ISSUE 80: WEEK OF April 20, 2020
Recent News
Regional News


  • Extension Foresters Detail Approaches for Online Programming During Covid-19 in New Journal of Extension Article
  • UK Offers Weekly Extension Forestry Programming Video Update During COVID-19
  • Scientists Plant ‘Sentinel Trees’ to Warn of Devastating Pests
  • New Research Bibliography Touts Human Health Benefits of Forests and Green Spaces
  • NC State Published Blog on Smoke Risks From RX Fire
  • USDA Shortleaf Pine Workshop for National Forest Managers
  • UF Publishes Information on Feral Cat Management via Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR)



National News

  • Newly Published Research on the Role of Renewable Wood Energy
  • Wildland Fire Management RD&A Spring 2020 Newsletter
  • USDA Implements Immediate Measures to Help Rural Residents, Businesses and Communities Affected by COVID-19
  • Distance Learning Opportunity for Climate Change Adaptation
  • NASF Forest-Climate Working Group Sends Fy21 Appropriations Recommendations To Senate
  • NASF's Forest Action Plan Toolkit Includes New Resources
  • USFS Urban Forest Connections Webinar: CommuniTree



Funding Opportunities

  • 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program
  • USDA Rural Development Launches COVID-19 Resource Webpage
  • NC Forest Service Urban & Community Forestry Grant Applications Available

Job Opportunities

  • USFS Forest Products Lab Forest Technologist
  • Multiple Jobs Available with MS Forestry Commission
  • UF Extension & Teaching Forest Economist 
  • Mississippi State University Professor of Forest Business
Regional News
Extension Foresters Detail Approaches for Online Programming During Covid-19 in New Journal of Extension Article
Extension Foresters from North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the Southern Regional Extension Forestry have written an article to be published in April 2020 that highlights the daily changed Extension personnel across the nation are quickly adapting to amid the current COVID-19 pandemic, including cooperative changes while continuing to respond to the needs of clients. The article provides examples of how professionals within North Carolina State Extension Forestry have responded to the challenges faced thus far and the solutions and tools that can be used in the current situation and for future pandemics, disasters, and other unique events that require "alternative" arrangements. The needs of landowners, farmers, youths, and the public at large will not diminish during this unprecedented time; therefore, innovation must continue to ensure that the impact of foresters is not diminished. The article can be found  here , and the issue as a whole found  here . 


UK Offers Weekly Extension Forestry Programming Video Update During COVID-19
The University of Kentucky (UF) Forestry and Natural Resources Extension is offering relevant information about woodlands in a weekly, live video. Co-hosted by Renee Williams and Billy Thomas with UK Forestry and Natural Resources Extension, “From the Woods Today” is a weekly internet show that will be available on Zoom each Wednesday at 11 a.m. EDT, beginning April 8. Links to live shows are posted here just prior to the show, and viewers are welcomed to join live or watch previously recorded shows, which will also be stored on the site. Suggestions for a “From the Woods Today” segment are welcome, click here to leave comments, send photos, or leave a show idea. 

Scientists Plant ‘Sentinel Trees’ to Warn of Devastating Pests
Researchers from the United States, Europe, and China, including one University of Florida School of Forest Resources Professor, Jiri Hulcr, are trying a new approach to tackling non-native invasive pests: planting “sentinel trees” from their own regions in distant nations, and then observing which insects attack. This method is used to get an early warning of which exotic pests are likely to cause trouble, and the findings should help authorities more quickly recognize and snuff out threatening introduced insects if they show up in the trees' native countries. Funding agencies are ramping up support for sentinel groves; however, it could take years to know whether the sentinels provide useful intelligence, as researchers will have to wait to see how the age of the trees impacts the attraction of pests and measure how the trees react to the increased stress and vulnerability when growing outside their native range. To read the full paper documenting the use of sentinel trees, please visit here . 
 
New Research Bibliography Touts Human Health Benefits of Forests and Green Spaces
A new bibliography compiled by Paul Garbe, DVM, MPH, cites more than 30 publications and web resources that document potential physical and mental health benefits associated with trees and forests. Many of the studies focus on the air-quality impacts of trees and forests, while other sources cited in the bibliography address mental health and well-being and crime reduction. However, several resources explore the complexity of correlating health with green space and call for additional work to clarify potential benefits. Garbe directed the program on air pollution and respiratory health at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2004 to 2018 and is now a private consultant. The Endowment and the USDA Forest Service, Region 8 (Southern Region) office, commissioned the project, in order to better understand and clarify the benefits provided by forests. 
The bibliography is available on the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) website, found here.
NC State Published Blog on Smoke Risks From RX Fire
NC State University has published a new post on balancing public health concerns with the need to implement prescribed fire, which was developed with input from partners including the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Southern Regional Extension Forestry, and the Southern Fire Exchange. The COVID-19 pandemic has left many agencies, organizations, and private landowners wondering how to balance public health concerns with the need to implement prescribed fire, particularly if restrictions related to the pandemic continue for months or even longer. Prescribed fire is an essential tool to achieve many land management objectives, particularly wildfire risk reduction. The blog post contains resources that may be helpful to those making difficult decisions regarding prescribed fire implementation in the era of COVID-19. The full post can be found here. 

Shortleaf Pine Workshop Held for National Forest Managers
In early March, about 25 silviculturists, foresters, fire management officers, timber specialists, and other USDA Forest Service experts gathered for a two-day Shortleaf Pine Workshop held in North Carolina. The group represented national forests in six states: Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina. Jim Guldin, a research ecologist and Station silviculturist who specializes in shortleaf pine, led two workshop sessions and discussed management of mixed pine-oak stands, current research, and historic shortleaf pine ecosystems, and regional geneticist Barb Crane spoke about Forest Service seed orchards alongside retired Forest Service Seed Orchard Manager Robin Taylor. Several experts from the Southern Region attended, including Janet Hinchee, a regional pine silviculturist, who organized the workshop, facilitated the first day, and led sessions on seeding and ordering seed and seedlings. To find more in-depth information about this workshop and on shortleaf pine research, please visit here.

UF Publishes Information on Feral Cat Management via Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR)
Wildlife Extension Specialists from the University of Florida’s Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation recently wrote a fact sheet summarizing the effectiveness and humaneness of Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) for feral cat management. The sheet covers multiple aspects of TNR, including the effectiveness of the method in reducing cat populations over time, the humaneness of the method, and the possibility of increased risk of disease transmission to humans or wildlife. The article can be accessed in html or PDF format here. Readers are encouraged to share this document with anyone who may be interested, especially local governmental entities who currently support or are considering TNR in their communities.
National News
Newly Published Research on the Role of Renewable Wood Energy
There is recently published research on the role of renewable wood energy on climate and the continuing debate over the role that woody bioenergy plays in climate mitigation. The article clarifies points in this controversy and illustrates the impacts of woody biomass demand on forest harvests, prices, timber management investments and intensity, forest area, and the resulting carbon balance under different climate mitigation policies. The research concludes by providing evidence that supports the idea that expanded use of wood for bioenergy will result in net carbon benefits, but concede that an efficient policy also needs to regulate forest carbon sequestration. To read the full research article, please visit here .

Wildland Fire Management RD&A Spring 2020 Newsletter
The Wildland Fire Management Research Development & Application (WFMRD&A) has produced their Spring 2020 edition Newsletter. This newsletter provides relevant Wildland Fire Management and Cohesive Strategy news and information, covering a variety of topics. Click here to access the complete newsletter on the Wildland Fire Management Research Development & Application website. 

USDA Implements Immediate Measures to Help Rural Residents, Businesses and Communities Affected by COVID-19
USDA Rural Development has taken a number of immediate actions to help rural residents, businesses and communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. These actions include Rural Development Guaranteed Loan Programs, as well as loans related to Rural Housing Services including single and multi-family housing, Rural Utilities Services, and Rural Business-Cooperative Services. Additionally, there are new and extended application deadlines for multiple programs. Read the full announcement here to learn more about the opportunities USDA Rural Development is implementing to provide immediate relief to customers, partners, and stakeholders. Visit here to keep up to date on all actions the USDA Rural Development is implementing to better serve rural America. 

Distance Learning Opportunity for Climate Change Adaptation
The Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS) will offer a second session this year of its popular Adaptation Planning and Practices online course for forest and natural resource managers. This free 7-session course will focus on forest ecosystems, urban forests, and forested watersheds in the Midwest and Northeast, but applicants from other regions may be accepted if space allows. This unique opportunity provides hands-on training in considering climate change information and identifying adaptation actions for natural resources management professionals working in forests and natural ecosystems. Through this course, participants will be able to identify locally-important climate change impacts, challenges, and opportunities, as well as develop specific actions to adapt forests to changing conditions. Registration is open now and can be found on here. Classes start the week of April 20th, 2020 and will run through June 12th.
NASF Forest-Climate Working Group Sends Fy21 Appropriations Recommendations To Senate
On March 23, the Forest-Climate Working Group, of which the National Association of State Foresters is a member, submitted a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies recommending investments in sound science, forest product innovation, and resources for private forest landowners. The rationale is that forests and forest products currently sequester and store 15% of annual carbon emissions, and it is vital that this important resource is maintained by addressing rising threats to forest health and slowing forest conversion to non-forest uses. Steps can be taken to protect and increase this carbon benefit and accelerate the ability of US forests to provide a sustained level of climate mitigation service to the nation. Many of these same investments can be leveraged to strengthen the resiliency of the nation’s forests and thus protect additional public services beyond carbon such as watersheds, wildlife habitat, recreational resources and economic prosperity for rural and urban communities alike. The full letter can be accessed here . 

NASF's Forest Action Plan Toolkit Includes New Resources
In the 2008 Farm Bill, Congress tasked the states and territories with assessing all the forests within their boundaries and developing strategies to improve the health, resiliency, and productivity of those forests. By 2010, each state and territory completed a Forest Action Plan, and they are now tasked with completing comprehensive revisions of their Forest Action Plans by June 2020. A complete list of resources for state forestry agencies navigating the 10-year revision process can be found here on the NASF website. Additionally, in November 2019, the National Association of Conservation Districts hosted a webinar entitled “Engaging Your State Forestry Agency for Urban and Community Forestry”, with three presenters—Whitney Forman-Cook, NASF; Rachel Ormseth, South Dakota Division of Resource Conservation & Forestry; and Cindy Zenk, South Dakota’s Conservation Districts—discussing how conservation districts can engage their state forestry agencies through shared programming and the Forest Action Plan revision process. The webinar can be accessed here . 

USFS Urban Forest Connections Webinar: CommuniTree
The USDA Forest Service Urban Forest Connections webinar series presented “CommuniTree: A Model for Engaging Communities and Developing a Workforce for Tree Planting and Maintenance Projects”, a one-hour webinar that premiered on April 8, 2020. The webinar covered how tree planting can help communities achieve many resiliency goals such as cooling heat islands, reducing stormwater floods, and building neighborhood cohesion, and how CommuniTree is a model community partnership used to address community needs for trees and the capacity to plant and sustain them. Presenters included Drew Hart, a Natural Resource Specialist with the USDA Forest Service, and Daiva Gylys, the National Manager for Community Programs for the Student Conservation Association. To find more information relating to this webinar or to access a recording, please visit here .
Funding Opportunities

1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program
The USDA is accepting applications for its 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program. The 1890 CBG program strengthens teaching, research, and extension programs in the food and agricultural sciences by building the institutional capacities of the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions through integration of education, research, and extension. CBG supports projects that strengthen teaching programs in the food and agricultural sciences in areas of curriculum design, materials development, faculty development, and more. CBG also supports integrated project grants. For more information or to apply for this grant, please visit here .

USDA Rural Development Launches COVID-19 Resource Webpage
The USDA’s Department of Rural Development has launched a COVID-19 resource page to keep customers, partners, and stakeholders continuously updated on actions taken by the Agency to help rural residents, businesses, and communities impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. This webpage includes links to pages covering the latest news and information updates from the CDC and the USDA on their actions and/or responses to COVID-19, as well as factsheets and FAQs relating to this ongoing crisis and notifications for stakeholders. Click  here  to access the COVID-19 resource page.  
NC Forest Service Urban & Community Forestry Grant Applications Available
The NC Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry program is accepting applications for its annual program that provides grant funding for projects enhancing the benefits and sustainable management of urban forests in North Carolina communities. Projects should encourage citizen involvement in creating and sustaining urban and community forestry programs and should be completed within an 11-month project schedule beginning September 2020 and ending July 31, 2021. Projects considered include tree inventories and canopy cover assessments, management plan development, ordinance development, professional staff and development, and education and training. The grants are open to local and state government entities, public educational institutions and nonprofit 501(c)(3) and other tax-exempt organizations. Applicants can request anywhere from $2,500 to $15,000 in grant funding, and the grants will provide 50% of project costs and require matching funds or in-kind efforts. The deadline for application submissions is April 30, 2020, 5:00 p.m. EST. To learn more about this program, please visit  here.
Job Opportunities
USFS Forest Products Lab Forest Technologist
The USDA Forest Service is currently hiring for a Forest Products Technologist position located at the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin. This position is customer driven and designed to be responsive to meeting customer needs regarding national and regional forest products, markets, and technologies, and will work closely with the Forest Products Laboratory and the Wood Innovation networks in support of market development and wood utilization. Requirements include the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in wood technology, wood utilization, forestry, biological science, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, or a related discipline or field of science that included at least 20 semester hours in appropriate forest products technology courses. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Brian Brashaw at [email protected] or 218-626-4344. To view more information about this position or to apply, please visit here . The deadline for applications is April 23, 2020.

Multiple Jobs Available with MS Forestry Commission
The Mississippi State Forestry Commission is currently accepting applications for multiple job openings. The job positions include: Forest Ranger I in Bolivar, Leflore, and Sunflower counties, deadline to apply is April 22, 2020; Forestry Technician I in Neshoba, Attala, and Leake counties (deadline April 27, 2020); Forester II in Lee, Tippah, Pontotoc, and Union counties, (deadline May 4, 2020); Forester III in Lee, Tippah, Pontotoc, and Union counties, (deadline May 4, 2020); and Forester I in Lee, Tippah, Pontotoc, and Union counties (deadline May 8, 2020). All applications should be submitted through the Mississippi State Personnel Board website, found  here . All applications and/or transfers for Forester positions must include a copy of their current registered forester’s card with their application. Click  here  to find links to additional details on and to apply for each of these positions.  
UF Extension & Teaching Forest Economist
The University of Florida School of Forest Resources is hiring a non-tenure track Extension Forest Economist for a position that is 60% Extension and 40% teaching. Qualifications for the position include a masters degree and 10 years of experience or a doctorate. Other qualifications include excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal relationships. To find out more, click here. Applications will be reviewed starting May 15.

Mississippi State University Professor of Forest Business
Mississippi State University (MSU) is currently seeking applications for a Professor of Forest Business position in the Department of Forestry within the College of Forest Resources and the Forest and Wildlife Research Center. Responsibilities will include participation in the Department’s teaching, research, and service activities, which will include both undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in forest business for on-campus and Distance Education programs.  The successful candidate will also be expected to conduct an extramurally funded research program in the specialized field of forest business covering the items listed above. A Ph.D. with a specialization in forest business, timberland investment, timber procurement, forest operations, forest real estate management, forest taxation, and/or closely related fields. All but dissertation (ABD) applicants will be considered. Preferred candidates should have a strong record of scholarly publications, have the potential to secure extramural funding, and show demonstrated experience in teaching both traditional and Distance Education courses. To find out more about this position or apply, please visit  here. Job posted March 27, 2020.


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