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HomeState & Private Forestry News
July 2016
How Nature Works to Make
Water Clean     
Close-up picture of rushing, falling water.
(Photo: Copyright O. Oyoo)
ARLINGTON, Va.--The Nature Conservancy has created a video on the basics of how nature--especially forests--filter water and benefit people. Watch the 4-minute video on YouTube.
Which Forests Are Most Important for Drinking Water?

Photo of the cover of the Forests, Water, and People report.
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.--Forests are critically important to the supply of clean drinking water in the Northeast and Midwest United States, where more than 52 million people depend on water supplies protected by forested lands. The public is generally unaware of the threats to their water supplies or the connection to the extent and condition of forest lands. Water supplies will not be ensured by a focus on water treatment alone--protecting and managing forests in source watersheds is essential for safe, affordable drinking water.

Scientists compared the condition of over 500 watersheds across 20 States and the District of Columbia and the ability of the watersheds to produce clean water. The results show the dependence of drinking water supplies on forests, including private forests. Results also identified watersheds that are threatened by development or are in need of management. Finally, resulting maps and data display development pressure on private forests in watersheds important for drinking water.

The unique results of this analysis can be used in a number of ways: to guide strategies for forest land protection, outreach, and technical assistance to municipal water providers, and to refine and target assistance to individual forest landowners.

Learn more about the Forests, Water, and People analysis, and access the final report, state maps, and updated data on the Northeastern Area's Web site.

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"A Billion Gallons a Day"
 
NEW YORK--The New York Times produced a short video about the New York City watershed and water supply system. This system delivers unfiltered water to 9.4 million people. Watch the 6.5-minute video on the Times' Web site.
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Picking Food That Is Healthy for the Chesapeake Bay

BALTIMORE--"Most consumers know the 'buy local' and 'organic' labels for produce. But not everyone knows that just because something is grown locally and organically does not mean it is good for the Chesapeake Bay.

"After all, factory-farmed chicken from Maryland's Eastern Shore is local, but organic manure from this industry and Pennsylvania dairy farms are major sources of water pollution. People who want to pick food that is healthy for both the bay and their bodies should consider supporting visionary farmers who are also dedicated to clean water. That would include farmers like Brett Grohsgal, 56, who has been running the Even' Star Organic Farm in southern Maryland for almost 20 years."

Read or listen to more at the Science Friday Web page of NPR news station WYPR. 
Activities for Families to Conserve Water

WASHINGTON-- Project Learning Tree has put together questions and tips to help you identify where you can make changes at home, in order to save water, and money, too! Get the activities at the Project Learning Tree Web site.
Forest Service, Menominee Nation Host Pesticide Training

KESHENA, Wis.-- The U.S. Forest Service, along with the Menominee Tribal Environmental Department and Menominee Tribal Enterprises, hosted a Wisconsin Tribal Pesticide Training Workshop on two sunny days in June. Held at the College of Menominee Nation, the workshop followed the Wisconsin Right of Way training manual and covered pesticide laws, safety, and basic first aid. The Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council helped spread word about the event, and tribal staff from the Menominee, Oneida, and Stockbridge-Munsee Tribes attended. Attendees were able to take the Wisconsin Pesticide Applicator certification exam at the end of the workshop.

A student puts on a portable pesticide applicator with the help of three other men.
Entomologist John Kyhl (right) worked with attendees on applying pesticides safety using colored water. (Photo: Jen Youngblood)
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Northeastern Area Staff Consults on Trees for Land Trust

DURHAM, N.H.--Forest health experts from Northeastern Area's Durham, NH, Field Office and the Uni­versity of New Hampshire recently assessed the age and health issues of trees on a parcel of private land that the Southeast Land Trust is considering for conservation. After doing core samples of sev­eral black gums, they determined the ages to be 154-450 years old, and found symptoms of nectria canker and heart rot in some trees. The land also includes beech trees in good health and some pitch pines with signs of needlecast disease.   

Welcome, Jennifer Garrison
 
Jennifer Garrison is the new secretary for Forest Management and Forest Health Protection at the Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry headquarters in Newtown Square, PA. She came to the Forest Service after a short tour with the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office Insurance Center in Philadelphia.

She has worked for the U.S. Corps of Engineers at their Fort Riley Field Office and Savannah District office, and for the Department of the Army at Fort Jackson, Fort Stewart, Schofield Barracks, and Tripler Army Medical Center. Jennifer had the pleasure over the past 15 years of living in New York, Kansas, South Carolina, Georgia, and Hawaii for 3 years, before moving to New Jersey.

Photo of a woman standing at a railing in front of steep green hills.
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Welcome, Chris Hayes
 
It didn't take long to get new entomologist Christopher "Chris" Hayes in front of a crowd. In only his second week on the job he was talking about bugs to a group of preschool children and their parents, at the Morgantown Library's Krepps' Kritters summer program.

Hayes spent the past 25 years out West, but moving to West Virginia is sort of a homecoming for him. Originally from Rome, NY, Hayes went to Northern Arizona University for both his bachelor's and master's degrees, earning his Master's Degree in Forest Entomology in 2007. Read more
 
Head-and-shoulders photo of a man.
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Upcoming Conference
 
For more information about this September 30 - October 2, 2016, conference in Fairlee, VT, go to Northernwoodlands.org or call 800-290-5232.

Editor's Note

Send items for inclusion in "State and Private Forestry News"to rburzynski@fs.fed.us by the first of the month in which you want the item to appear. Include a related photo as either a jpg or tiff file with a resolution of 150 dpi or higher. As part of the text include a full-sentence caption for the photo and photo credit. If the photo is from a published or copyrighted source, also send the permission.