July 2013
Federal policy issues update
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FA has been busy reaching out to the Arkansas Congressional delegation on a number of issues, with excellent Max Braswell results. In AFA Executive Vice addition, President there is a piece of important information forest landowners who apply pesticides should know related to the Arkansas Pesticide General Permit. Forest Roads The Silviculture Regulatory Consistency Act (SRCA) has been filed in both the House (H.R. 2026) and Senate (S. 971). AFA has reached out to the entire Arkansas delegation and is pleased to report that all five members have agreed to cosponsor the bill. The SRCA would provide legal certainty by preserving EPA regulation of forest roads as nonpoint sources under stateadopted Best Management Practices. Toxic Substances Control Act Working as part of a large coalition of interested parties, AFA contacted Sen. Mark Pryor asking for his support of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Modernization of the TSCA is supported by the American Forest & Paper Association. Sen. Pryor agreed to sign on to the bill.
See ‘FEDERAL’ on page 3
TCT brings forestry to life for teachers
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he AFA Education Foundation (AFAEF) hosted 18 traditional and nontraditional educators from across the state at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) for the Teacher Conservation Tour, June 1721.
Rob Beadel, AFAEF Director of Forestry Education. “Participants take the resources and experiences gained during the tour back to their schools and community groups and share the good news about forestry.”
In addition to classroom presentations on forest economics, forest soils and geology, the Arkansas Forestry Commission, UAM forestry program, Arkansas forest history and forest management, the group spent five days in the field exploring forestlands, forest product manufacturing facilities, and nursery and logging operations. Participants were also certified in Project Learning Tree, an award-winning environmental education curriculum.
The following sponsors and hosts made TCT possible: ArborGen, Arkansas Forest Resources Center, Arkansas Forestry Commission, Bibler Bros. Lumber, Clearwater Paper, Crop Production Services Timberland Division, Deltic, Domtar, Evergreen Packaging, Georgia-Pacific, Green Bay Packaging, International Paper, Kelly and Anna Koonce, L.D. Long, Maxwell Hardwood Flooring, Neeley Forestry Service, Plum Creek, Potlatch, The Price Companies, Resource Management Service and Weyerhaeuser. Special thanks to Caroll Guffey, UA Cooperative Extension Service, and Jim Grant for their assistance during TCT, and to all of the presenters who volunteered their time.
“This is one of the best professional development workshops I have ever attended and I have attended a lot,” wrote one participant in the workshop evaluation. In five days, TCT provides 30 hours of professional development hours—half of what educators need each year—including six in technology and two in Arkansas history. “Our goal is to show classroom teachers and nontraditional educators the positive environmental and economic benefits of the state’s forestry community,” said
“All of the activities and tours we did were very interesting,” wrote another participant. “I enjoyed learning about all of the different aspects of forestry and how it relates to our lives. It was great to learn to teach in my classroom, but also personally to learn about such an important industry in
See ‘TCT’ on page 4 Teacher Conservation Tour participants visited a timber harvesting operation on Plum Creek land that highlighted Streamside Management Zones and highly mechanized logging equipment.
CALENDAR August 1 Seeing Nature Through PLT, Featuring the Arkansas Champion Trees Art Exhibit 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Museum of Contemporary Art 425 Central Ave., Hot Springs
August 3 Drew County Log A Load For Kids First Assembly of God, Monticello
August 13 Forest Practices Committee 9:30 a.m. – AFA Office, Little Rock
August 22-24 Southwest Forest Products Expo Hot Springs Convention Center www.arkloggers.com
September 5 Program Committee 10 a.m. – AFA Office, Little Rock
September 21 Bradley County Log A Load For Kids Hermitage and River Valley Log A Load For Kids Russellville
September 23-27 Prescribed Fire School Camp Robinson, North Little Rock
October 1-3 68th AFA Annual Meeting Embassy Suites, Little Rock
October 26 Central Arkansas Log A Load For Kids Sheridan
Report highlights U.S. forest owners’ significant economic contributions
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he National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) released new data confirming the strong value forest owners provide to the U.S. economy. “The Economic Impact of Privately-Owned Forest in the United States” reveals forest owners support 2.4 million jobs, $87 billion in payroll, $223 billion in sales and 5.7 percent of all U.S. manufacturing. See the full report and an interactive U.S. map at nafoalliance.org. “Private forest owners are a driver of the U.S. economy by providing millions of jobs while producing a broad range of goods and services that improve quality of life in every home and community,” said Dave Tenny, NAFO President and CEO. The report, conducted by Forest2Market, is an update to NAFO’s first report in 2009. It provides national, regional and statespecific data on jobs, payroll, sales, acreage ownership and contribution to overall manufacturing and gross domestic product. Data is based on 2010, the most recent and complete year for which data is available. Strong markets for working forests enable forest owners to make investments in forest stewardship that result in the following: •
The U.S. grows more trees than it harvests. USDA reports that the standing inventory in U.S. forests has
grown by 50% between 1953 and 2011. •
For the past 100 years, the amount of forestland in the United States has remained relatively stable, at around 755 million acres, thanks to improved markets and reforestation efforts.
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More than half of the freshwater supply, 53 percent, originates on forestlands. Outside of the Western region of the U.S., state and private lands provide 89 percent or higher.
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20% of U.S. forestland is under some kind of conservation program, almost twice the world average of 11%.
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Assessments of biodiversity have found that the annual rate at which species are listed as threatened or endangered has declined fivefold.
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Private working forests are essential to achieving our national renewable energy and climate change objectives.
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Energy from forest biomass accounts for roughly 22.2% of renewable energy consumption nationally.
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The EPA reports that carbon storage in U.S. forests continues to increase, offsetting about 14% of annual U.S. emissions from burning fossil fuels.
Spaces available at Prescribed Fire School, Sept. 23-27 at Camp Robinson
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he Arkansas Prescribed Fire Council will hold a Prescribed Fire Course September 23-27 at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock. Forestry consultants, federal and state agency personnel, forest industry, and other natural resource management professionals are invited to attend.
The workshop staff plans to have each participant involved in prescribed burns (weather permitting) to illustrate and teach prescribed fire subject matter. Classroom time will be used to introduce topics on fire planning, behavior, weather, monitoring, and ecology.
Registration is $350, which includes meals, lodging and classroom materials. To register, contact Charlotte Bornemeier at (501) 6145085 or cbornemeier@tnc.org. The objectives of the workshop are to provide training for a fire leader capable of accomplishing safe and effective prescribed burns that accomplish desired fire management objectives given the constraints of fire control, air quality and liability considerations. Completion of this workshop as an important component for fire leadership.
Outdoor Underwriters offers liability insurance as an AFA-member benefit
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utdoor Underwriters is pleased to offer the AFA Insurance Program exclusively to members of the Arkansas Forestry Association. Do you have a hunt club? Are you looking for additional protection against unforeseen risks you could be held legally liable for? For less than the price of a new shotgun, you can protect your hunt club, all of its members and guests, and even the landowner with a $1 million policy.
Landowners: Did you know that you could be held responsible for a trespasser’s injuries? And that under common law, a landowner has a duty to inspect their property and remove hidden dangers? Don’t leave your vacant timberland without affordable general liability coverage. To learn more about the policies available to AFA members and to get a quote, look online at afa.outdoorunderwriters.com or call toll-free 1-866-961-4101.
Sponsorships and exhibit space are available for THE Annual Meeting, October 1-3, in Little Rock. Contact Jennifer Lambert at (501) 374-2441 or jlambert@arkforests.org for more information.
‘FEDERAL’ continued from page 1 Immigration Reform On Thursday, June 27, the U.S. Senate passed its version of immigration reform (S.744). The bill includes the Merkley Amendment, which would require firms to take several steps to hire local workers for forestry jobs before turning to foreign workers through the H-2B program. These requirements add to existing burdens for reforestation contractors. By adding unnecessary costs, delays and risks to the business of keeping forest-dependent industries supplied, it obstructs a vital program in our industry. The house is currently considering its own approach to the issue. Sen. Mark Pryor voted in favor of the bill, while Sen. John Boozman opposed it. Farm Bill The House of Representatives rejected the proposed Farm Bill, voting it down on a 195-234 vote. Had the legislation passed, it would have benefited forest owners in several areas. The next steps for the farm bill are currently unclear. There seem to be two main options at this point: craft another bill for passage or extend the 2008 Farm Bill beyond its September expiration date. Arkansas PGP As of April 1, 2013, the Arkansas Pesticide General Permit is now a Permit by Rule due in large part to AFA’s work over the past two and a half years. The Permit by Rule greatly simplifies the process and allows forest landowners who apply pesticides to continue a “businessas-usual” approach. Applicators must still follow the permit guidelines and MUST have a signed “Notice of Coverage” at the primary place of business or residence. The Notice of Coverage does not have to be filed with ADEQ. It provides evidence that you have read and understand the permit. The Notice of Coverage can be found online the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality website at adeq.ar.state.us.
‘TCT’ continued from page 1 Arkansas.” To have the chance to win an iPad Mini, educators participated in a social media contest throughout the week. As a result,
there were 425 social media posts on AFA’s Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Pinterest and FourSquare accounts. The winner was Judy Johnson, who teaches at the Harrisburg and Colt Juvenile Treatment Center. “This was just one more way these
Middle school science teacher Carol Mudford, from Genoa, learns how to measure Diameter at Breast Height during a forestry technology field exercise at the Potlatch Learning Center in Warren.
Fourth-grade teacher Dominique Primm, from Fort Smith, posted this picture and update on Facebook: During day 3 of TCT, we pulled this out of a tree! So cool that technology allows people to see the age/health of a tree by only getting a small sample.
educators can help tell our story,” said AFA Communications Director Anna Swaim. The 2014 TCT will be based in Russellville, although a date has not been set. Contact Rob for more information at (501) 374-2441 or rbeadel@arkforests.org.
Ag teacher Kendra Meadors, from Batesville, posted this update and picture on her Twitter account (@KendraMeadors) on the day they visited the timber harvesting operation: Got to watch a logging operation work today #TCT2013 @arkforests