The Forestry Source - September 2012 - (Page 1) News for forest resource professionals published by the Society of American Foresters September 2012 • Vol. 17, No. 9 I N T H I S I S S U E O NC SAF partners with public radio, land trust in longleaf restoration effort SAF’s North Carolina Division, the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, and WHQR, the Wilmington, NC, public radio station, recently entered into a partnership to raise operating funds for WHQR and to support a longleaf restoration project on the CLT’s Everett Creek Preserve. Page 9. 2012 SAF national elections To help SAF members make informed decisions when casting their ballots, The Forestry Source is once again providing information on the slate of candidates running for SAF vice president and the SAF Council. Page 10. GIS for Foresters: Introduction to LiDAR and forestry—Part 1 Although one system uses radio waves and the other sound waves, both Radar and Sonar send out active signals and record data about them as they bounce back to the sensor. Substitute a light pulse emitted from a laser for radio or sound waves, and you have mastered the fundamental concept of LiDAR. This article describes the basics of LiDAR technology and a few things to consider before acquiring it. Page 14. Vilsack, Tidwell highlight economic benefits of forests, forest products Agriculture is a cornerstone of rural economies. So are the nation’s forests and grasslands, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell in a late-July press conference. Page 20. More than 33 million people 16 and older went fishing in 2011, according to a recent survey by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. and getting outdoors is great news for America’s economy and conservation heritage,” said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in announcing the results of the 2011 survey. “Outdoor recreation and tourism are huge economic engines for local communities and the country, so it is vital that we continue to support policies and investments that help Americans get outside, learn to fish, or go hunting. That is why, through President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, we have been focused on helping Americans rediscover the joys of casting a line, passing along family hunting traditions, and protecting the places they love.” Visits to national forests have declined over the past decade, from an estimated 214 million visits in 2001 to 174 million in 2009. At a July 26 press conference, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the most recent survey by the agency found that the forests had 165.7 million visitors in 2011. Although the number of visits by peo(See “Recreation” page 3) Fairfax County Urban Forestry Program Celebrates 40 Years of Change, Challenge, and Success N D E PA R T M E N T S 2 6 8 14 17 18 Editor’s Notebook Industry News Society Affairs GIS for Foresters Letters Classifieds By Joseph M. Smith, Source staff ext year, the Urban Forest Management Division (UFMD) of Fairfax County, Virginia—one of the oldest urban forestry programs in the country—will celebrate 40 years of successes and a long record of providing urban forestry leadership throughout the commonwealth. The county’s urban forestry program began in 1973, when it was known as the Forest Conservation Branch of the Office of the County Arborist. Since then, its name and place within the county’s organizational structure has changed several times. So, too, has its mission, which, according to Urban Forest Management Division Director Michael Knapp, has evolved in concert with social and economic changes in the county. From 1973 to about 2000, Fairfax County lost a significant amount—approximately 25 percent—of the forest cover it had at the time to development. Since then, the pace of development has slowed and now the UFMD is working, in Knapp’s words, “ to transition from trying to conserve tree cover to helping the community conserve what’s leftover in a way An employee of Fairfax County, Virginia’s Urban Forestry Management Division hangs a trap as part of the division’s year-round pest monitoring work. that’s sustainable.” Today, the threats to the county’s urban forest are similar to those of other localities—human impacts, deer browse, and invasive species such as the emerald ash borer and the gypsy moth. As a result, Knapp and his colleagues find themselves spending less of their time with developers and more time with homeowners’ associations and county agencies, helping them manage the county’s forested tracts and urban tree canopy so the benefits they provide can be maintained for years to come. In addition, the UFMD’s pest management branch surveys for a variety of tree pests throughout the year. “We have a 20-year plan, which we wrote five years ago, that delves into that and calls for a lot of legislative changes, but I think the biggest challenge that we’re going to have over the next 10- to 20-year period is: How do you manage the changing forest cover so that it remains an asset and continues to sustain air quality, water quality, provide stormwater benefits, and so on.” Included within that 20-year plan are (See “Urban” page 4) Fairfax County Urban Forestry Management Division Hollingsworth, US Fish and Wildlife Service LEAF: Wisconsin’s K–12 forestry education program Ten years ago the Wisconsin forestry community came together to request a comprehensive program to support forestry education in Wisconsin’s schools. The result was legislation that established the LEAF program—Learning, Experiences, and Activities in Forestry. Page 8. Outdoor Recreation Increasing, but Trends Signal Changing Activity Preferences By Source Editor Steve Wilent utdoor recreation is big business. According to a report released in August by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, nearly 38 percent of all Americans participated in fishing, hunting, birdwatching, and other wildliferelated recreation in 2011, and they spent about $145 billion on gear, trips, licenses, and other supplies and services, an amount representing one percent of the US gross domestic product. Among the report’s findings for 2011: More than 33 million people 16 and older fished, spending $41.8 billion on trips, equipment, licenses, and other items—an average of $1,262 per angler. About 13.7 million people 16 years old and older hunted, spending $34 billion on trips, equipment, licenses, and other items—an average of $2,484 per hunter. Nearly 72 million people engaged in wildlife watching in 2011, spending $55 billion on their activities. Participation in these recreational activities has increased significantly since the service completed its previous survey in 2006. The number of anglers and hunters increased 11 percent and 9 percent, respectively. The number of people who engaged in wildlife watching increased 9 percent over the past decade, though participation has remained steady since 2006. “Seeing more people fishing, hunting, Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Forestry Source - September 2012 The Forestry Source - September 2012 Contents Editor's Notebook Industry News LEAF: Wisconsin's K-12 Forestry Education Program Society Affairs NC SAF Partners with Public Radio, Land Trust in Longleaf Restoration Effort 2012 SAF National Elections GIS for Foresters: Introduction to LIDAR and Forestry—Part 1 GIS for Foresters Letters Classifieds Vilsack, Tidwell Highlight Economic Benefits of Forests, Forest Products The Forestry Source - September 2012 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/saf/forestrysource_201805 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/saf/forestrysource_201804 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/saf/forestrysource_201803 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/saf/forestrysource_201802 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