Action alert

Attention forest landowners, resource managers and all those who promote the sustainablity of our forest landbase.........

Your help is needed.
Contact your legislators today and request their support for
SB 243 / HB 226
State Capital Projects - High Performance Buildings - Green Globe Rating
[http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/bills/sb/sb0243f.pdf ]
Hearing set before Senate Budget & Taxation (B&T) Committee on February 11 at 1:30

Action needed:

• Contact your legislators, members of the Senate B&T Committee and DNR Secretary John Griffin and get their support for SB 243 / HB 226 State Capital Projects - High Performance Buildings - Green Globe Rating .
  
• Contact information for all Senators and Delegates can be found on the Maryland General Website. Contact or find a Legislator
• Inform other Tree Farmers and forest landowners of this issue and encourage them to do write and call.
  
• Thank those that are already supporting this effort: Senators Greenip (lead sponsor), Brinkley, Colburn, Edwards, Harris, Middleton, and Stoltzfus Delegates Beitzel (lead co-sponsor) , Bates, Boteler, Eckardt, Elmore, Frank, Haddaway, McComas, Miller, Myers, Norman, Riley, Serafini, Shewell, Smigiel, Sossi, Stifler, and Stull
  
• Copy the MFA office on your letters and emails.
• Come to Annapolis and testify. Numbers count! MFA is working with ATFS and AF&PA on this effort. Hearing details at http://mlis.state.md.us/2009RS/hearsch/0129_comm.htm#b_t

Why is this needed?

SB 243, will amend the High Performance Buildings Act of 2008 to include Green Globes (GG) as a viable option to meet the required High Performance Buildings (green building) standards. GG is another program for Green Building standards and in addition to recognizing wood that Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, it also recognizes and gives credit for wood grown under the American Tree Farm System and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

As of 2008, there are 58,049 acres of SFI forests and 1155 certified tree farms in Maryland, covering 162,969 acres. Because the State's use of the LEED system in meeting the high performance building mandate, SFI or ATFS forests owned by Maryland's tree farmers cannot be used. Furthermore, it is more likely that the wood in State buildings will wind up coming from other states, or even overseas, than from Maryland.

As a result, many certified Tree Farmers growing acres of wood in Maryland miss out on a market when LEED is being used as the Green Building standard. This creates an additional disincentive to keeping their forests in forest.

Background
The "High Performance Buildings Act" of 2008 http://mlis.state.md.us/2008rs/billfile/sb0208.htm mandated that all future state building projects adhere to green building requirements. MFA is in favor of "green buildings". The problem, however, is that the only method specifically named in the Act for rating these buildings is a system called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

As MFA has noted before, LEED only provides credit for wood products from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a system that is common overseas but not widely used in Maryland. In "high performance building" or "green building" projects, wood building materials that come from sustainably managed forests provide higher ratings. However, with its FSC only policy, wood grown under the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), both nationally recognized certification programs, is does not receive credit and is therefore not usable within the LEED program.

In 2005, Green Globes (GG) was in the MD green building legislation that was enacted. GG was listed in statute alongside LEED in the bill's definition of "high performance building." At the time, all parties agreed to GG inclusion. The LEED proponents were willing to put GG in if we agreed to lobby for the signing of the bill (which we did).

Last session, the "High Performance Buildings Act" passed and turned the act from voluntary to a mandate and in the process it also struck GG from the statutory definition.

Conclusion

This year's effort to amend the Green Globes language back into the High Performance Buildings Act needs your help! This is an issue that needs as many voices as possible to speak out in support of the stewardship efforts of our forest landowners and industry!

Further proof of the need for this change to the High Performance Buildings Act is documented below in an article from the Cumberland Times News regarding the casino that is to be built at Rocky Gap.

If this "LEED Only" mentality continues, wood grown by Maryland's dedicated Tree Farmers and lands with SFI certification will not be able to be used for a building in the middle of a Maryland State Park.

DNR sets strict conditions for Rocky Gap gambling parlor
http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_006182155.html

Tess Hill, Cumberland Times-News
January 06, 2009 - CUMBERLAND - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Economic Development Corp. have come out with a location and set of development conditions for the video lottery terminal near Rocky Gap State Park.

The new facility will be located on land currently leased by MEDCO for operation of Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort. The building must be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certified green building, separate from the lodge and at least 200 feet from the shoreline. It will also be subject to specific architectural and landscaping conditions.

Bob Brennan, executive director of MEDCO, said the site was selected after analyzing what MEDCO believed a gaming company would want to use.

"We heard from gaming companies that they wanted to be as close to the front door of the lodge as possible," Brennan said.
He said the site was validated years ago when a gaming operator came in to look at it.

"By locating near the existing lodge and requiring environmentally-friendly features such as LEED gold certification and green energy and site design, the video lottery facility will compliment the existing resort," said Eric Schwaab, DNR deputy secretary. "With these special conditions, the new facility's impact on the lake and outdoor recreation at Rocky Gap State Park will be minimized."

Brennan said the solicitation of bids is occurring through the Maryland State Lottery. He said the process began in December and responses are due by Feb. 1. The slots facility location commission will then review applications.

"Whoever wins the bid will still need to negotiate with MEDCO and DNR and some other parties to be able to obtain the right to use the site," Brennan said.

He said the additional standards for construction are there to ensure the new facility is consistent with the construction of the existing hotel as well as aesthetically pleasing.

"We're smack-dab in the middle of a state park, we're not going to allow 40-foot neon signs," he said. "We need to make sure that as proposals come in the applicants understand this."

Some of the special conditions include reforestation of the area. If any trees are removed for the facility's construction, the licensee must replant lost forestland with American Chestnut trees to meet a "no net loss" standard.

Another special condition is a replacement aviary facility. Because the current aviary may be impacted, the licensee is required to construct a replacement aviary facility at a location determined suitable by the Maryland Park Service.

Licensees also have the optional task of including a scenario of acquiring all of the existing facilities in their proposal. These scenarios would be subject to agreement with the DNR and MEDCO and approval by the Board of Public Works.

On Nov. 4, Maryland voters approved a constitutional amendment legalizing slot machines at five locations across the state, including 1,500 machines at Rocky Gap.

New web-based resources of interest

The new Chesapeake Watershed Network is a growing web community for information and discussion. One of the groups is focused on Forest Conservation. Check it out and join, at:
http://www.chesapeakenetwork.org/welcome.htm

Another is the Watershed Forestry Resource Guide, a partnership of the Center for Watershed Protection and US Forest Service - Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry. "This website is a central clearinghouse for all things related to forests and watersheds. There have been many recent efforts toward managing urban forests for watershed health that have resulted in a variety of highly useful tools and training materials. This site compiles these resources into a format that can be easily accessed and downloaded."
http://www.forestsforwatersheds.org/

And course, a web-based source of information for forest landowners is Forestry for the Bay, at: http://www.forestryforthebay.org/index.cfm

public comment sought on National Report on Sustainable Forests - 2010

On December 8 the USDA Forest Service released the draft National Report on Sustainable Forests - 2010 for public comment. In addition to extensive coverage of the forest data using the Montreal Process Criteria & Indicators and summaries thereof, the Forest Service has boldly incorporated two new chapters, Broadening and Deepening Commitments to Sustainability (Ch 4), and A Call to Action (Ch 5). You will find MD DNR and Baltimore County discussed on p.4-1, 4-7 and 4-8. The Report is available electronically at: http://www.fs.fed.us/research/sustain/2010SustainabilityReport.

We would encourage you to review the draft report and, in addition to any comments on the indicator data, recommend support for continuing the good work that the Forest Service is accomplishing with its partners at multiple scales. Information on how to provide comments is contained in the front of the Report. The comment period closes April 10, 2009. Several public review workshops have also been announced by the Roundtable on Sustainable Forests:

• February 4 and 5, 2009, Denver, Colorado;
• February 24 and 25, 2009, Athens, Georgia; and
• March 23, 2009, Washington, DC.

The first two Workshops will be one and a half days long and will be designed to gather input on the content and format for the draft Report. The March 23 Workshop will be a half-day event, designed to review policy implications of public comments received at the two earlier workshops. For more information:
http://www.sustainableforests.net/whatsnew.php

Planning the Urban Forest: Ecology, Economy, and Community Development

"This report, prepared by the American Planning Association (APA) in collaboration with the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and American Forests (AF), and supported by the U.S. Forest Service, addresses the need for planners to adopt a green infrastructure approach and presents the technical means to incorporate trees into planning. Thirteen case studies illustrate best practices in planning for urban and community forestry." Baltimore County's program (first case study under Holistic Approaches) appears on pages 44-49; our program also inspired Appendix A on A Green Infrastructure Element in a Comprehensive Plan on p 125-129. PAS subscribers, who include planning agencies across the nation, will receive this report in mid-January. It will subsequently be available for individual purchase as well. Check for how to order at: http://www.planning.org/pas/reports/

MFA ~ Your advocacy voice for forestry in Maryland

Maryland's General Assembly's Session began today, there are nearly 150 pre-filed bills. Hearings begin tomorrow ~ Senate Bills 73, 89 and 90 which will all be heard tomorrow were put in by Chair of EHEA as department bills for Dept of AG. None by MDE or DNR have been introduced at this time.

Complete Session calendar (file deadlines, cross over dates, etc) is at
http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/misc/2009SessionDates.pdf

MD GA Website is http://mlis.state.md.us/

MFA's Bills to Watch page is http://mdforests.org/bills.html

sign up to receive updates from MFA

Students and Maryland Forest Service Improve the Green Ridge State Forest Hiking Trail

Flintstone, Md. — Students from the Department of Juvenile Services at the Green Ridge Youth Center recently worked with the Maryland Forest Service to construct a new section of hiking trail at Green Ridge State Forest. The latest section of trail is on the west side of Polish Mountain, and significantly improves the connection to the Mid-State Pennsylvania hiking trail near Black Valley Road north of Flintstone, Maryland. Both trails are part of the Great Eastern Trail.

“This is an excellent program for both Juvenile Services and the Maryland Forest Service,” said Francis Zumbrun, Forest Manager at Green Ridge State Forest. "The students help us to get important work done in the field. At the same time, students who participate in outdoor programs often see improvements in test scores, develop better conflict resolution and problem-solving skills and experience greater self-esteem.”

The Maryland Forest Service also provides environmental education to the students working in the forest. These efforts are part of the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature, Governor O’Malley’s state-wide initiative to reconnect youth with the great outdoors.

photo caption: Sam Long, left, residential adviser from Green Ridge Youth Center, and Francis Zumbrun, Green Ridge State Forest manager, look at a map on an overlook where Maryland and Pennsylvania can be seen Monday afternoon on Alternate Route 40 on Polish Mountain. About 40 students from the youth center helped construct about one mile of steep terrain trail on the west side of Polish Mountain, and significantly improve the connection to the Mid-State Pennsylvania hiking trail near Black Valley Road north of Flintstone. Both trails are part of the Great Eastern Trail. John A. Bone / Cumberland Times-News

Upcoming Educational Opportunities:

• January 10th - Dover, DE
  
• Delmarva Forestry Seminar: "Yielding the Most From Your Woods" Saturday, January 10, 2009: Classroom sessions 8 am - 2 pm. Field tour 2 pm - 4 pm. Modern Maturity Center, Dover, DE. Contact Dot Abbott: (302) 730-4000 or dotad@udel.edu
• Master Logger Training Schedule
• January 21: [Tenative] Business Management and Finance for Loggers. Allegany College. Email the Master Logger program coordinator Nevin Dawson at ndawson@umd.edu or 410-827-8056 Ext. 125
• January 24th - Westminster, MD
• Bugs and Blights Workshop: Learn about alien invaders that have the potential to alter our forest ecosystem and damage our urban landscapes.
  
  Saturday January 24, 2009. (9AM to 3 PM) For more information call 410-848-9290 or email dldavis@dnr.state.md.us

Happy New Year Members and Friends of MFA!

Thank you...

.....for your continued support of MFA and its advocacy and educational efforts over the past year.
...... to all who completed MFA's recent Wants and Needs Survey. Your Board members, past leaders and staff are preparing for MFA's Leadership and Strategic Planning Retreat where information derived from these surveys will be used to chart MFA's course for the future.
...... for your patience as MFA rebuilds its website. The URL will remain the same http://mdforests.org/.

Enjoy the holiday and thanks again for your support!

Christmas Tree Facts

There are approximately 30-35 million Real Christmas Trees sold in the U.S. every year. An estimated 175,000 Real Christmas Trees are sold via e-commerce or catalogue and shipped mail-order. North American Real Christmas Trees are grown in all 50 states and Canada. Eighty-five percent (85%) of artificial trees sold in the U.S. are manufactured in China. Real Trees are a renewable, recyclable resource. Artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and possible metal toxins such as lead. Consumers can locate the nearest recycling program by logging onto www.realchristmastrees.org or calling 1-800-CLEANUP. For every Real Christmas Tree harvested, up to 3 seedlings are planted in its place the following spring. There are about 21,000 Christmas Tree growers in the U.S., and over 100,000 people employed full or part-time in the industry. It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of average retail sale height (6 - 7 feet) or as little as 4 years, but the average growing time is 7 years. The top Christmas Tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Washington. (See a complete list of all 50 states ranked by several variables.) The top selling Christmas Trees are: balsam fir, Douglas-fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine and white pine. reprinted from the National Christmas Tree Association website at www.christmastree.org But aren't fake trees better for the environment? No. Most artificial trees are manufactured in China and contain PVC (polyvinyl chloride). In fact, artificial Christmas Trees were recently added to the Center for Health, Environment & Justice's list of household products containing PVC. According to the Children's Health Environmental Coalition, the manufacture of PVC creates and disperses dioxins, which include the most toxic man-made chemical known. Released into air or water, dioxins enter the food chain, where they accumulate in fatty tissues of animals and humans, a potential risk for causing cancer, damaging immune functions and impairing children's development. This issue is especially concerning due to China's weak enforcement of environmental regulations. Delta Farm Press recently addressed China's environmental crisis in this article.

Trees for Troops

MFA Members in the News
Nearly 100 fresh-cut Christmas trees donated from several Western Maryland tree farmers and businesses in Garrett County were picked up by the FedEx Corp. earlier this month at the Mountain Top Tree Farm in Oakland.

This is the first year FedEx is providing a truck to pick up the load of donated trees, according to Randy Sisler, organizer of the local effort and manager of Mountain Top Tree Farm. Trees will also be picked up in Frederick on Dec. 10 at the Mehrl Mayne tree farm.

The tree farmers belong to the Maryland Christmas Tree Association, which has joined with a national effort to collect and donate 6- to 7-foot cut Christmas trees for free distribution to U.S. military bases for the holidays.

Maryland tree farmers contributed a variety of tree species, which were all tightly baled for easy shipment.

The National Christmas Tree Association, through its Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, collaborated with FedEx, which donated its services for the fourth annual project.

Trees for Troops is expected to deliver more than 17,000 real Christmas trees from across the country to military families across the United States, as well as to soldiers serving overseas.

"Our military and their families have been providing a real service to our country," said Wayne Thomas, president of the National Christmas Tree Association and a tree farmer in Westminster. "As tree farmers, we want military families to be able to experience a traditional Christmas with a real tree."

Maryland Christmas Tree Association farmers grow trees on approximately 5,280 acres, with some 4 million trees planted and about 370,000 harvested annually. There are nearly 100 tree farms that belong to the association. Christmas trees are 100 percent biodegradable and they can be recycled for a variety of uses after the holidays. Discarded trees are used to stop erosion, provide fish habitat and make mulch for gardens.

For more information, log on to www.marylandchristmastrees.org.

2008 Farm Bill Update

FYI ~ MFA has several members, including Board member and VP for Gov't Affairs Chris Holmes on the NRCS State Technical Committee. The message and links below lead to changes in the 2008 Farm Bill, several of which highlight increased attention to forests and forestry support.

USDA’S INTERIM FINAL RULE AMENDS COMPOSITION,
RESPONSIBILITIES OF STATE TECHNICAL COMMITTEES

Notice of 60-day Public Comment Period on Rule Published in Federal Register

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2008—U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Arlen Lancaster today announced the release of the interim final rule for State Technical Committees, which amended requirements regarding the composition and responsibilities of these advisory committees nationwide.

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) expands agricultural and forestry involvement in the committees, expands the committees’ authority to review local working groups’ efforts to address state program priorities, and requires the Secretary of Agriculture to standardize committee operations nationwide.

The State Technical Committee interim final rule is available for public comment and can be found at USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (USDA-NRCS) Web site,at the official government regulation Web site, and at the Federal Register’s Web site.

Public comments must be submitted by Jan. 26, 2009. These comments will be used to revise the interim final rule, which establishes policy for State Technical Committees. USDA will publish a final rule that will address the public comments.

Each state has an advisory State Technical Committee that is chaired by the USDA-NRCS state conservationist. State Technical Committee members include agricultural producers and other Federal, state, Tribal and non-profit organization professionals that represent various disciplines in the soil, water, wetland, plant, forestry and wildlife sciences. The committees meet regularly and advise the state conservationist and other USDA officials on technical considerations related to implementation of Farm Bill conservation programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Conservation Reserve Program, Grasslands Reserve Program, and Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program.

The committees also advise the NRCS state conservationists on other technical matters, technical guides, criteria for evaluating projects, cost-share and incentives payment levels, and measures related to achieving a program balance regardless of agricultural sector or farm or ranch size. They can also advise the state conservationists on strategies to reach underserved customers.

The committees also accept recommendations from their subcommittees, including local working groups, as they establish natural resource priorities for the state.

Mailed comments on the interim final rule can be submitted to: Director, Conservation Technical Assistance Programs Division, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Room 6015-S, Washington, D.C. 20250-2890.

Comments can be faxed to (202) 720-2998 and e-mailed to STC2008@wdc.usda.gov. People with disabilities who are interested in submitting comments can contact the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600. Comments also can be submitted through the Regulations.gov Web site’s public comment feature.

For additional information about State Technical Committees, please visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/StateTech/.

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The Interim Final Rule can be found at:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2008/interim-rules.html.


NRCS has developed a one page fact sheet that can be viewed at:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2008/ataglance.html.


General information on the State Technical Committees can be found at:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/StateTech/index.html.

Foresters hope to stop timber loss in Md.

By Greg Latshaw
Staff Writer - Delmarvanow.com

SALISBURY -- Seeking to end the slow attrition of Maryland's woodlands, state foresters are calling on lawmakers to adopt a no net loss policy by 2010.

A task force of landowners, local government officials and the building community, which includes Wicomico County Councilman Bill McCain, is studying the issue and met Friday in Annapolis.

The goal is to halt a march by the suburbs of Washington, Baltimore and in other parts of the state that is claiming about 8,600 acres of forest each year, said Steven Koehn, director of the Maryland Forest Service. He said it would be the first policy of its kind in the country and is needed because 41 percent of Maryland's land is forested.

But a no net loss law, which lead proponent Sen. Paul Pinsky, D-Prince George's County, said he wants passed in the January legislative session, must not disturb the rights of the building industry, Koehn said. A law would also need land to plant new trees, when acres are displaced by new housing developments -- a concern to some in the farming industry.

Another question: What number of forested acres should be used as a baseline for the no net loss policy?

"All the issues, we can overcome," Pinsky said. Action should be taken immediately because "once you lose forests, you generally never recover it," he said.

Trees are an environmental juggernaut when it comes to cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay, studies show. Their roots absorb polluted water otherwise headed for the bay and stabilize stream banks. Their leaves act as air filters for harmful gases, and trees are natural habitats for wildlife.

In December 2007, the Chesapeake Executive Council, which includes the governors of the six watershed states, agreed to permanently protect 695,000 acres of forest by 2020. Maryland committed to setting aside 96,000 acres by 2012 and 250,000 acres by 2020 -- which is about half of the forest land protected now.

Katie Maloney, executive vice president of the Maryland State Builders Association in Annapolis, said a no net loss policy shouldn't add costs to builders. Her organization would oppose a policy that decreased how many houses could be built in a project, she said.

The Maryland Farm Bureau would favor any policy that protects forest, but a concern is if government incentives would push more trees onto farm land now in production, said Val Connelly, director of government relations.

She used the example of a landowner who leases land to farmers. If a government program would pay the landowner more to plant trees there, that could potentially wipe out farmland.

"Our business is to make sure that people can grow crops in the future in Maryland," she said.

McCain, an outdoorsman who owns a real estate appraisal firm and 400 acres of land on three Lower Shore farms, is the only Eastern Shore representative on the task force.

"The Eastern Shore's concerns and issues are vastly different from those of Montgomery and Prince George's counties," McCain said. "Ours are protecting the forest timber industry and agriculture."

The Eastern Shore's timber industry is unlikely to be affected, McCain said, because their land is classified as forest acres.

Updates from Around the State

The Maryland No-Net-Loss of ForestsTask Force has met several times and has started to draft findings. Another meeting is scheduled for Dec.9^th.

A new program that will support urban tree canopy planting has been developed. Governor O’Malley announced the Smart, Green, and Growing Initiative in mid-November, starting with the Marylanders Grow Trees program and website http://www.trees.maryland.gov/ .

The Governor also will be announcing the new GreenPrint program on December 3^rd that will identify priorities for land conservation, with its own website. The priorities for the Program Open Space targeting include four layers, one of which is the forests important for water quality developed for the Chesapeake Bay Forest Conservation Directive.

Two other new websites that may be good resources for forest conservation and urban tree canopy efforts are below:

• The Conservation Fund has developed a website to exchange information on Green Infrastructure planning and projects around the country. http://www.greeninfrastructure.net/resources
• The Center for Watershed Protection has developed a website as a central point for resources for forest-friendly development and using trees and forests to improve watershed functions like managing stormwater. http://www.forestsforwatersheds.org/
  

General Forestry Course

Get Ready for the Spring Semester of
the General Forestry Course

This course is designed for individuals wishing to increase their understanding of forests and forest management. Specifically, the course targets Maryland forest landowners and other citizens with an interest in the principles and practices of forestry.

The University of Maryland Cooperative Extension is announcing the opening for the spring 2009 semester of the General Forestry Course. The course begins February 1 and runs until May 20, 2009. Registration opens January 2. There are no formal classes and you work from the comfort of your home using your own woodlot, a friend's or a public forest.

The course is available as both a paper version and a web-based version. You will learn how to protect your trees from insects and diseases; step-by-step procedures walk you through a forest inventory and stand analysis; details of the forestry business are presented, and much more. Ultimately, the course exercises help you develop the framework for a forest management plan. The course has changed enrollees perspective towards forests and forest management, encouraged family discussions, and even save some folks thousands of dollars. The cost is $300.00. Included are supplemental readings (A Sand County Almanac, The Woodland Steward, American Forests: A History of Resiliency and Recovery, and a small pamphlet entitled What Tree Is That?). A certificate of completion is awarded when all assignments are completed.

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Both the online version and the paper version of the course will be offered in the Spring 2009 Semester (February 1 to May 20, 2009).

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There are two methods of learning available: the web-based or online version, and the original paper version. This web site discusses the online version of the course. To learn about the paper version, click General Forestry Course--Paper Version.

Note: Registration for The General Forestry Course opens January 2 for the spring semester and August 1 for the fall semester. Enrollment is based on a first-come, first-served basis. If the class is full and you are unable to enroll, you will be placed on a waiting list.

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Sample Course Pages

Click on the images below for a sample of what the General Forestry Course has to offer.

For more information, contact Nancy Stewart or 410/827-8056, ext. 112

MFA 2008 Conference Wrap-up

Dear MFA Members and Friends For those of you who joined us in Annapolis this past weekend, you already know what a wonderful event our 2008 Annual Conference was! That success is due to the support of our friends and members ~ whether it be financially or in terms of time and talents. Please help us thank all those listed below for their support. For those who were unable to join us, and for those that did, we hope you will plan now to attend next year's conference which will be October 30 & 31 at the Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort. Watch the MFA website and Crosscut for details as they become available. Send us your ideas for themes, topics and speakers for the 2009 Conference. Planning begins shortly! Contact the MFA office at mdforests@hereintown.net or 301-895-5369 Thank You to All Who Made Our Conference a Success! Annual Conference Planning Committee: Philip Gottwals (Chair), Jeff Fisher, Steve Jarvis, Karin Miller Session Moderator ~ Bob Eaton Videographer ~ Pete Miller AV Assistants ~ Steve Jarvis and Steve Resh Photographers ~ Joan Bearden and Donnell Keech Silent Auction Coordinator ~ Becky Wagner Hospitality Hosts ~ Dick and Bobbie Stanfield MFA Welcome Desk ~ Bobbie Stanfield, Lynn Holmes OUR SPEAKERS Mr. Bruce Vincent Mr.Steve Koehn Mr.Michael Goergen Mr.Bill Rodenberg Mr.Kirk Martin Mr.John Karakash Mr.Patrick Doyle Mr.Bruce Waver 2008 CONFERENCE SPONSORS GOLD CIRCLE ACDS, LLC~Columbia, MD Besley & Rodgers, Inc.~ Falls Church VA Bitmunious Insurance ~ Lutherville, MD Edrich Lumber Co. Dick and Bobbie Stanfield~ Windsor Mill MD Forest Resources Association~ Rockville MD MAR-LEN Environmental ~ Westminster MD NewPage Corp Luke Mill~ Westernport MD Paul M. Jones Lumber Co., Inc.~ Snow Hill MD Sustainable Resource Mgt. Inc ~ Davidsonville MD The Forestland Group, LLC~ Wellsboro PA The Mill~ Bel Air MD University of Md Cooperative Extension~ College Park MD USI Insurance Services~Falls Church VA SILVER CIRCLE Bowen and Kron Enterprises, Inc.~Baltimore MD C.W. Matthews & Sons~Seaford DE Egolf Forest Harvesting, Inc.~Delmar DE Ota Stevenson, Inc.~ Salisbury MD Pete Richardson Auction Sales ~ Willards MD Sisler Lumber Co.~ Mt Lake Park MD Timber Harvest, Inc. ~ Cordova MD MD Tree Farm System ~ Chesapeake Beach MD Smith-Foster Furnance Corp. ~ Queenstown MD Laws Corporation ~ Snow Hill MD BRONZE CIRCLE Borden Mining Company~ Jamestown NC Maryland Farm Bureau, Inc.~ Randallstown MD Southern MD RC&D~Waldorf MD Western Pocahontas Properties~ Huntington WV Dave and Gail Weissert~ Denton, MD Rising Sun Log Corp~ Rising Sun, MD Vision Forestry LLC~ Salisbury, MD STUDENT SPONSORS Delaware Forestry Association Delaware Tree Farm Committee Mar-Len Environmental ~ Westminster MD Chris and Lynn Holmes ~Arnold, MD Mimi Wright~ Church Creek, MD Rising Sun Log Corporation~ Rising Sun, Md Dave and Gail Weissert~ Denton, MD SILENT AUCTION DONORS Ace and Ann Parker Angela Hedderick Anonymous Bituminous Insurance David Matthews Forest Friendly Logging Forest Land Group Glatfelter Pulp Wood Company Jim Thomas MARBIDCO Mar-Len Environmental Parker Forestry Services Pete and Karin Miller Red Rock Enterprises Richard and Jakie Lewis Smith-Foster Timber Group Steve Jarvis Sustainable Resource Management Vision Forestry Commercial Exhibitors Bituminous Insurance Companies http://www.bituminousinsurance.com/ P O Box 509 Lutherville, MD 21904 800-346-5108 McLean Insurance Agency www.mcleaninsurance.com 461798 Westland Dr. Suite 300 Potomac Falls, VA 20165 703-621-3374 Yates Insurance http://yates-usa.com/ 3294 Solomons Island Road Edgewater, MD 21037 410-956-7360 I&E Exhibits (information and educational) Allegany College of Maryland - Forestry Dept. http://www.allegany.edu/careers/foresttech/ 12401 Willowbrook Road, SE Cumberland, MD 21502-2596 301-784-5307 Forestry for the Bay www.forestryforthebay.org 410 Severn Ave., Suite 209 Annapolis, MD 21403 410-267-5723 Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, Inc. www.agroecol.umd.edu P O Box 169 Queenstown, MD 21658 410-827-8056, ext 126 MARBIDCO www.marbidco.org 1410 Forest Dr., Suite 28 Annapolis, MD 21403 410-267-6807 Maryland Association of Forest Conservancy Districk Boards http://www.mdforest.sailorsite.net/ DNR Forest Service Tawes State Office Building, E-1 Annapolis, MD 21401 410-260-8589 MD Chapter - The American Chestnut Foundation http://www.mdtacf.org/ 21900 Davis Mill Rd Germantown, MD 20876 301-916-6133 MD Tree Farm System http://www.treefarmsystem.org/ contact DNR - Forest Service 580 Taylor Avenue, E-1 Annapolis, MD 21401 410-260-8531 MD/DE Master Logger Program http://md-demasterlogger.com/ PO Box 169 124 Wye Narrows Rd. Queenstown, MD 21658 410-827-8056 ext. 125 MD/DE Society of American Foresters http://safnet.org/ 3 Pershing Street, Room 101 Cumberland, MD 21502 301-777-5835 The Nature Conservancy nature.org 321 Magruder Street Cumberland, MD 21502 301-722-0313 University of Maryland Cooperative Extension www.agnr.umd.edu 1212 Symons Hall College Park, MD 20748 301-405-7992 USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service www.md.nrcs.usda.gov 339 Busch's Frontage Road, #301 Annapolis, MD 21409 443-482-2902

2008 Election Summary

The results of Tuesday’s election remind us that when the people of our great nation demand change - they mean it. The long campaign for the presidency ended last night when President-elect Barack Obama won 349 electoral votes over Senator John McCain’s 162 votes. This historic Presidential race has been at the forefront of our nation’s political stage for such a long time that it overshadowed other contested battles taking place all across the country for House and Senate seats.

Senate

Senate Democrats picked up five seats bringing their majority to 56 (including two independents). Races still have not been called in Alaska, Minnesota and Oregon. Republicans retained open seats in Idaho and Nebraska, but lost open seats in Colorado, New Mexico and Virginia. No Democrat seats turned over.

House

Democrats widened their majority to 254-174, a net gain of 19 seats with seven races still undecided. There are at least 52 new members of Congress with the current breakdown being 29 Democrats and 20 Republicans.

A detailed list of all the changes in the House and Senate is attached.

What We Need To Do

It is extremely important that the industry reach out to the new Members of Congress soon. A majority of the newly-elected members will arrive in Washington with limited knowledge of our industry, and it is our responsibility to educate them on the environmental benefits of the forest products industry and the legislative issues that impact our everyday business. We have a great opportunity to get in at the beginning and build strong relationships with these 52 new Members.

Sixty-five percent of everyone who cast a vote last night said they were concerned about the economy and jobs. We need to get in at the beginning and tell our story to President-elect Obama, his Administration and the 111^th Congress. It remains our duty to advocate on the important issues facing our industry, the employees and their jobs. Let’s all do our part.

Please visit www.growthevote.org to retain one pagers and informational material on important legislative issues to help guide your discussions with the incoming Congressional members,

If you have any questions regarding the election results, please contact Anita Peduzzi at anita_peduzzi@afandpa.org or (202) 463-2755

re LEED Hurts Maryland Citizens

Dear MFA members and Friends

Please see statement below from Al Goetzl regarding the op-ed on LEED that came out of the MFA office. What was submitted by MFA, based on information provided by Mr. Goetzl, unfortunately contained some outdated numbers that were quickly brought to my attention by CTN readers and MFA members. The statement below explains the error and gives the corrected figures. The FSC acres existing in Allegany and Garrett Counties are managed by Red Rock Enterprises of Friendsville, MD in Garrett Co (a MFA member).

MFA regrets the mistake that occurs, but as Mr. Goetzl states below: "However, the fact of the matter remains that the area certified by SFI and ATFS in the state is over four times the area certified by FSC, reinforcing the point that Maryland forest landowners are disadvantaged by a LEED-only policy."

Karin Miller, MFA Executive Director

Karin Miller is right to be critical of the LEED® rating system for green buildings. When it comes to wood products, a major flaw in LEED is that credits are not given to materials that sequester carbon (rather than emit carbon) or use significantly much less fossil fuels in their manufacture. LEED also recognizes only the one forest certification system – Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – even though the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) and American Tree Farm System® are more prevalent in Maryland. The data cited by Karin in her piece came from a compilation of certified forests that I provided and which should be updated. The FSC website lists just two forest management certificates in Maryland as of September, 2008, totaling just shy of 50,000 acres. One of the two certified forests is, in fact, in western Maryland. However, the fact of the matter remains that the area certified by SFI and ATFS in the state is over four times the area certified by FSC, reinforcing the point that Maryland forest landowners are disadvantaged by a LEED-only policy.

Alberto Goetzl
Seneca Creek Associates, LLC
17203 Lightfoot Lane
Poolesville, Maryland 20837
Voice: 202-463-2713
Fax: 202-463-4703
E-Mail: agoetzl@sencreek.com

LEED hurts Maryland citizens

To the Editor:

Cumberland Times-News

October 29, 2008 11:09 pm

— Much attention has been paid to Allegany County’s first “green” building, a state Human Resources and Development Commission (HRDC) building to be located in Cumberland.
Unfortunately, pending state government rules could discourage the building from using any wood from Maryland tree farms.

The reason is that Maryland follows the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system for green building, a system that does not recognize the environmental value of wood harvested from most of the working forests in Maryland.

The result is that Maryland’s forest products industry and its 10,000 employees will likely see little or no benefit from this taxpayer-funded project, and, if some officials in Annapolis have their way, Maryland’s working forests and forest products industry could find it difficult to benefit from state construction projects.

The reason is the on-going national debate about green building policy. To help architects and builders make good decisions about energy efficiency and environmentally responsible materials, several green building rating systems have been developed.

Materials that provide good insulation give a building a higher score, as well as high-tech heating and cooling systems or more airtight, heat-resistant windows.

Wood building materials that come from sustainably-managed forests also provide higher ratings. The problem is that LEED, the green building system currently used by Maryland state government, only provides credit for wood products from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a system that is common overseas but not widely used in Maryland, and not as widely used in the United States as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) or American Tree Farm System (ATFS).

Maryland has 58,049 acres of SFI forests and 157,174 acres of ATFS forests, nearly a quarter of which are located in Allegany and Garrett counties. Allegany County also has over 170 ATFS-certified forests, more than any other county in the state.

In contrast, there is little FSC forest land in Maryland — less than 35,000 acres and none of it in Western Maryland. **(a call received by the MFA office after this editorial ran stated that there are approximately 8,000 acres in Allegany and another 8,000 in Garrett County that are FSC certified. We regret the oversite, however, this is still a small amount in comparison to what is certified under the other systems) Despite FSC’s claims of superiority, research has shown that all three systems provide essentially the same environmental benefits.

Because the state’s LEED system does not allow the use of wood from the SFI or ATFS forests owned by Maryland’s tree farmers, it is more likely that the wood in state buildings could wind up coming from other states, or even overseas, than from Maryland itself.

In early November, a state advisory board will issue recommendations on whether or not state government should use only the LEED system and its virtual ban on most Maryland wood products, or if other green building rating systems — such as Green Globes which recognizes wood from Maryland’s SFI and ATFS forests — should be used as well. Many industry and policy experts expect the recommendations to go against the Maryland forest landowners and forest products industry and in favor of LEED.

If so, this would be both an environmental and economic mistake. If the market for Maryland wood products dries up, many tree farmers will have no choice but to sell their land for residential or commercial development.

Unlike tree farms, once a forest is cleared for subdivisions or strip malls it no longer helps combat global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide nor does it provide habitat for wildlife.
Additionally, with the economy causing new housing starts to decline by more than two-thirds, state construction projects will be an important source of business opportunity for the Maryland forest products industry. Therefore, eliminating bureaucratic barriers like the state’s exclusive use of LEED can mean the difference between having a job and the unemployment line for some.
Maryland should not adopt a LEED-only green building policy. Instead, it should recognize all established green building programs, including Green Globes, which recognizes wood from Maryland’s SFI and ATFS forests, so that architects and designers can pick the system best suited for each project.

Also, the state should not grant a monopoly to LEED when it actually hurts Maryland citizens — the state’s tree farmers and 10,000 forest product industry workers.

By adopting green building policies that help keep Maryland’s forests intact and forest product workers on the job, state government is not only looking out for Maryland interests, it is nurturing support for the very environmental awareness which is at the heart of the green building movement.

Karin E. Miller, Executive Director
Maryland Forests Association Inc.
Grantsville

National Forest Products Week, week of October 19th

October 16^th– President Bush proclaimed the week of October 19^th National Forest Products Week. During his statement, he declared his commitment to the protection of forests from harm. He also pledged to insure the responsible use of the nation's resources for future generations.

National Forest Products Week, 2008
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

White House News

During National Forest Products Week, we highlight our country's commitment to protect and wisely use America's forests for our Nation's prosperity and well-being.

Across our country, citizens rely on forest products to meet their daily needs. Our forests enable us to produce goods such as paper and furniture, provide raw materials such as lumber for homes and buildings, and offer job opportunities that bring economic security for many Americans.

My Administration is steadfast in its commitment to protect our forests from both manmade and natural harm. It is vital that we continue to make progress in conserving our natural resources and using them responsibly. Since 2002, we have worked to restore our forests and protected them against catastrophic fires as part of the Healthy Forests Initiative. Americans take great pride in our country's natural splendor, and by working together to be good stewards of the environment, we can leave our children and grandchildren a healthy and flourishing land.

Recognizing the importance of our forests in ensuring our Nation's well-being, the Congress, by Public Law 86-753 (36 U.S.C. 123), as amended, has designated the week beginning on the third Sunday in October of each year as "National Forest Products Week" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this week.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 19 through October 25, 2008, as National Forest Products Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

MFA 2008 Conference Registration deadline extended to Oct. 24

The Renewable Energy and the Role of Forests and Forestry conference will be held at the Loews Annapolis Hotel, beginning the evening of October 31st with a social and banquet with featured keynote speaker award-winning forest activist, Bruce Vincent of Libby, Montana.

Saturday's sessions begin with updates on State and National forestry issues will be given by MD State Forester Steven W. Koehn and Michael T. Goergen, Jr. Executive VP and CEO of the Society of American Foresters (SAF). Additional sessions on November 1st include The Role of Forests in Biomass Energy Production and Renewable Energy Projects for Landowners.

The conference is open to all and includes time to visit exhibits, for Q&A with the speakers, and networking with other attendees. The meeting has earned CFEs for Licensed Professional Forester and Master Loggers. Pre-registration is required. Registration deadline has been extended until October 24th

Full agenda, registration brochure, plus speaker and hotel details are on the MFA website at http://mdforests.org/AM2008.htm . For more information about the conference contact: MFA Executive Director Karin Miller, mdforests@hereintown.net or call the MFA office at 301-895-5369.