of Forest Conservancy District Boards, and Maryland Forests Association. In addition to working for Maryland Department of Natural Resources, he has also taught forestry courses at Johns Hopkins School of Professional Studies in Business Education.

NASF represents the directors of forestry agencies from the fifty states, eight U.S. territories and associated states, and the District of Columbia.

Registration due by Sept 28 ~ 2009 State of Maryland Forestry Summit.


The Center for Agro-Ecology, along with the Maryland Forests Association and other members of Maryland's forestry and environmental communities will be hosting the 2009 State of Maryland Forestry Summit. The link will take you to a pdf of registration brochure and Summit agenda.

The Summit is scheduled for Monday, October 5, 2009
at the Maritime Institute for Technology in Linthicum, MD.

Registrations will be accepted through September 28, 2009.

Background: Leading up to The Summit, this spring 155 leaders and stakeholders were invited to answer a survey that was used to spark the discussion in the 5 listening sessions that were then held across the State to discuss how can we best focus limited resources on the most important issues facing forestry and what recommendations should be made to refine existing State policy and to position Maryland for new non-traditional markets for environmental services.

Throughout the day, participants will have ample time to visit with exhibitors all of whom will have displays that pertain to the issues discussed at the Summit.

Master Logger Continuing Education Credits Available

Cost for the day long program including lunch is $25 per person. To register, please complete the registration page and return. No refunds will be issued. For additional information, visit the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology’s website: www.agroecol.umd.edu or call Nancy Nunn at (410) 827-8056, ext. 128.

Sponsoring Organizations:
The Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, Inc., The Biophilia Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Program, Chesapeake Bay Trust, The Conservation Fund, Department of Natural Re-sources Forest Service, Forest Industry, Maryland Forest Association, The Nature Conser-vancy, The Pinchot Institute, Town Creek Foundation, University of Maryland Extension Special Thanks to our financial sponsors: The Biophilia Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Trust, Maryland Agriculture Council and Town Creek Foundation.

Handheld GPS & Terrain Navigator Computer Workshops Offered

Handheld GPS receivers are a great resource for landowners, natural resource professionals, and other outdoor recreationalists. Current GPS units are accurate (+/- 15 feet) and can be used for marking hunting locations, structures, streams, your vehicle location, as well as for fun activities such as geocaching. Professional natural resource managers can save valuable field time by using GPS with a computer to locate inventory plots, access roads, outline timber sale and property boundaries, direct customers to sale locations, and much more.

The University of Maryland Cooperative Extension is again offering a series of fall workshops for Beginner GPS Training to teach those interested in learning how to use GPS handheld receivers with a computer, with specific applications to forestry and logging uses. The workshop provides a Garmin GPS MAP76CSx unit for each participant to use as well as a laptop computer. The daylong workshop uses both classroom and field instruction. The skills learned can be applied to a GPS handheld you may have purchased. The workshop will provide the basics of using a GPS receiver, as well as: marking waypoints, creating routes, entering and finding coordinates, determining acreage of a site, incorporating coordinates into timber sale bids, locating roads, stream crossings, points of interest, downloading and uploading data to a computer (laptops provided), computer software options, and comparing different GPS handheld units.

A second one-day workshop is being offered on the use of Terrain Navigator (TN) software that provides digital USGS topographic maps that are stored on your computer. The software allows you to create GPS waypoints, routes and tracks and transfer them to a GPS unit or to download GPS information taken in the field and then create a individualized computer map of the area you are working. The most recent upgrade of TN is now fully integrated with Google Maps, which greatly enhances its utility. This is very useful for natural resource professionals and landowners as well. More information on Terrain Navigator can be found at: http://maptech.mytopo.com .

Workshops are offered at the Western Maryland and Wye Research & Education Centers. Workshops run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the cost is $55. GPS units and laptops are available for use. The training manual for both courses are available free online for your use at www.naturalresources.umd.edu . Workshops are being offered at the following locations:

Location: Western Maryland Research & Education Center
18330 Keedysville Road
Keedysville, MD
21756 (near Hagerstown, MD)

Contact Pam Thomas (pthomas@umd.edu)
301-432-2767 x315

  • October 27 – Beginner GPS Training
  • October 29 – Integrating Terrain Navigator and GPS: An Affordable, Easy-to-Use System

Location: Wye Research & Education Center
124 Wye Narrows Drive
Queenstown, MD
21658 (Maryland’s Eastern Shore)
Contact Carol Taylor (carolt@umd.edu)
410-827-8056

  • November 3 – Beginner GPS Training
  • November 5 – Integrating Terrain Navigator and GPS: An Affordable, Easy-to-Use System
  • November 10 (tentative) – Beginner GPS Training
    (Being held at University of Maryland, College Park)

For more information about the GPS and Terrain Navigator training, please visit::

http://www.naturalresources.umd.edu/EducationalGPS.html

2009 National Forest Landowner Advocacy Day


October 20, 2009 Washington, DC


All Private Forest Landowners Welcome!


Join the Forest Landowners Association and your fellow private forest landowners in Washington, DC to lobby Congress on behalf of American private forestland.


Many issues such as Renewable Energy, Estate Tax and Environmental Regulation are being legislated by Congress this year! Now is a critical time for America’s private forest landowners to make their voices heard!


Cost: Free to FLA members and children ages 16 and under

$50 for non-members (includes one year membership to FLA)


Schedule: Tuesday, October 20

  • 7:30 am - 9:00 am Breakfast and briefing session hosted by FLA.
  • 9:30 am - 5:00 pm Lobbying on the hill. Meetings scheduled by FLA. Lunch hosted by FLA.
  • 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Landowner debriefing session/discussion.
  • 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Reception at the Capitol featuring VIP speakers.

What am I required to wear?

No dress code required. Dress casual. Dress formal. Whatever makes you most comfortable. The most important thing is to come and make your voice heard.


Do I need to be an expert on the issues?

No, you only need to care about the protection and enhancement of America’s private forestland. FLA will brief all participants on the important issues during breakfast. You will be grouped with members of your community and led by a group leader to visit members of Congress from your state and region.


Can I bring my children so they can see the political process first hand?

Absolutely! Your children are the next generation of American private forest landowners.


For more information or to RSVP, contact Brendan Davis at
(800) 325-2954 or bdavis@forestlandowners.com

download pdf about event here

Upcoming Webinar: Understanding Landowner Liability and Recreational Access

September 10, 2009—12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Registration Required

Many landowners are confused about their liability for hunters and other recreationalists that use their property. Concerned private landowners increasingly face questions such as:

  • What are my rights, and how do I exercise them to control recreational use of my property?
  • What is the extent of my liability to recreationalists, and how can I protect myself against liability suits?
  • What are my options for posting my land and controlling trespass by recreationalists?
  • How do these options affect my liability?
  • How do I charge for recreational access and still provide liability protection?
  • What do I do if someone takes timber from my property without permission?

The answers to these questions can be complicated. However, it is very helpful for landowners to understand the laws related to landowner liability and trespass, and the safeguards that minimize liability so you can make informed decisions regarding the use of your land by others for recreational activities.

This one hour webinar being offered free of charge at 12 noon on September 10 will explain the Maryland Annotated Code in a way that you can understand and apply it to common situations faced by landowner and recreationalists. The intention is to suggest easy and (usually) inexpensive methods by which landowners can protect themselves. The speaker for the webinar is Jonathan Kays, Natural Resources Specialist with the University of Maryland Extension. He is the author of recently revised publication entitled, Recreational Access and Landowner Liability, (Bulletin EB357). The 37-page publication will provide a valuable reference for those attending the webinar or for those that just want to read on their own. It is available free for download at http://extension.umd.edu/publications/PDFs/EB357.pdf.

There is no charge for participation, but registration is required. An Email communication with webinar details (website address) will only be sent to people who have registered. Connection details are sent about two days before the webinar. You can register up until about 2 hours before the conference begins. To register for the webinar, contact Pam Thomas at pthomas@umd.edu or 301-432-2767 x315.

ATA’s On-Line Q&A on HR 1799

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) have published an excellent defense of Rep. Mike Michaud’s HR 1799 in the form of a Question-and-Answer document, “Dispelling the Myths: the Truck Weight Debate.” This document, posted at <http://www.truckline.com/Lists/Newsroom/DispForm.aspx?ID=532>, responds directly to a “Fact Sheet” on the Michaud bill put out by the so-called safety advocacy organization, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, in April.

ATA skillfully defends the scientific record in support of the Michaud bill’s provisions, citing the American Transportation Research Institute’s report, Energy and Emissions Impact of Operating Higher Productivity Vehicles - Update: 2008, among other sources.

AgTEC has placed a link to “Dispelling the Myths” on our own FAQ <http://ag-haul.org/faq.html>.

Maryland Woodland Stewards Training

Since 1990, 389 people owning over 68,000 acres have been trained through this program. Maryland Woodland Stewards across the state have reached out to thousands of Marylanders with information and resources to encourage sound forest and wildlife stewardship.

This year's workshop will be held September 17-20 at Camp Pecometh, north of Centreville on the Eastern Shore. The Maryland Woodland Stewards Program is looking for people who are, or have the potential to be, informal educators in their communities. If you have the desire to improve your woodland and wildlife habitat, to motivate others to manage their woodland, and can attend the three-day September seminar, you can be part of this valuable statewide network of Maryland Woodland Stewards. Nominate yourself or someone you know to participate in this year's workshop.

For more information, contact Nevin Dawson at ndawson@umd.edu or (410) 827-8056, ext. 125 and visit our Maryland Woodland Stewards page today at
http://www.naturalresources.umd.edu/EducationalMWS.html

Maryland Forestry Summit


Upcoming Events
Maryland Forestry Summit ~ Monday, October 5th

This past spring, 155 leaders and stakeholders were invited to answer the survey that was used to spark the discussion in the 5 listening sessions held across the State in May and June.

For results from these listening sessions, click here

How can we best focus limited resources on the most important issues facing forestry and what recommendations should be made to refine existing State policy and to position Maryland for new non-traditional markets for environmental services?

The next step in this effort will be a summit in October. Details will be posted to the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology as they are confirmed.

Pre-registration will be required. Exhibitor opportunities are available.

Contact Nancy Nunn for details at nnunn@umd.edu


Mark your calendars now:

Maryland Forestry Summit ~ Monday, October 5, 2009

The Conference Center at The Maritime Institute
692 Maritime Blvd.
Linthicum Heights, MD 21090-1952

Sponsoring Organizations:
The Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, The Biophilia Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Program, Chesapeake Bay Trust, The Conservation Fund, Department of Natural Resources Forest Service, Forest Industry, Maryland Forest Association, The Nature Conservancy, The Pinchot Institute, Town Creek Foundation

Obama Administration Announces Direction for Forest Management

from AF&PA

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack gave his first major speech on forests on August 14, laying out the direction that the administration will take on managing the nation’s public and private forests. Vilsack announced that the administration will defend the 2001 roadless rule by appealing an injunction issued earlier this summer (see related article) and, if roadless area protection on national forests cannot be assured through the courts, then the administration will initiate a new rulemaking to accomplish this goal. He further announced that the administration will not appeal a June federal court ruling that threw out the Bush administration’s 2005 rules that govern management planning for the national forests and will instead develop new regulations. AF&PA had urged the Administration to appeal the June court decision.

In the speech, Vilsack noted the challenging forest health crisis and the critical role that forests play in providing clean water, indicating that “restoration means managing forest lands first and foremost to protect our water resources.” He also stressed the need for attention beyond the federal lands, suggesting that the millions of acres of private forests require protection in order to address the challenge of keeping forests intact. For more information, contact Nadine Block at 202.463.2753 or nadine_block@afandpa.org.

National Issues Update from AF&PA

Senate Agriculture Committee Holds Climate Hearing
The Senate Committee on Agriculture, chaired by Tom Harkin (D-IA), held a hearing on July 22 examining the role of agriculture and forestry in climate change legislation. Harkin stated his desire to see a central role for agriculture and forestry in a climate bill as a strategy to earn income for producers while reducing the economic costs of cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The Committee heard from a panel of Administration witnesses, including Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who stated that both the agriculture and forest sectors would have to play a huge part in a climate change program. He also pointed to a recent study that indicates the House bill would have more benefits than costs to both of those sectors. Another panel featured private sector representatives, all of whom stressed that any cap and trade program must contain an agriculture and forestry offsets program such as the one in the House bill. One of those panelists was Jo Pierce, a family forest landowner from Maine, testifying on behalf of the Forest Climate Working Group. He pointed to the need to engage the private forest sector with economic incentives to capture and store carbon on their lands. Senate leadership has indicated a September 28 deadline for all relevant Senate committees to complete their pieces of a climate bill. AF&PA continues to stress, among other things, that the definition of biomass for energy and climate change legislation contain requirements for sustainable forest management. For more information, contact Nadine Block at 202.463.2753 or nadine_block@afandpa.org.

Vilsack Announces Recovery Act Projects for Forest Facilities and Trails

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced on Wednesday, July 23, the release of $274 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for forest facilities and trails. Projects announced include the installation of solar panels and other facility upgrades, trail projects, and ecosystem and watershed projects in areas of high visitation. For more information on these and other projects currently funded under the ARRA, visit http://fs.usda.gov.


Fire Funding Legislation Gets Senate Hearing

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee heard officials from the Interior and Agriculture Departments on Tuesday, July 21st discuss ideas on how to pay for catastrophic fire suppression costs. Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources Jay Jensen and Assistant Secretary of Interior Rhea Suh said they want a proposed fund to be tapped into only if the agencies ran out of money in their regular fire suppression funds budgets. The FLAME Act (H.R. 1404 and S. 561) would establish a fund that could be tapped any time a fire met certain requirements, including being at least 300 acres in size. The House approved H.R. 1404 this spring by an overwhelming vote, but not before amending the legislation to allow the Federal agencies to use the funds for a variety of non-fire purposes.

Kentucky State Forester and President of the National Association of State Foresters, Leah MacSwords, testifying on behalf of a coalition of supporters including AF&PA, supported the Senate version of the bill and objected to certain provisions in the House-passed version. MacSwords criticized a House amendment that would allow money from the FLAME fund to be used for hazardous fuels treatment, saying the fund should only pay for suppression.

Jensen said the Administration and lawmakers have the same goal of establishing separate funding for large, catastrophic fires. But he added, "We believe that the Administration's approach through a contingent reserve is the best budget mechanism to provide the needed funds." The Administration supports $357 million for a contingency reserve fund for next year. The fund would be tapped only if federal agencies exhaust the $1.5 billion appropriated, 10-year average, for fire suppression. Both the House and Senate Interior Appropriations bills include this contingency fund. For more information, contact Bill Imbergamo at 202.463.2479 or bill_imbergamo@afandpa.org.


Wisconsin Forests Subject of Field Hearing

The House Agriculture Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry Subcommittee held a field hearing on the management of Wisconsin’s forests on Monday, July 20th in Appleton, Wisconsin. AF&PA Member Bill Johnson testified before the Subcommittee, urging further improvements to the definition of renewable biomass that was adopted as part of the American Climate and Energy Security Act (HR 2454), which passed the House on June 26th. Rep. Steve Kagen (D-WI), who represents Appleton noted that “Northeast Wisconsin has always been known for its extensive forests which have played an important role in the housing and paper industries. Now, as our country moves toward greater energy independence, the forests of Northeast Wisconsin have the potential to meet our nation’s needs for renewable energy.”

Bill Johnson told the Subcommittee that depressed lumber markets have hurt the overall economics of the wood and paper industry, noting that “the economics of our industry, which are always difficult,” and now “even more precarious. That makes it critical that policies which are intended to promote biomass utilization are carefully crafted to ensure that the existing wood and paper industries receive fair and equitable treatment.” He urged the Committee to pursue a biomass policy which includes “reasonable sustainability requirements such as a written harvest or forest management plan developed by a credentialed forestry professional, or adherence to a forest management or wood procurement certification system.” For more information, contact Bill Imbergamo at 202.463.2479 or bill_imbergamo@afandpa.org.