Maine’s Project Canopy welcomes a not so new face to the role of Project Canopy Coordinator with the MaineForest Service. Jan Ames Santerre will continue with the program in this new role. Jan has served as the Community Forestry Specialist for Project Canopy for the last eight years, with our program partner, the PineTreeState Arboretum. Prior to that Jan received her Bachelors of Science in Forestry from the University of Vermont, and worked in various different forestry and landscaping roles for the US Forest Service National Forest System, Maine Department of Conservation -  Parks and Lands  and the University of Maine. Please join us in welcoming Jan to the Department! Jan can be reached at (207)287-4987 or jan.santerre@maine.gov.

Federal FY2009 BUDGET released

The President's budget for federal fiscal year 2009 proposes big cuts in all State and Private Forestry programs. The President proposed an 82% reduction in the Urban and Community Forestry program, from $27.7 million to $5 million. In the coming weeks, Alliance for Community Trees (ACT) will work with its partners in the Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition to develop a response and recommendations for the FY 2009 budget. Project Canopy and ACT will keep you informed and invite your support to the united message of support for urban forests in our nation's budget. 

Maine Arbor Week on the Horizon

Since 1978, Maine has celebrated Arbor Week during the 3rd full week in May. Arbor Week is a time to reflect upon the enormous resource we have here in Maine – our trees! They provide us with numerous environmental, economic, aesthetic, and social benefits. This year, Arbor Week falls from May 19 – 23. Project Canopy will host a statewide Arbor Day ceremony, May 19th, 1-3 PM at the State House Hall of Flags. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Planting Trees to Fight Global Warming”. To that end, an ambitious group of students from Lawrence High School in Fairfield, Maine have embarked upon an Arbor Week tree planting campaign. The students, part of the High School environmental group Gang-Green, have written a letter to every school in Maine asking them to register their tree planting projects on their website: www.gang-green.org. In addition, other organizations such as scout troops, church groups and athletic organizations are encouraged to join the effort. In support of this campaign, Project Canopy encourages municipal groups, schools and non-profit organizations to apply for tree planting through the Project Canopy Assistance Program. Groups can apply for funding for just one tree, or up to $8,000 within the Planting and Maintenance grant category. If interested in submitting an application, groups are encouraged to contact Jan Ames Santerre for more information. Grant information is also posted on the website at www.maineforestservice.gov/projectcanopy.

The Future of Urban Tree Utilization

Excerpted from: Urban Tree Utilization and Why It Matters, by Dr. Steve Bratkovich
Most analyses related to U.S. timberland and timber production focus on forest land that is producing, or is capable of producing, more than 20 cubic feet per acre per year of industrial wood crops under natural conditions, is not withdrawn from timber use, and is not associated with urban or rural development. It’s quite reasonable to focus our research and attention on these commercial forest lands due to their size and economic, social and environmental importance. However, there are other categories of forested areas in the U.S. that tend to “fall through the cracks,” and that are rarely researched or discussed regarding their potential to provide wood-based products. Urban forests of the United States are such an example. It’s estimated that today there are nearly 4 billion urban trees in the U.S., with another 70 billion trees growing in metropolitan areas. As urban land in the U.S. expands, so do the urban forests. Urban land in the lower 48 states increased from 2.5% of total land area in 1990 to 3.1% in 2000, an area about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. Researchers from the USDA Forest Service project that urban land in the coterminous U.S. will nearly triple in size to over 8% by 2050, an area larger than the state of Montana (Nowak 2005).
Utilization of urban trees for wood and paper products is still in its infancy. However, the idea is drawing more attention from researchers, community officials, arborists, tree care firms, and wood-using industries including bio-energy producers.
Questions that often arise when discussing the potential for urban tree utilization include:

• How much wood is in our urban areas?
• What are the major constraints to utilizing this wood?
• Are there viable examples of urban tree utilization industries?
• Can bio-energy play a role in urban tree utilization?

This report addresses these questions and concerns. To view the full report visit:
www.dovetailinc.org/reports/pdf/DovetailUrban0108ig.pdf

Hedonic pricing of community trees and forests

Excerpted from: City Trees and Property Values, by Kathleen L. Wolf
Urban nature in all its forms—urban forests, parks, greenbelts—provides a range of benefits and services to society, most of which are not readily bought and sold. Economists calculate the “use value” of nature and ecosystems when tangible goods can be exchanged at market prices, such as timber or fisheries products. “Non-use values” set up a more complex economic puzzle. How can we estimate values for the many indirect, intangible services and functions that urban nature provides, such as beauty, ecosystem services, and psychological benefits? This article discusses the need for nonmarket valuations in local decision making. Then it will introduce the technique called hedonic pricing, including a summary of valuation studies over several decades. Hedonic pricing is a revealed willingness-to-pay technique. It attempts to capture the proportion of property prices that are derived from the non-use value of trees and other natural elements. It is a partial measure of value, obtained from indirect inferences about spending and prices. The article provides a comprehensive summary of property valuations relative to yard and street trees, tree retention in development, proximity to parks and open space, views of forests and landscaping in retail and commercial developments. View the full article at:
www.cfr.washington.edu/research_envmind/Policy/
Hedonics_Citations.pdf

Upland Invasive plants – Identification and control

The Maine Forest Service in cooperation with the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association, Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation Association, City of Bath, Town of Veazie conservation commission, Androscoggin Land Trust, Androscoggin Valley Soil and Water Conservation District, USDA Forest Service and UAP Distribution LLC will be holding four invasive plant identification and control workshops.  These workshops will provide participants with an introduction to identification of common upland invasive plants.  Participants will also be introduced to different control strategies for invasive plants, including both mechanical and chemical methods.   The workshops will concentrate on plant species that are invasive in Maine’s forests.  Anyone with an interest in invasive plants is encouraged to attend. These workshops are free and lunch will be provided. Registration is required for all workshops, as space is limited.
Workshops will have a field component so please bring appropriate field gear for the forecasted weather conditions.
Workshop dates and locations:

April 29, 2008, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association office in Sheepscot Village, Newcastle. To register contact SVCA (Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association) at tish@sheepscot.org or call (207) 586-5616. Registration deadline is April 24, 2008.

May 3, 2008, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Bath City Hall in Bath.  To register or for more information e-mail (preferred method) ken.canfield@maine.gov or call (207) 657-3535. Registration deadline is April 30, 2008.

May 10, 2008, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Sherwood Heights Elementary School in Auburn. To register or for more information e-mail (preferred method) ken.canfield@maine.gov or call (207) 657-3535. Registration deadline is May 7, 2008.

June 7, 2008, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at University of Maine in Orono (exact location TBA). To register or for more information e-mail (preferred method) keith.kanoti@maine.gov or call (207) 287-2428. Registration deadline June 4, 2008.

CEU credits are available for the following:
NH Professional Forester Licensing credits 3.5
SAF CED credits 3.5
Maine Pesticide Licensing credits 4
Maine Licensed Professional Forester TBA (4.5 anticipated)

Effectively connecting K-12 Students with the Outdoors

A workshop for Natural Resource Professionals and Land Owners will be offered April 11, 2008 from 8 AM – 3:30 PM at the Bolton Hill Ranger Station in Augusta, Maine. Foresters, naturalists, ecologists, wildlife biologists, forest landowners and community leaders are invited to attend this special Project Learning Tree (PLT) workshop that will offer age appropriate activities, volunteer protocol and time to share your previous experiences with colleagues. Explore the Project Learning Tree curriculum and expand your interest in educating youth and communities about your field of expertise. Registration is $35, including books, lunch and resource materials. Register with Pat Maloney, Maine PLT Coordinator, at 626-7990 or meplt@gwi.net by April 1, 2008.

Up and Coming

March
1 71st Maine Arborist Association Annual Conference. Verillos conference Center, Portland, Maine.  FMI visit www.mainearborist.org

6-9 Portland Flower Show. FMi visit www.portlandcompany.com/flower. Visit the Maine Forest Service booth on the second floor.

17 Family Forest Legacy Workshop, Saturday, May 17, 2008. 8am to 3pm. Best Western Merry Manor Inn, 700 Main Street, South Portland, ME. Contact Threshold to Maine RC&D FMI or to register at 207-657-3131 or threshold@gwi.net

18 Introduction to GPS. 6-9PM, Houlton High School, Houlton, Maine. Free. FMI or to register contact Angie Wotton at 532-9407 x 3 or angela.wotton@me.nacdnet.net.

23 Maine Maple Sunday

29  Introduction to GPS. 9 AM – 1PM. Beaver Park, Lisbon, Maine. Registration $7. FMI or to register contact Jane Heikkinen at jane.heikkinen@me.nacdnet.net. Sponsored by the Maine Forest Service and Androscoggin Valley Soil and Water Conservation District.

April
4-6 Bangor Flower Show, Bangor Auditorium, Bangor, Maine. FMI visit www.bangorbeautiful.com

25 National Arbor Day

26 All Thing Woods Expo: An Event to Celebrate Our State’s Healthy and Productive Forests, Portland Exposition Building, Portland. 10 AM – 4PM. For more information visit www.forestsformainesfuture.org

May
17 Chain Saw Safety Training. Pine Tree State Arboretum. $35 members of PTSA or Swoam, $50 non-members. Preregistration required. FMI or to register contact PTSA at (207)621-0031.

19-23 Maine Arbor Week

If you would like to put your community’s activity on the calendar, please let one of the editors know by the 15th of each month.