ISSUE 43 : WEEK OF March 4, 2019
Recent News
Regional News

  • UGA Warnell School Legend Dr. Ben Jackson Retires
  • Duke University Creates Faster, More Accurate Way to Monitor Drought
  • NC State Extension Introduces New Online Plant Database
  • Clemson Extension to Host Tree Cleanup & Chainsaw Safety Workshop
  • MSST Releases Fact Sheet on Timber Removal & Recovery Post Storms
  • LSU AgCenter to Hold Two Forestry Forums in Early April
  • Vermeer MidSouth to Sponsor Aerial Lift & Rescue Workshop in AR
  • Central Virginia Beginning Forest Farmers Landowners to Host Retreat
  • Alabama Extension to Host ForestHER—ON FIRE Workshop

SREF News

  • Woodlands Stewards Webinar Series To Hold Final Session Next Week

National News
  • New Report Submits Biotechnology as Potential Future of Forest Health
  • United Nations Environment Releases 2018 Annual Report
  • New Study Finds Rock-Eating Trees Pivotal to Forest Health
  • US Fish & Wildlife Proposes Lifting Protection of Gray Wolves


Funding Opportunities

  • NRCS GA State Office Seeks Partners to Improve State Conservation
  • NC Florence Restoration Fund Offers Aid to Affected Areas
  • Sustaining Family Forests Initiative Offers WOW Shadowing Experience

Job Opportunities

  • Georgia Forestry Commission Seeks to Fill Multiple Forester 1 Positions
  • UK Extension: Silviculture & Forest Operations Assistant Professor 
  • UF SFRC: Asst Professor of Human Dimensions in Natural Resources
  • UGA: Assistant Professor of Forested and Disturbed Soils
  • MSU Forestry Extension: Tenure Track Assistant Professor
Regional News
UGA Warnell School Legend Dr. Ben Jackson Retires 
The University of Georgia (UGA) Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources has said goodbye to longtime Timber Harvesting and Alternative Forest Products Professor, Dr. Ben Jackson. Dr. Jackson retired in January after 29 years at UGA. He has been instrumental in several important programs including the Southeast Timber Harvesting Expo and Georgia State 4-H Forestry Competition. Dr. Jackson is most renowned for the highly effective water quality series of best management practices he was able to convey to timber harvesters throughout the 1990s. We would like to thank Dr. Jackson for his years of service to Warnell, and wish him the best in retirement.

NC State Extension Introduces New Online Plant Database 
North Carolina State Extension has created an online plant database for public use. This online tool allows users to learn about specific plants and trees. The database allows someone to search for plants based on characteristics required for their site. The database is broken down by category of plant and then subcategories like height, shade tolerance, drought tolerance, phenotypical characteristics and even wildlife that the plant species can attract. Start using the plant database , or watch a short introduction video on how to navigate the database.

MSST Releases Fact Sheet on Timber Removal & Recovery Post Storms
In lieu of recent hurricanes and tornadoes battering the South, Mississippi State University Extension Service specialists have released a fact sheet for homeowners and landowners who are faced with beginning to clear debris after a disaster. The fact sheet offers tips for tree removal and emphasizes safety and the lack of need to take risks. It also discusses timber recovery and options for landowners from tax claims to salvaging opportunities. Read this fact sheet.

Vermeer MidSouth to Sponsor Aerial Lift/Rescue Workshop in AR  
Vermeer MidSouth is sponsoring an aerial training class on March 14, 2019 in Little Rock, AR.They have partnered to provide Aerial Rescue training taught by North American Training Solutions. Participants will learn about new tools, as well as tips and tricks to increase knowledge in real life emergency situations. Participants can achieve up to 7 ISA CEU’s upon completion of the workshop. The cost is $35 and includes lunch. Learn more and register for this training.

Alabama Extension to Host ForestHER— ON FIRE Workshop 
Alabama Cooperative Extension will host a ForestHER—On FIRE workshop from March 13 - 14, 2019 in Midway, AL. This hands-on workshop will focus on teaching women landowners about Alabama’s historic fire regimes and how prescribed fire can and should be used as an effective land management tool. Small to large landowners are all welcome. Most of day one, you will be indoors learning about fire behavior, safety, and management techniques. The workshop includes a blend of classroom presentations and field experiences. The cost of the program is $80 and includes a workbook, lunch and dinner on day one, and breakfast, breaks, and lunch on day two. Pre-registration is required. Learn more and register for this workshop.
Duke University Creates Faster, More Accurate Way to Monitor Drought
Duke University has created a new monitoring method that allows scientists to identify the onset of drought sooner in the hopes that conservation measures might be put into place sooner to help limit the damage. James S. Clark, Professor of Environmental Sciences at Duke and his colleagues have created a free public website called Drought Eye . This website posts monthly maps pinpointing locations across the continental United States where drought conditions may be occurring, based on the latest thermal stress data. Thermal stress is the difference between the air temperature at a site and the surface temperature of the plant canopy there. By combining surface and air temperature measurements from thousands of weather stations and satellite images, they can monitor current conditions across an entire region in near real time and identify the specific places where drought-induced thermal stress is occurring. Start using Drought Eye.

Clemson Extension to Host Tree Cleanup & Chainsaw Safety Workshop 
Clemson Cooperative Extension will host a tree cleanup and chainsaw safety workshop on March 12, 2019 in Spartanburg, SC. This free training is designed for first responders and other workers who clear storm-downed trees, but will benefit anyone who operates a chainsaw. The training will take workers from personal protective equipment (PPE), to site-assessment, to safe saw start. Training will include employer responsibilities, empoyee rights, electrical hazards, power tools (chainsaw), slips, trips, and falls, and PPE for safe chainsaw use. ISA Certified Arborist Credit is available. Learn more and register for this workshop.

LSU AgCenter to Hold Two Forestry Forums in Early April 
The LSU AgCenter will be a part of two forestry forums in April. The first will be in Alexandria, LA on April 3, 2019. Topics to be covered will include federal cost-share programs for forest landowners, a wildlife update, forestry tax tips, wildfire protection and arson investigations. The second is the 29th annual Florida Parishes Forestry Forum and will be held on April 5, 2019 in Hammond, LA. This forum will discuss local and national trends, emerging markets, options for timbered land and invasive species such as the Southern pine beetle. Learn more and register for the Alexandria Forestry Forum , or Learn more and register for the Hammond Forestry Forum.

Central Virginia Beginning Forest Farmers Landowners to Host Retreat  
Virginia Cooperative Extension will host a retreat for beginning forest farmers from March 14 - 16, 2019 in Appomattox, VA. This retreat was developed for landowners new to woodland management. This entry-level program is taught by several experts and covers the basics of keeping your woods and wildlife healthy and productive, while working towards meeting your ownership goals. A combination of classroom, field trip, and hands-on activities are used to explore these concepts of sustainability. The program was made under the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program (VFLEP). VFLEP offers a wide variety of science-based educational opportunities for new and experienced forest landowners. Learn more and register for the retreat.
SREF News
Woodlands Stewards Webinar Series to Hold Final Session Next Week
Southern Regional Extension Forestry is helping equip landowners with the knowledge to manage their woodlands. The Woodlands Stewards Webinar Series will connect landowners with forestry experts from across the southeast via locally based webinar sessions. The next and final session is about Wildlife and Woodlands and will take place on March 14, 2019. This webinar will discuss how wildlife is commonly ranked as a primary objective among landowners. You will be introduced to to basic wildlife management principles and concepts and provide information on habitat requirements of various wildlife that occur across the region. The Woodlands Stewards series consists of 4 live, 2-hour webinar sessions followed by a 5th session organized by site hosts. The free webinars will occur once a week from February 21 - March 14, 2019. The most recent session was about identifying and managing woodland threats. It introduced you to a few basic pest principles, presented a model example of each threat, and offered some simple practices to help ensure your woodland remains healthy and productive.Webinars will be hosted via ForestryWebinars.net, and will be delivered by Blackboard Collaborate through North Carolina State University. Registration is required for attending the live webinars. Learn more and register.
National News
New Report Submits Biotechnology as Potential Future of Forest Health
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) have released a report that suggests biotechnology can be used to help protect forests from destructive pests and disease outbreaks by introducing pest-resistant traits to at-risk tree species. Biotech tools could also provide a means to introduce or modify genes in trees to increase resistance to pests. The report makes a point to stress that further research is needed to help meet challenges presented by this approach. It claims the effectiveness of biotechnology at mitigating forest threats needs to be further assessed on many fronts. In addition to evaluating how effectively the resistance trait protects a tree species, the modified tree needs to be tested for viability in the diversity of environments in which it will live and for its effects on other species in the environment. NASEM held a public release webinar for the new consensus report Forest Health and Biotechnology: Possibilities and Considerations where experts can further explain this concept. View the webinar , or read highlights of the report.

New Study Finds Rock-Eating Trees Pivotal to Forest Health
Researchers from Oregon State University and the U.S. Geological Survey determined red alder, through its symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, taps nutrients that are locked in bedrock, such as calcium and phosphorus. This process accelerates rock dissolution, releasing more mineral nutrients that allow plants and trees to grow. The study addresses the long-term implications of how nutrients make their way into ecosystems, which sustain their long-term growth and product. This study shows that some nitrogen-fixing trees have the unique ability to provide the full suite of essential nutrients required to fuel growth and carbon uptake in forest ecosystems. Read more on this study.
United Nations Environment Releases 2018 Annual Report 
The United Nations (UN) Environment released its 2018 Annual Report. This report highlights the organization’s work on issues from fighting air and marine pollution to helping nations meet their goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The report shows UN Environment’s impact in many other areas, including making the cooling industry more climate-friendly, helping communities in Darfur to reduce resource conflicts in a changing climate and training authorities so they can better enforce environmental laws. The online report will also integrate with the Programme Performance Report, a comprehensive review of the program of work agreed with Member States. Read the annual report.

US Fish & Wildlife Proposes Lifting Protection of Gray Wolves
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials plan to lift protections for gray wolves across the Lower 48 states. The decision to lift protections is based on gray wolves successfully recovering from widespread extermination last century. Gray wolves received endangered species protections in 1975, when there were about 1,000 left, only in northern Minnesota. Now more than 5,000 of the animals live in the contiguous U.S. However, there is disagreement about how fully the gray wolf population has recovered.The Center for Biological Diversity says that gray wolf numbers have only recently recovered in certain regions, and the proposed rule would be dire for their prospects elsewhere.The proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register in the coming days. Learn more about this proposal.
Funding Opportunities
NRCS GA State Office Seeks Partners to Improve State Conservation
The Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) Georgia (GA) State Office is seeking opportunities to partner with like-minded natural resource conservationists. They are seeking partners to help enhance the implementation of key conservation objectives and priorities. Proposals will be accepted from Georgia. NRCS anticipates that the amount available for support of this program in FY 2019 will be approximately $6,500,000. Proposals are requested from eligible entities, non-profits, governmental or non-governmental organizations, and institutions of higher learning for competitive consideration of awards. Projects are expected to be between one and five years in duration. Proposals are due April 18, 2019. The objectives, eligibility criteria, and application instructions can be found here.

Sustaining Family Forests Initiative Offers WOW Shadowing Experience 
The Sustaining Family Forests Initiative is offering funding to offset travel-related costs for aspiring Women of Wildlife (WOW) leaders to attend an existing WOW event to shadow and learn from the event organizer. The funding is meant to help WOW members experience how others are approaching this work and plan for how to adapt techniques for their own personal context. This funding was created to establish connections among professionals in the field, with aspirations to increase the collective capacity of practitioners. Learn more and submit an application.
NC Florence Restoration Fund Offers Aid to Affected Areas
The North Carolina (NC) Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the North Carolina Forest Service (NCFS) are approving and administering aid to woodland owners in 52 counties impacted by Hurricane Florence and recognized as federal disaster areas. The NC General Assembly approved $2.5 million in time-limited funding for reforestation efforts. To receive reimbursement, at least 4.5 acres of approved, completed work must be documented. The maximum funding allocation will be 100 acres per landowner per fiscal year. Applications need to be submitted to the landowner’s local NCFS office for initial review, before they are sent to the NCFS State Office for final approval. Applications will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis until all available funds have been allocated. Learn more.

Job Opportunities
Georgia Forestry Commission Seeks to Fill Multiple Forester 1 Positions 
The Georgia Forestry Commission has multiple openings in several areas of South Georgia to fill the position of Forester 1. The positions are available in the following GA regions with potential residencies in: Southeast (Waycross, GA), Southwest (Albany, Camilla or Americus, GA), and middle East Coast (Stapleton, Waynesboro, GA) regions. The closing date for applicants is March 11, 2019. Learn more about specific duties expected of the position and apply.

UGA: Assistant Professor of Forested and Disturbed Soils 
The Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia (UGA) is seeking qualified candidates for a full-time 9-month, tenure track appointment (50% research and 25% teaching) Assistant Professor of forested and disturbed soils position. The selected candidate will be expected to develop a broad research program related to soil management. Research emphases could include forest soils, urban soils, the restoration of disturbed soils such as mined lands, or the soil microbiological implications of land management decisions. The selected applicant will be expected to collaborate with faculty in forestry, urban forestry, and water resources and help grow a recently created area of emphasis in community forestry and arboriculture within the Warnell School as well as continue strong programs in water and forest soil management. To ensure full consideration, please apply by March 15, 2019. For additional information, please contact Dr. C. Rhett Jackson , chair of the search committee. View the job posting.
UK: Extension Silviculture & Forest Operations Asst. Professor
The Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Kentucky (UK) is recruiting applicants for an Assistant Professor of Extension Silviculture and Forest Operations position. The position will be 80% Extension and 20% teaching. Closing date for applicants is March 15, 2019. Learn more .

UF SFRC: Asst Professor of Human Dimensions in Natural Resources
The University of Florida's (UF) School of Forest Resources and Conservation (SFRC) is seeking a qualified candidate to fill their Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources position. This is a 9-month tenure-track appointment available in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (IFAS). This appointment will be 60% teaching (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences), 20% Extension (Florida Cooperative Extension Service) and 20% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station). Applications are due by April 19, 2019. View the application.

MSU Forestry Extension: Tenure Track Assistant Professor Position, Biloxi, MS
Mississippi State University (MSU) is recruiting applicants for a new Extension Forester Assistant Professor position. The successful candidate will develop and teach educational programs to the appropriate clientele and county Extension Agents based on national, state, and county needs assessments. Duties will include the development of an Extension forestry and applied research program targeting forestry and forest management issues with an additional emphasis in a specialized area of expertise. Desired areas of expertise include, but are not limited to, forest management, economics, forest taxation, forest products, silviculture, ecology, and longleaf pine systems. The position will be located in Biloxi, MS. View the application.
Upcoming Events:

April 6-9, 2019 | Mobile, AL
The ISA Southern Chapter Annual Conference attracts over 500 attendees and 70 companies each year. The conference features workshops, certification opportunities, educational sessions for the commercial, municipal, and utility arborist, trade show, and climbing competition. 

April 9-10, 2019 | Washington, D.C.
The Sounding Board was formed as an informal group to help the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) clarify the conservation contributions of SFI certified forestlands. This workshop will focus these Conservation Impact investigations in three areas: water quality and quantity, climate change related values, and biodiversity.

April 23-April 25, 2019 | Madison, WI
A biennial convening open to all interested in climate change adaptation to share lessons learned, develop new innovative practice, and network with fellow practitioners. The Forum is the largest climate adaptation gathering in the United States.

May 21-May 23, 2019 | Blacksburg, VA
This three-day training will bring together Scolytinae taxonomy experts from federal agencies and universities to provide a small group of participants with hands-on, one-on-one training on how to identify specimens to genus and species in this difficult subfamily of insects.

June 24-28, 2019 | Corvallis, OR
Agroforestry for sustainable production and resilient landscapes" is the theme of this conference. The conference includes tours, oral and poster presentations as well as special sessions.
VIEW FULL CALENDAR:
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Southern Regional Extension Forestry | www.sref.info | lboby@sref.info