MAINE FOREST SERVICE PROJECT CANOPY September/October 2005 - Trees on Maine Street Bulletin On August 29, the price of oil climbed to $70 a barrel. With home heating oil prices projected to be higher than last year, homeowners in Maine may be looking for ways to reduce their winter heating bills. While sealing windows and insulating walls are recognized as effective energy conservation strategies, did you know that trees can dramatically reduce winter home energy consumption? Properly placed trees around a home can cut winter heating bills by 25%. How is this possible? Trees planted as a windbreak can cut wind speeds by approximately 85%. Cold winter winds enter our homes through cracks and seams and force warm interior air outside, driving up heating costs. As few as three conifer trees planted in the path of prevailing winter winds can make a big difference in the amount of energy we consume. To learn more about the energy conservation benefits of trees, please call Michael DeBonis at 1-800-367-0223 or visit www.projectcanopy.org. 2005 NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON URBAN ECOSYSTEMS Charlotte, N.C., November 17-18, Workshops: November 16 and 19 The urban forest is an untapped resource-one that can help cities meet regulatory requirements for clean air and water, revitalize neighborhoods, and reduce the costs of building and maintaining infrastructure. The 2005 National Conference on Urban Ecosystems, Nature at Your Service, will show how to reconnect people to their city's natural resources. From local to regional perspectives, the conference will highlight latest technologies, emerging public policies, and tools to help put the urban forest to best use. Attention: conference registration scholarships may be available through the Maine Forest Service. Call 1-800-367-0223 for eligibility information. More conference information is available at: www.americanforests.org/conference/ MAINE WOODLAND OWNERS FORUM On October 22nd, the small woodland owners association of Maine (SWOAM) is hosting an event for small woodland owners and those interested in issues of owning and managing woodland. The forum will include presenters on such topics as the future of the forest industry in Maine, public use of private land, and the impact of development on land ownership and use. In addition, there will be subject experts on such topics as estate planning, taxes, management assistance, and wildlife management. The cost for the forum is $20/person, which covers the cost of the conference, lunch, refreshments, and a free copy of the "2005 guide to managing woodland in Maine. Register online at www.swoam.com URBAN WATERSHED FORESTRY MANUAL The Center for Watershed Protection (CWP), in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, is producing a three-part manual series on using trees to protect and restore urban watersheds. The contents of the manual are the result of extensive research compiled over the past year as well as two design workshops held in early 2004 that focused on using trees for stormwater treatment and planting trees in the urban landscape. These workshops were attended by more than 40 local, regional and national experts, including foresters, stormwater engineers, landscape architects, arborists, urban soil scientists, watershed planners and representatives form parks, transportation and utility companies. For details see www.cwp.org/forestry/index.htm. ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF URBAN FORESTS The Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN), in cooperation with American Forests, hosted a webcast in 2004 called "Seeing Green with Trees: The Economic and Environmental Benefits of Urban Forests." The webcast demonstrated how trees have been used by local governments to meet environmental regulatory requirements, save money, and improve community quality of life. A multimedia CD-ROM of the webcast and fact sheets is now available for free from LGEAN. To order a copy, contact LGEAN at 877/TO-LGEAN or lgean@icma.org. Learn more at www.lgean.org/html/whatsnew.cfm?id=853 THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES Jean Giono's unforgettable story is of Elzéard Bouffier, a tireless shepherd who plants one hundred acorns a day over a span of thirty years. In doing so, Bouffier not only transforms the countryside, but also revitalizes his community and teaches us about hope, humanity, and our own ability to create change in the world around us. This timeless classic has sold over a quarter of a million copies and inspired countless numbers of people around the world to take action and plant trees. On National Arbor Day, April 29, 2005, a special twentieth anniversary edition was released with a new foreword by Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and a new afterword by Andy Lipkis, founder of the Los Angeles based TreePeople. TEACHING FOREST STEWARDSHIP If you need resources to help you in your work to introduce young people to a love of the forest, check out Forest Stewardship Bulletin No. 3: Teaching Youth about Forest Stewardship. Learn more at www.pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/uh077.pdf PROJECT CANOPY COMMUNITIES IN ACTION: BRUNSWICK The Town of Brunswick received a 2004 Project Canopy Assistance grant to improve tree canopy cover in the city's busy downtown business district. A partnership between the city and local business owners, the project would add nine 2.5" - 3" caliper shade trees to vacant downtown tree planting sites. In early spring, Brunswick's Town Arborist was presented with an opportunity to acquire ten 6''caliper linden trees from the parking lot of a local business. The business needed to remove the trees as part of a construction project and agreed to donate the trees to the city on the condition that they find a way to transplant the trees. As the cost to transplant the lindens was comparable with the original project budget, Brunswick asked permission to change their project scope to include transplanting costs. Brunswick's request brought up an interesting question: Should communities plant large caliper trees? On one hand, large caliper trees are costly, hard to transport, difficult to plant, and require diligent watering and care. On the other hand, large caliper trees make an immediate environmental and aesthetic impact in a downtown setting; and, In Brunswick's case, the Town Arborist had local buy-in from business owners and had a plan for watering and long-term care. Project Canopy decided to approve the city's request and on the morning of April 15, six 6" caliper lindens were planted on Maine Street in Brunswick. The trees made an immediate impact. Business owners, which had initially been apprehensive about having a tree planted in front of their business, were enthusiastic when they saw the large lindens. The lindens were visually striking and provided significant shade to the sidewalk and parking spaces. Should communities plant large caliper trees? It depends on the community and the particular tree planting project. In Brunswick's case, the answer is yes. The city had buy-in from local business owners, had the capacity to provide immediate and long-term tree care, and the site was well suited to large caliper tree planting. Each community should look at the pros and cons of planting large caliper trees as it relates to their project and then make the most appropriate decision. Project Canopy Assistance grants help Maine communities develop and maintain long-term community forestry programs. For more information on the Project Canopy Assistance program, please call 1-800-367-0223 or visit www.projectcanopy.org. SEPTEMBER 18-21 Society of Municipal Arborists Annual Conference. Windsor, Ontario, Canada. FMI call 1-800-265-3633 or visit www.urban-forestry.com 24 8 AM. Maine Arborist Association 4th Annual Tree Climbing Competition. Deering Oaks Park, Portland. FMI visit www.mainearborist.org or contact Ted Armstrong at 657-3256 29 Traditional Passamaquoddy Medicinal Plants with Fredda Paul, Passamaquaddy Elder, Pine Tree State Arboretum. Afternoon guided walk, 3-5 pm; evening lecture, 6:30 PM. Registration suggested for guided walk. For more information contact PTSA at 621-0031 OCTOBER 1 The Urban Forest in Our Own Yards. A one-day workshop sponsored by the Lewiston-Auburn Community Forestry Board. For more information contact Carl B. Straub at cstraub@bates.edu or 783-6993 20 Smart Growth Summit sponsored by GrowSmart Maine, Augusta Civic Center. For more information visit www.growsmartmaine.org or call 207-847-9275 22 The Stinking Rose - Garlic Lovers Unite! 1-3 PM, Pine Tree State Arboretum, co-sponsored by the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden. Presentation by Jason Kafka, of Checkerberry Farm. Contact CMBG at 633-4333 for more information 22 Maine Woodland Owners Forum, hosted by SWOAM. Augusta Civic Center. Visit www.swoam.com for more information 19-23 Society of American Foresters National Convention, Ft. Worth, TX. For more information see www.safnet.org 23-25 International Society of Arboriculture New England Chapter Annual Meeting, Burlington, VT. FMI visit www.newenglandisa.org or call 1-800-617-4870 NOVEMBER 8 Tree Inventory workshop. Learn the latest computer-based technology. Sponsored by the USFS and Project Canopy. Call 287-4987 for more information, DECEMBER 1-3 Forest Guild 10th Annual Meeting, Santa Fe, NM. For more information, see www.forestguild.org, call 505-983-8992, or email info@forestguild.org. 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. This newsletter is made possible by a grant from the USDA Forest Service. The USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. To file a complaint call (202) 720-5964