314 - Earth's Tree News

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--Alaska: 1) Karst issues related to 95,000 acres of fed land given to

state development,

--British Columbia: 2) Minority political party view of 'helping'

forestry, 3) City of Powell River awarded community licence for 6,500

hectares,

--Washington: 4) De-icer killing tens of thousands of trees, 5)

Weyco's fraudulent rainfall totals, 6) UW's Pack Forest, is it

sustainable?

--Oregon: 7) Elliott Sate forest has a wishes for lots of old growth clearcuts

--Califonrnia: 8) Disney rainforest to be replaced with " up with

America " 9) Tahoe thinning, 10) Will new PL/Maxxam owner cut old

growth?

--Idaho: 11) Family owned forest land conference

--Montana: 12) Enviro-sellouts' denounced and upstaged,

--Minnesota: 13) Forest biomass harvesting: do know harm?

--West Virginia: 14) Wilderness bill includes portions of Monongahela NF

--North Carolina: 15) Judge us by what we refuse to destroy

--USA: 16) Benefits of trees: stats. 17) Closed canopy forests are

fire safe, 18) What's wrong with both sides of forestry, 19)

Enterprise's 50 million tree pledge,

--Canada: 20) Calling for an end to new tar sand projects, 21) Horse

logged forest grow faster 'cuz roots of remaining tree aren't as

damaged,

--UK: 22) They want to clearcut 5 miles along river Thames,

--Kenya: 23) Mass eviction of squatters and indigenous from Embobut forest

--Mexico: 24) Highway blockaded protests logging of Butterfly reserve

--Bolivia: 25) Country is very poor, but maybe they could sell oxygen?

--Brazil: 26) Treeclimbing in the Amazon,

--Pakistan: 27) Cutting down 60,000 paper mulberry trees doesn't solve

allergy problem,

--Asia: 28) A massive well-established illegal market in stolen black

market timbers

--India: 29) Senior most forestry official empowered to audit himself,

30) 10,000 tribals in Uttar Pradesh demand land, 31) Joint Forest

Management committees in every village,

--Vietnam: 32) is a major South-East Asian hub for processing illegally logs

--Indonesia: 33) Plant an animated tree on this site and they'll pant

a real one too, 34) Illegal logging has taken 56 million hectares,

--Papua New Guinea: 35) phase out log exports by 2010

--New Zealand: 36) Kyoto-induced chainsaw massacre

 

Alaska:

 

1) According to information provided by the Sitka Conservation

Society, the bill would authorize Sealaska to select up to 95,000

acres for economic development lands allowing for extraction of timber

from these lands. Because the legislation would remove federal

protections from these lands, Alaska law would govern logging on the

economic development lands. Alaska law provides only minimal standards

and does not protect some of the fragile resources contained in the

selected areas. In the past, Sealaska has devastated many important

areas in Southeast Alaska due to poor logging practices and low

accountability as a private landowner according to Natalie Sattler,

Sitka Conservation Society's Community Outreach Coordinator. Many of

the economic development lands selected by Sealaska are located on

unique karst landscapes that overlie hidden features such as caves

said Sattler. These caves are important to humans for scientific,

educational and recreational purposes and are an important resource

that merits protection she said. Karst, which is the material where

caves are formed, is a unique landform created by the dissolving

action of water on carbonate bedrock, such as limestone. The presence

of karst also helps trees grow bigger and stronger. The soil is thin

but rich in nutrients and the limestone helps anchor the trees against

the wind. The network of underground, interconnecting fissures and

cavities and caves associated with karst transport nutrients

throughout the old growth forest. Sattler said because the soils are

typically thin on karst, when the protective canopy and vegetative

cover are removed, these soils can literally drain into and fill the

subsurface cavern, plugging cave entrances. When the caves clog, the

drainage they provide the old growth forest is destroyed. Sattler

noted that some of the highly developed karst areas where significant

caves are located include Kosciusko Island, Tuxecan Island and parts

of Prince of Wales Island. Kosciusko in particular is one of the great

karst islands that contain hundreds of significant caves - there are

almost 200 inventoried caves on Kosciusko alone and numerous others

await discovery. The Tongass Cave Project has been exploring these

regions for several years; mapping resources and discovering

substantially developed caves that reveal secrets about the

biological, cultural and paleontological history of the Tongass.

http://www.sitnews.us/0308news/031908/031908_karst.html

 

British Columbia:

 

2) The head of the B.C. Conservatives, Wilf Hanni, is proposing a 5

point plan to revitalize the forestry sector in B.C. 1) Build waste

wood fibre plants on the Island, in the Interior and the in Northern

British Columbia that will utilize beetle killed trees in the

production of Ethanol and Biodiesel. 2) Encourage the establishment of

secondary manufacturing in the Forestry Sector, such as furniture

manufacturing and factory built homes for export. 3) Provide secure

access to fibre with long term (99 year) leases on crown lands to

forest companies that are tied to job creation in the area where the

wood is harvested, and which guarantee public access for fishing,

hunting, hiking and camping. 4) Promote small, niche market forest

companies by providing guaranteed access to small timber lots and

recovered timber adjacent to large leases. 5) Actively promote the

establishment of new coal mines, precious metals, and an increase in

exploration and development in the coastal petroleum industry to

create jobs for people who have been displaced in the Forestry Sector.

6) Provide retraining assistance for people who want to leave the

Forestry Sector and find jobs in other sectors like mining and

petroleum exploration. - Hanni said his plan will go to the heart of

the issues of competitiveness, diversification, and job creation. (By

250 News)

 

3) The City of Powell River was awarded a community forest licence for

up to 25,000 cubic metres annually of timber from the Haslam Lake and

Lang Creek watershed area, encompassing about 6,500 hectares, in 2006.

The city established the corporation and appointed a board of

directors to manage the licence. In 2007, the corporation contracted

with Results Based Forest Management to manage the day-to-day

operations. Tysdal said the corporation is aiming to have harvested

the total of its allowable annual cut, or 125,000 cubic metres, by the

completion of the five-year probationary period, the end of 2010. By

the end of this year, 2008, it will have harvested 50,000 plus cubic

metres, while it could have harvested 75,000 cubic metres for the

three years. " The reason we're not cutting more now is because of the

markets, " Tysdal said. Log markets are down, explained Rob Stewart, a

director on the board. " Our harvest plans are subject to market

prices, " he said. " They could change. " The community forest sold the

first block it harvested on the stump to the company that logged it.

Since then, it has maintained ownership of the wood and hired a log

brokerage company to sell the timber. " We have an agreement if there

is local demand, then we will sell it to local companies at a fair

market value, " said Tysdal. Fair market value is the Vancouver log

market price, minus booming, towing and storage costs. Two blocks on

the upper Haslam Road have been awarded to Granet Lake Logging Ltd.

for spring logging, said Tysdal. Out on a Limb Forestry Inc., another

Powell River company, was awarded a contract to wind-firm one corner

of one of the blocks prior to logging to prevent blow down, he added.

During the winter, three companies were contracted to pick up all of

the blow down throughout the tenure, said Tysdal. Last fall, another

Powell River company, RH Barbour, logged two other blocks, said

Stewart. There is a tender for spring planting in those two blocks.

" From that same cut we had a couple of loads of alder that we want to

donate for firewood to Brooks Secondary School for its dry grad

fundraiser, " he said.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19408199 & BRD=1998 & PAG=461 & dept_id=2215\

89 & rfi=6

 

Washington:

 

4) WENATCHEE -- A chemical used to melt ice on Washington roads is

damaging tens of thousands of trees along the state's mountain passes.

The de-icer, calcium chloride, is a form of salt that temporarily

damages some trees but doesn't kill any, according to the state

Department of Transportation. The phenomenon, needle browning, will be

more evident in pine and fir through the passes this spring. However,

Jim Hatfield, a forest pathologist with the Wenatchee-Okanogan

National Forest says some trees die from exposure to the de-icer.

Hatfield said his agency hasn't formally studied needle browning but

looked into changes in trees near roads where de-icer started being

used almost exclusively four years ago. " I would definitely say it's

something we should be looking into more, " Hatfield said. Doug Pierce,

environmental operations manager with the Transportation Department,

said calcium chloride can " burn " roadside trees, but damage is minimal

and trees recover. The department also says it tests for chlorides in

soil and creeks near roads and has not found elevated levels.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/355574_treekill19.html

 

5) Back in January, the Senate Natural Resources, Ocean and Recreation

committee held a work session to discuss the role timber harvesting

had in December's Centralia floods. One of the speakers was State

Climatologist Phil Mote. At the time, he was quite clear that the

amount of rain that fell during that event was " not a top three event.

I want to stress that. " While he argued that his data was incomplete,

he did " stress " that the amount of rainfall was unremarkable. He went

even further. In his PowerPoint presentation he threw in a slide about

the impact of logging on flood frequency. The problem is that Phil is

a climatologist, not a forester, and the slide has some serious

problems. First, it is in Oregon, not Washington, so the rules aren't

the same. Second, the title of the slide says that " logging (and

roads) increase flood frequency. " The fact that forest roads can cause

landslides is well known. One of the most significant changes in the

Forests & Fish Law is that forest roads must be removed to reduce the

risk of landslides. So, the study he cites includes a major factor

that doesn't exist in Washington. It is not surprising that a

climatologist would not be familiar with the rules or science on

forestry (which is why I am still surprised that nobody from the UW

College of Forest Resources was invited to testify). What is

surprising is that Phil would wade into this topic so glibly. Finally,

he has now conceded that his original assessment of the amount of

rainfall was incorrect. After working with Weyerhaeuser and others, he

wrote an e-mail to the committee, acknowledging that the rainfall was

quite extraordinary, and was the cause of the flooding. He wrote: " The

damaging flood of December 3-4, 2007 on the Chehalis River resulted

from exceptionally heavy rainfall that was confined to the vicinity of

the Willapa Hills. Rainfall recorded by Weyerhaeuser and other gauges

was about three times that recorded outside of this small area. The

exceptional nature of this event is confirmed by the USGS gauge at

Doty, where flow exceeded twice the previous record. "

http://washingtonpolicyblog.typepad.com/washington_policy_center_/2008/03/the-ce\

ntralia-c.html

 

6) You'll hear the waterfalls before you see them -- just one of the

attractions the University of Washington Pack Forest offers hikers.

It's actually the UW's Center for Sustainable Forest, a field location

where staff, students and faculty from the university's College of

Forest Resources teach, study and demonstrate modern forest

management. But it also is a great place to hike, with wetlands and

forests ranging from old-growth that have survived forest fires to

experimental plantings. Most hikers prefer visiting on weekends when

Pack Forest is closed to vehicles, roads become trails and the forest

is silent other than the chorus of frogs in March or the thunder of

Little Mashel Falls. A variety of trails ranges from interpretive

routes to longer loops on logging roads.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/getaways/355488_hike20.html

Oregon:

 

7) The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has released their

wish-list for the Elliott State Forest (ESF) 2009 timber sales. The

Elliott, 93,000 acres between Coos Bay and Reedsport on the Oregon

coast, is one of Oregon State's oldest forests and a special haven for

marbled murrelets and coho salmon. The 2009 Annual Operation Plans is

one of the worst ODF proposals ever considered for the Elliott. It

includes: 1) 7 proposed timber sales that clearcut 518 acres of

habitat for spotted owls and marbled murrelets (MM); 2) 7 alternate

timber sales in case some of the proposed timber sales are found to

have nesting murrelets. The ODF must do 2 years of MM surveys before

clearcutting their nesting habitat. Most of the proposed sales have

only 1 year of surveys so far. 3) Out of the 7 proposed sales, 5 sales

(392 acres) fragment continuous stands of old forests, in violation of

the 1995 Habitat Conservation Plan. The ODF's excuse is that they have

run out of isolated forests and marginal murrelet habitat to clearcut,

so now they are going after the really good forests. (More on this

below). 4) 13 proposed and alternate sales would clearcut in High

Landslide Hazard Locations, and 11 of those are likely to deliver

landslides into fishbearing streams. 5) 7 sales line the beautiful and

very special West Fork Millicoma River, with only a 100' buffer. 4 of

those sales are across the road from, or right next to, " Forest Park "

areas and campgrounds. 6) Some of the sales clearcut the best hiding

cover and calving habitat for Roosevelt Elk on the Elliott. -- The

Elliott State Forest is flush with mature forests, regrown from the

1868 forest fire. Many old growth forests that survived were the first

forests targeted for logging in the 1960's. Today, most of the

unlogged forests (about half of the Elliott) are 120 to 140 years old,

big enough to provide quality habitat for owls and murrelets. There

are occasional old growth trees and groves still scattered through the

Elliott. Some 2009 proposed sales appear to clearcut rare old-growth

groves, especially the Stulls Ridge and Millicoma Cougar sales.

Pictures of some of the forests proposed for 2009 clearcuts, as well

as some recent clearcuts, can be seen at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15074242@N00/sets/72157604115830466/detail/

The Oregon Department of Forestry is asking for public input this plan

before March 26, 2008. Francis Eatherington - francis @ umpquawild .

org

 

 

California:

 

8) It has recently been brought to my attention that the Walt Disney

Company including WDI has proposed changes to the " It's a Small World

Ride " at the Disneyland Park in Anaheim. As I understand the changes

include the addition of the Disney Characters (Mickey, Minnie, Lilo &

Stitch, etc.) to the ride in select areas, and the replacement of the

" Rainforest " section with Mickey Mouse in a tribute entitled " Up with

America " . I also understand that the boats and trough they ride in

will be expanded for the safety and comfort of the parks modern day

guests. While I fully understand and support the upgrade to the boats

as a necessary safety upgrade, the addition of the Disney Characters

and the " Up with America " section I do NOT support as it represents a

gross desecration of the ride's original theme and my Mother's

stylized artwork. The Disney characters of themselves are positive

company icons, but they do NOT fit in with the original theme of the

ride. They will do nothing except to marginalize the rightful stars of

the ride " The Children of the World " . This marginalization will do

nothing but infuriate the ride's international guests and devoted

Disney fans. My Mother and I have always had a strong sense of

patriotism for America and I DO support a tribute to America.

Disneyland has several venues, which are perfect places for this

tribute including " Main Street USA " or " New Orleans Square " ;

unfortunately the " It's a Small World " ride is NOT one of them. Once

again this will marginalize the children of the world theme and

bastardize my Mother's original art. Furthermore ripping out a

rainforest (Imaginary or otherwise) and replacing it with misplaced

patriotism is a public relations blunder so big you could run a

Monorail through it.

http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.com/2008/03/blair-family-speaks.html

 

9) A high-priority forest thinning project on an 80-acre plot of land

just above Dollar Hill may also play its part to bring the Tahoe Basin

one step closer to biomass energy production this summer. The North

Tahoe Fire Protection District is moving forward with plans to treat

65 acres of the North Tahoe Public Utility District's Firestone

property, which sits between the Old County and Highlands

neighborhoods just east of Tahoe City. Because the Firestone property

is adjacent to two prominent neighborhoods, it is the North Tahoe fire

district's second-highest priority for fuels reduction, as rated in

their Community Wildfire Protection Plan. " Our goal here is to not

only create a fire-safe situation, but to leave a healthy functioning

and ecologically stable stand of trees, " said Stewart McMorrow, the

fire district's forest fuels manager. In return for the fire

district's fuels reduction and forestry work on their property, the

North Tahoe Public Utility District is working with the fire district

and Placer County to host a biomass pilot project at their regional

park in Tahoe Vista. " The NTPUD, right now, is positioned to be the

critical link to try and do a pilot project, " McMorrow said. A large

industrial chipper, known as a tub grinder, may be stationed at the

North Tahoe Regional Park this summer where it will shred the forest

waste into wood chips. The chips will then be loaded into trucks and

transported down to the closest biomass plant in Loyalton. McMorrow

said there are no plans to burn slash piles on the Firestone property.

Brush and branches will be mulched and left on the property, and

chopped-down logs, no larger than 14 inches in diameter, will be

hauled out to the tub grinder at the North Tahoe Regional Park for

biomass processing. The utility district's board of directors said

they will work with the fire district and Placer County to accommodate

the tub grinder in the park's most northern bowl, so long as

provisions are made to maintain the park's serene ambiance with

restricted hours of operation and some type of sound barrier, said

district board president Lane Lewis.

http://www.sierrasun.com/article/20080320/NEWS/244172588

 

 

10) Regarding PL/Maxxam Bankruptcy's suitor Mendocino Redwood Company:

I attended the Wharfinger meeting for MRC yesterday(Tuesday) along

with at least a dozen or so concerned " evironmentalists " (that's what

we were refferred to as by Wills and other unsecured creditors). After

sitting through their presentation, I asked them what their policy was

on old growth. Sandy Dean did most of the talking, along with Steve

Wills, MRC forester Mike, and the Marathon suit and tie guy. Sandy

repeated verbatim what is stated on the MRC site, that they have a OG

policy down to every tree. I asked him later if that means that they

down every tree, and that the policy was vague. I stated that Option A

(MRC's stated plan for the FSC certification)allows the removal of Old

Growth trees in un-entered stands, Old Growth groves less than 20

acres in size, groves containing less than 6 OG trees p/acre or 30 per

20 acres, or trees that are not displaying OG characteristics. Sandy

restated that their policy is what it says on the MRC site. I asked

him again, more directly, " Will MRC log OG trees in Humboldt county? "

He was " stumped " and moved on to the next question. After listening to

Steve Wills attack us(well, mostly Verbena) about the MRC being the

best option for Humboldt, and seeing EPIC and Freshwater Creek

Alliance(or whatever they call themselves now) smiling and nodding at

the presentation, I couldn't handle it anymore. I walked outside and

persuaded the photographer(hopefully) for a local media agency to come

out to Fern Gully to shoot the longest running tree-sit in history(6

years in October). He was unaware of any tree-sits currently, but very

interested and surprised that it hasn't been covered by the local

media. I hope the local mainstream media picks it up. I also hope that

the OG questions and interrogations that took place between Sandy and

I will hopefully be mentioned in the local media. CDF spokeswoman for

the North Coast Ima Sellout stated that the best thing to happen to

Mendo was the MRC, and that they have done a great job in restoring

their lands. The meeting ended and the environmentalists gathered

around the suits for a more direct Q and A session. Sandy clarified

what he could not clarify in the public Q and A session in regards to

MRC's Old Growth policy. Sandy stated that they do not cut OG trees,

and that to his knowledge, only two OG trees have been removed from

Mendo's forests(hmm, I wonder why he couldn't say this earlier in

front of the audience). Sandy also stated that MRC's Old Growth policy

supersedes Option A and that any trees that display OG characteristics

(48 " diameter or greater, pockets of ferns and canopy ecosystems, etc,

etc) are considered OG and that the only reasons that they could be

removed from their lands is (1) Safety (2) Road Construction (3)

Accidentally.

http://humboldtforestdefense.blogspot.com/2008/03/more-reorganization-concernsmr\

cs.html

 

Idaho:

 

11) A two-day conference in Moscow this week was all about

family-owned forest lands.

" The people that are attending have small acreage of forest land up to

large acreage, up to 3,000 acres, " said Idaho Forest Owners

Association Executive Vice President Arlene Pence. " So, we have quite

a variety of family forest owners that are here. " The Forest Owners

Association meeting, which was held at the U. Inn Monday and Tuesday,

has been in Moscow for the last 18 years. But it's not just about

timber. The conference looks at utilizing land in a way that features

the aesthetics as well as the other resources. Topics included

everything from horse logging to huckleberries. Pence said the group

also talked about big issues facing landowners. " Probably regulations

that keep coming down on them and if the small landowner doesn't have

any place to market their products, " she said. Pence said one of the

options landowners are coming up with is to open small sawmills. About

200 people attended the conference.

http://www.klewtv.com/news/16801241.html

 

Montana:

 

12) By collaborating with five sawmills and two conservation groups

not seriously concerned with wilderness designation, MWA has fallen in

with the likes of The Wilderness Society, Idaho Conservation League,

and, of course, the thoroughly compromised Campaign for America's

Wilderness, seeking fast and painless wilderness tokens at the cost of

the most essential element of the wilderness ethic: working and

sweating for wilderness support among the people that live near it and

out on the political hustings, and not trading equally precious

wildlife and ecological values (especially the integrity of roadless

areas) for drabs of rocks-and-ice wilderness. Also of concern to us is

the fact that current leadership and possibly some among the large

Helena staff of MWA appear to have a pessimistic attitude about MWA's

history that has driven them to " consult " with the Campaign for

America's Wilderness (formerly the Pew Wilderness Center), and now to

rely on money from Pew Charitable Trusts. The latter continues the old

Pew drive to confine wilderness legislation to rocks-and-ice regions

by co-opting gullible or calculating people in the wilderness

movement. The material supporters of Pew include Weyerhaeuser,

Burlington Northern, International Paper, ITT Rayonier, Dow Chemicals,

Dupont, Phelps-Dodge, General Electric, Raytheon, Caterpillar,

Chevron, Exxon, Mobil, Texaco and others. Organizations that have

gained access to Pew money are expected to show short-term gains in

wilderness protection regardless of the cost to other public resources

and political efforts. MWA received $37,000 from the Campaign for

America's Wilderness. What conditions, " advice " or other strings were

attached to this grant? All MWA's members should have received this

information long ago. The Great Bear Wilderness designated by Congress

in October 1978 was the last wilderness legislation won in the

Flathead. The Flathead-Kootenai Chapter has spent the years since then

building and cultivating our grassroots advocacy. We will not submit

to Faustian bargains in an attempt to cut across the switchbacks on

our way to new wilderness. For wilderness' sake, we are wilderness

advocates. Thank you for listening and best wishes…

http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/memo_to_mwa_return_to_our_roots/C41/L41/

 

Minnesota:

 

13) Goal One for Blandin Foundation's Public Policy & Engagement

program is " Do No Harm " (a.k.a. watch out for unintended

consequences!). That may seem like a low bar, but actually, it's not.

Especially when you're talking about forest biomass harvesting. Thanks

to Minnesota's new site-level harvest guidelines for forest biomass ,

Minnesota is well positioned to explore the contributions that forest

resources can make to achieving Governor Pawlenty's ambitious " 25×25 "

strategic goal – 25% of all types of Minnesota's energy will come from

renewable sources by 2025. What can be done to help ensure a Do No

Harm outcome – and maybe even better than that! – for our

forest-dependent communities, forest-based businesses and the forest

resource itself? To help create the best possible shot at optimizing

benefits to our forested region from the Governor's 25×25 vision,

Blandin Foundation has agreed to convene a Forest Biomass Harvesting

Stakeholder Forum. The first meeting will be held April 29. The

purpose of the forum is to hear from on-the-ground practitioners who

are actually doing forest biomass harvesting about what's working (and

what's not). Forum participants also will explore what should or could

be done to ensure a win-win-win outcome for utilities, forests,

communities and forest-based businesses, all of which share an

interest in implementation of sustainable forest management practices

and a more energy independent future for our state.

http://vfvc.wordpress.com/2008/03/19/do-no-harm-renewable-energy-mandates-and-fo\

rest-biomass-h

arvesting/

 

West Virginia:

 

14) ELKINS -- If Congressman Nick Rahall's bill passes, the Big Draft,

Spice Run, Cheat Mountain and Roaring Plains sections of the

Monongahela National Forest would be designated as wilderness areas,

but once an area is designated, many things, like logging become

restricted. " That means that there can never be any cherry, oak or any

of our hardwood timbers taken out and sold to help fund our local

schools, " says Wilmoth Cooper, a member of the Randolph County

Planning Commission. Members of the US Forest Service say the proposed

designation areas are part of their " roadless area inventory. " They

say designating those areas of the forest as " wilderness " will not

affect logging. " They are all right now given a management

prescription that would essentially not allow commercial timber

harvest or new road construction anyway, " says David Ede, with the US

Forest Service. Even so, Cooper is still opposed to proposed

wilderness areas. He says the county will lose a lot of tourism money.

" If it goes into wilderness areas, motor vehicles can't be taken in

there at any time. There can't be a bicycle path in there, " says

Cooper. Others in Randolph County support the proposed designation

areas, like environmentalist Hugh Rogers. " I do think we ought to

preserve some areas of old growth because it's a specific habitat. And

it's a specific type of ecology that we have less and less of, " says

Rogers, with the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy. Governor Manchin

supports an alternative wilderness designation bill that would

designate just three additional sections of the forest.

http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory & storyid=36184

North Carolina:

 

15) " In the end our society will be defined not only by what we create

but by what we refuse to destroy. " This forthright statement by John

Sawhill continues to manifest itself in an eerily prophetic way,

taking shape in the very cities and communities we call home. With the

effects of wastefulness and disregard for the environment making its

way into the very lives of our friends, our neighbors and even

ourselves, preservation can no longer be simply a consideration—it's

demanding our deliberate action. At the helm of this movement on a

local scale is an organization making big waves within what they call

an " over-packaged " world, a group that's striving to change paper

packaging in the South for good: Dogwood Alliance. " The number-one

goal of Dogwood Alliance is to protect Southern forests and

communities, " Campaign Director Scot Quaranda informs. " We are the

only organization in the South holding corporations accountable for

the impact of their industrial forestry practices on our forests and

our communities. We do this through a combination of persistent

grassroots pressure and skillful negotiation. " The South contains the

most bio-diverse temperate forests in the world and the highest

concentration of wetlands in the entire United States, most of which

are forested. These forests are some of the most biologically rich

ecosystems one can find‚ but they are also part of the largest

paper-producing region in the world. Because half of all paper

production goes to paper packaging, the packaging itself holds the key

to forest protection, according to Dogwood Alliance. As more and more

individuals are catching on to the fact that it's time we all start

recycling, watching our over-consumption of energy and making our

homes more environmentally friendly (cue the hybrid cars, compact

fluorescent light bulbs, and the obsessive separation of papers,

plastics and glass), Dogwood is going straight to the big dogs to

demand change. They are confronting not individuals but corporations,

urging them to set a standard for the rest of the business world. " Our

biggest impact thus far has been in the office supply industry, "

Quaranda reveals. http://encorepub.com/index.php

 

USA:

 

16) The investments of stocks, bonds, real estate, commodities and

gold, etc. have had a history of ups and downs. However, with an

investment in trees there will never be a losing year. Did you know

that trees have considerable environmental benefits? One hundred

mature trees can remove 37 tons of carbon dioxide and 248 pounds of

other pollutants per year. These trees can also catch about 139,000

gallons of rainwater per year, and with proper placement can save 20

percent on annual air conditioning costs. Tree-filled neighborhoods

have been known to lower levels of domestic violence and tend to be

more sociable. In tree-lined commercial districts, shoppers report

more frequent shopping trips and a willingness to spend about 12

percent more for goods. Trees will contribute to higher property

values. Each large front yard tree can add 1 percent to the house

sales price and large specimen trees can add 10 percent to the

property value. The greatest benefits are energy's savings and higher

property values. Over a 40 year period the initial cost and

maintenance of a tree is $920 compared to the estimated benefits of

$3,640. This is about a 4 percent rate of return and does not include

the higher property values. Of course there is the enjoyment of trees

in any landscape.

One of the things you can so for the environment is plant a tree as

often as you can. You will receive benefits as well as your children

and grandchildren.

http://www.austindailyherald.com/articles/2008/03/19/news/news07.txt

 

17) This joint U. S. Department of Commerce and U. S. Department of

Agriculture document: FIRE WEATHER, is a 229 page detailed scientific

explanation, which describes the closed canopy forest as one which

provides a variety of benefits that decrease the risk of forest fires

and states that all features of the environment that affect heating

and cooling are significant.The forest canopy of dense timber stands

shades the ground and the forest fuels from elevated temperatures from

solar radiation. The forest canopy radiates out the heat accumulated

from solar radiation. The forest canopy provides moisture by

transpiration through the leaves to the air and forest fuels, which

decreases the possibility of forest fires. Transpiration from an area

of dense vegetation can contribute up to eight times as much moisture

to the atmosphere as can an equal area of bare ground. The forest

canopy slows down wind movement and fire progress, due to its large

friction area. A forest with a dense understory is an effective

barrier to downslope winds. The two most important weather, or

weather-related, elements affecting wildland fire behavior are wind

and fuel moisture. Wind affects wildfire in many ways. It carries away

moisture-laden air and hastens the drying of forest fuels. Logs under

a forest canopy remain more moist(approximately 25% more moist)

through the season than those exposed to the sun and wind. The flow

beneath a dense canopy is affected only slightly by thermal

turbulence, except where holes let the sun strike bare ground or

litter on the forest floor, causing local heating. Convective winds

have their origin in local temperature differences. The nature and

strength of convective winds vary with many other factors. Since they

are temperature-dependent, all features of the environment that affect

heating and cooling are significant. Even small openings in a moderate

to dense timber stand may become warm air pockets during the day.

These openings often act as natural chimneys and may accelerate the

rate of burning of surface fires. Temperature of forest fuels, and of

the air around and above them, is one of the key factors in

determining how wildland fires start and spread. U.S. Government

Printing Office : 0-244 :923, first printed in May 1970, Reviewed and

approved for reprinting August 1977 wuerthner

 

 

18) The Defendants are a corrupt federal bureaucracy that seeks to

incinerate the forests under their charge, and any and all private

properties, homes, or communities within 30 miles of public land. They

know nothing about forests or forestry, and seek public funds and

power to destroy that which they were hired to protect. The Plaintiffs

come to these issues not from long experience in caring for forests,

but from a radical political agenda that seeks to overthrow the U.S.

Government and institute a communist/fascist dictatorship. They are

closet anarchists and America-haters. In fact, they hate the entire

human race. The Defendants routinely create faulty plans that they

know are out of accord with the laws that govern them, seek to cut

corners in every case, appoint idiot lawyers who know nothing about

anything, and display an incompetence that borders on criminal

negligence. No, not borders, IS criminal negligence full blown. The

Judges are ignorant about forests, forestry, wildlife biology, fire,

any and all environmental science, and are ignorant of the law as

well. My judgment: I condemn them all. I find all of the Parties

Involved guilty as charged. I am sickened by their behaviors. If it

was within my powers, I would throw every one of them in the

penitentiary for 20 years to life, and let them rot in their tiny

cells while they contemplate the error of their ways. Can forests be

saved from catastrophic fire? Of course. Can owl habitat be protected

from incineration? Of course. Can old-growth trees be saved and

perpetuated? Absolutely. But nobody involved seeks to protect,

maintain, and/or perpetuate forests, old-growth trees, wildlife

populations, wildlife habitat, watershed values, or any other facet of

forests. What is required is professional forestry oriented to those

missions. And that is exactly what is lacking.

http://westinstenv.org/sosf/2008/03/13/my-judgment/

 

 

19) Enterprise launched the 50 Million Tree Pledge - a commitment to

plant 50 million trees over 50 years at a cost of $50 million - in

2006 in recognition that conservation is one important means to

address the impact of the company's fleet of more than 1 million

vehicles on the environment. The initiative also marked the company's

50th anniversary.

Each year until 2056, with funding provided by the Enterprise

Rent-A-Car Foundation, the Arbor Day Foundation will work with the

U.S. Forest Service to plant 1 million trees in National Forests

around the country, and in international locations where Enterprise

does business, with the greatest and most immediate needs. tree

planting projects for 2008 include: 1) Huron-Manistee National Forest,

Michigan - 445,000 trees, to be planted in May 2) Flathead National

Forest, Montana - 160,000 trees, planted late May/early June 3)

Deschutes National Forest, Oregon - 160,000 trees, planted in April 4)

Forests in Southeastern Manitoba, Canada - 100,000 trees, planted

mid-April 5) Black Forest/ Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany - 50,000 trees,

planted this fall 6) Since the effort was launched in 2006, 2 million

trees have been planted across Alabama, California, Colorado, Idaho,

Michigan, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, Canada and Scotland. -- " A

reforestation effort of this scale allows us to plant trees where

they're most badly needed, particularly as we continue to experience

some of the most devastating fire seasons on record, " said John

Rosenow, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. " And the ongoing

financial commitment from Enterprise means we can make a real

difference for the next

half-century. " http://www.pr-inside.com/correcting-and-replacing-50-million-tree-\

r486161.htm

 

 

Canada:

 

20) A group of British Columbian activists who have just completed a

three-day " learning tour " of the Alberta tar sands are calling for an

end to new approvals for tar sands expansion at a press conference

today. " We have come to Alberta because we are concerned with Gordon

Campbell's proposal for an energy corridor carrying tar sands oil to

West Coast ports, " says Carleen Pickard, BC organizer for the Council

of Canadians. Despite having adopted California's Low Carbon Fuel

Standard, the BC government is backing this initiative to have tankers

ply through fragile coastal eco-systems to carry oil south to the

United States and West to China. " She was joined by BC based

representatives from the Canadian Union of Public Employees,

Greenpeace, Check Your Head, the Stop TILMA Coalition and accompanied

by reporters from the Institute for Citizen Journalism, who visited

Fort McMurray to hear the firsthand experiences of communities living

around the tar sands. The groups are critical of the B.C. government.

" Our premier Gordon Campbell has said climate change is a top

priority, yet he's encouraging increased tar sands production and more

greenhouse gases by his support for the Enbridge pipeline and northern

energy corridor. This is hypocritical. He should be using his special

relationship with Alberta to try to slow down tar sands development,

not encouraging more " , says Blair Redlin of the Canadian Union of

Public Employees. Greenpeace organizer Mike Hudema, based out of

Edmonton, also joined the group. " With the lack of a federal plan to

meaningfully address climate change it becomes more important for

provinces to take the lead in fighting global warming and working to

protect our environment. Ending new approvals on the tar sands is the

first step in addressing this social and environmental nightmare. "

They are also calling on the Federal government to adopt a sustainable

Canadian energy strategy and resist pressures to increase production

to satisfy an expanding U.S. market. cpickard

 

21) While a subcontracter and a team of horses worked on a recent job

at the Bluewater Education Foundation's outdoor centre near Oliphant,

Shannon used his Timberjack skidder to gather logs near the highway to

truck to his home near Proton Station. The weak U.S. economy and

currency mean lumber prices have dropped to a third of what they were

a year ago except for the best logs - high-end maple, black cherry and

black walnut. For the woodlot clients who can afford it, he's advising

them to wait until prices recover. Except for a few woodlot management

clients who work with him on a fee for service basis, Shannon, owner

of the forest management firm Arbor North, bids for work against

mechanized competitors. It makes sense that a 550-kilogram horse does

less damage in the bush than a 4,500 kilogram skidder. Now Shannon,

who has taught horse logging at Sir Sanford Fleming College in Lindsay

and speaks frequently to woodlot and horse breeding groups, also has

data to prove the environmental benefits of horses. A study by

University of Toronto researcher Harvey Anderson compared the impact

of soil compaction from heavy equipment against some of Shannon's

horse-logged sites. He found much quicker growth among remaining trees

in the bushes where horses had worked. " It's common sense, " Shannon

said. " If you look at any tip up, the majority of the root growth is

lateral root growth on trees . . . So in the first five years the tree

has to spend all its energy re-establishing all those fine roots from

a mechanical logging system. " Despite the involvement of horses, this

isn't exactly old-fashioned logging. Shannon combines animals in the

bush with mechanical skidding to maximize his efficiency and minimize

environmental damage.

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=950587

 

 

UK:

 

22) Wildlife is threatened by a move to cut trees from a five-mile

stretch of the River Thames, campaigners have said. The Port of London

Authority (PLA) is concerned that roots from hundreds of trees on the

south-west London stretch damage the bank's flood defences. A PLA

spokesman said: " It's our view that the only course of action is to

remove these trees. " But charity Wildlife Aid said the move would

deprive numerous birds and animals of their nesting sites. The PLA has

begun to cut down trees from the area which they fear compromise the

bank's protective wall. Spokesman Jim Trimmer said: " These trees are

primarily self-seeded trees, they are not the mature specimens that

can be seen on the back of the tow path. " But Wildlife Aid head vet

nurse Sarah Cowan criticised the " drastic course of action " . " It is

the beginning of the breeding season for all the birds and mammals

that nest in the trees, " she said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7305716.stm

 

Kenya:

 

23) Over 3,000 illegal squatters were on Wednesday evicted from

Embobut forest in Marakwet district. During the operation by forest

officials, 450 houses were razed down. The operation which was

supervised by the District Forest Officer Chrisphine Ochieng lasted

six hours and will continue for the next two days. The squatters

watched in disbelief as their structures were set on fire following

the expiry of a 14-day eviction notice. Forest officials accused the

squatters of destroying huge chunks of the forest which is a water

catchment area for Lakes Victoria, Turkana and Baringo. Nearly all the

rivers drawing water from the catchments have dried up. People living

in the area who depend on the water for irrigation and domestic

purposes are suffering. Mr Ochieng said four people who farming in the

forest were arrested for resisting eviction even after their illegal

structures were destroyed. He said his officers encountered some

resistance as the squatters fired some gunshots from the forest at

Kapchebau village in a bid to scare the officers from burning their

houses. Area District Commissioner Joseph Otieno warned the squatters

against going back to the forest. He said the ministry had been asked

to transform the area into a farmland by planting tree seedlings. He

said environmental non-governmental organisations had also been

invited to step in. " It is encouraging that most of the squatters are

co-operative in the exercise, " the DC said, adding that the government

used a humane approach by asking them to move with their belongings

and their farm produce before destroying the houses they lived in even

after defying the eviction notice. Some squatters accused others who

had been allocated land at Kessom and Koropken open glades of

encroaching on the forest. " The forest is our ancestral land which we

have occupied from time immemorial but some outsiders have taken

advantage of our presence to encroach on it despite being allocated

alternative land, " Mr Yolk Arap Kimurei, who welcomed the eviction,

said. He urged the government to vet genuine squatters and members of

the respective glades so that they could be allocated alternative

land. Onions and tobacco plantations were also destroyed as the

officers burnt their houses and other structures in the forest. Many

of the families asked the government to resettle them elsewhere. Mr

Ochieng said the squatters had destroyed between 15,000 and 25,000

acres of the forest through illegal logging, charcoal burning and over

grazing.

http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1 & newsid=\

119405

 

Mexico:

 

24) A few weeks ago, Crescencio Morales took to the streets, closing

highway traffic in protest of the logging. Their primary demand is

that all levels of government do something to stop the illegal

deforestation ocurring on the limits between the State of Michoacan

and the State of Mexico in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve

(MBBR). According to sources, the indigenous community of Crescencio

Morales has blockaded the road between Michoacan and the State of

Mexico in protest of government incompetence and incapacity to stop

illegal logging. They demand that the government, ideally the army,

establish permanent check points to guard their forest. They are

renting heavy machinery to block off roads and prevent loggers from

entering the forest. However they demand help from the government to

protect what they have. They warned the government of the blockade,

but due to lack of response, have halted traffic until specific action

is taken. http://ecolifefoundation.typepad.com/news/2008/03/mbbr-community.html

 

Bolivia:

 

25) Bolivia is one of Latin America poorest countries and is looking

for a way of improving its economy. Instead of dirty mining or cutting

wood, a report written by Andrea Urioste states that Bolivia could

sell oxygen. While this may sound like they'd need buyers who are also

interested in oceanfront property in Kansas, what we're talking about

here is selling the " protection and conservation " of its natural

forests. According to Ms. Urioste, Bolivia could be paid money to

preserve forest environments. She proposes a scheme in which rich

countries would pay money in exchange for the right to emit more

carbon. It's like TerraPass for nations. In a recent report by the

World Bank, keeping 1 ha (2.47 acres) as forest rather than razing it

could be worth something between $1,500 and $10,000. If you think it

isn't such an important figure, bear in mind that the same report said

that 1 ha of soy allows income of about $1,500, while 1 ha dedicated

to cattle pays $500 pack and 1 ha of coca, from $250 to $400. I guess

trees are the answer.

http://auto.blogforward.com/other/6666/poor-country-in-need-of-cash-sell-forests\

-to-trade-off-

pollution.html

 

Brazil:

 

26) Suspended 100 feet above the rain forest floor, I finally

understand why I traveled thousands of miles to the Amazon to climb

trees. Through the lattice of leaves I glimpse a loftier, greener

world where only the cries of howler monkeys and macaws pierce the

silence. As I inch higher, the canopy grows closer: Its branches

stretch over the forest like an awning, shielding the earth from the

equatorial sun. I ease back into my climbing saddle to rest, stretch

my fingers, and watch the sunset as I sway beneath the rope that

supports me. Then I make a mistake. I look down. When I see my feet

dangling more than ten stories above the ground, I panic and freeze.

Recreational tree climbing has an impeccable safety record: Tree

Climbers International (TCI), the sport's flagship organization and

first for-profit school, has facilitated lessons for more than 100,000

climbers since 1983 without any fatal accidents. This statistic

escapes me, however, as I stare down at giant fronds that look like

the tops of tiny pineapples. As I white-knuckle the rope connected to

my saddle, my instructor, Tim Kovar, swings closer to me. " How's it

going? " he asks. I tell him I'm about to throw up. Kovar, a sunburned

giant with tattoos covering his limbs, smiles and tosses a connecting

cord between us. " Up here, you can only throw down, " he laughs. I

smile back but clench the rope even tighter - low humor isn't

comforting at high altitudes. He slowly guides me upward through the

branches, but I'm too tense to appreciate the breathtaking panorama.

After a few minutes of hanging in the bottom of the canopy, I head

back down. Kovar, 37, has guided more than 3,000 students into the

trees since 1993. While working as a cook in Atlanta, where TCI is

based, he met the organization's founder, Peter Jenkins, at a local

karate dojo. http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/17/smbusiness/climbing_amazon.fsb/

 

Pakistan:

 

27) The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has axed over 60,000 paper

mulberry trees on the excuse that they cause pollen allergy but the

increasing number of patients has discredited this excuse. The Met

Office on Sunday issued a chart mentioning that pollen count in the

capital drastically increased from 1,540 pollen per cubic meter (PCM)

on March 8 to 40,582 PCM on March 13 and 44,828 on March 14. On March

15 it came down to 41,911 PCM but the next day it went up to 43,469

PCM. The report said average increase in pollen count from March 8 to

16 was around 5,500 PCM per day. Wild grass and cannabis are also

producers of allergy-causing pollens that can affect sensitive people.

Dr Nadeem Abbasi, chairman of the horticulture department of the

University of Arid Agriculture Rawalpindi (UAAR), told Daily Times the

prolonged winter had delayed the yield of pollen. Usually, the pollen

allergy season started in mid February but this time it started in

March, he said, indicating that the lower number of complaints of

pollen allergy last month was not because of massive tree cutting but

the prolonged winter that has affected the trees. Abbasi said, " The

flowering of paper mulberry has been delayed but pollen threat will

continue if weather remains dry for another week or two, " he said. " My

life has become miserable because of pollen allergy. I start sneezing

as soon as a door or window of my house opens, " Rehana Hashmi, a

working women and resident of Sector F-7/2, said

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C03%5C18%5Cstory_18-3-2008_p\

g11_5

 

Asia:

 

28) A massive well-established illegal market in stolen black market

timbers threatens to bring down all of Asia's rainforests. The main

perpetrators include Indonesia, Burma, Cambodia and Russia. China is

the largest buyer of illegal timber [search] in the world. Along with

Japan, and to a lesser extent India, Europe and the U.S., all are

tacit supporters by acting as prime markets. The newest frontiers for

ill-gotten timbers is from Laos via Vietnam [ark]. The problem of

illegal rainforest logging [search] has been known for ages, and has

resulted in little more than meaningless rhetoric. And recent

backtracking, as Indonesia has announced it will allow mining in its

rainforests [ark]. The existence of a legal timber including those

falsely certified as being well-managed and sustainable, provides

cover and legitimacy to the trade, confusing the public. it is

criminally ecologically negligent to allow rainforests to be logged

for a pittance when they should remain in rainforest canopies making

the Earth habitable.

http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/2008/03/asias_stolen_rainforests.asp

 

India:

 

29) In a clear case of conflict of interest, the seniormost forest

officer in the country, Director General of Forests (DGF) P R Mohanty,

will now be sitting as a member of the Supreme Court-appointed

Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC), reviewing the very decisions he

takes as part of the government. The DGF, a special secretary-level

official, is not the only controversial appointee on the committee.

Another member, P V Jayakrishnan, a retired environment secretary

whose name was recommended in his personal capacity by the environment

ministry while he headed it, continues on CEC even after a recent

reconstitution. Another forest official, N K Joshi, who had become

member in his personal capacity while serving in the ministry, was

ousted in the reshuffle. To round off the curious circle, CEC

secretary M K Jiwrajika, another senior serving forest official, till

recently was drawing his salary from a fund created on CEC's

recommendations, taxing project developers for using forest land. The

recent CEC reconstitution by the apex court because of the

government's objections has, instead of cleaning up the situation,

brought in the DGF and placed him in this unique overlap of the

judiciary and executive.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ministry_bosses_in_panel_to_review_own_decisi\

ons/articlesho

w/2882898.cms

 

 

30) SONEBHADRA: Around 10,000 tribals in Uttar Pradesh's Sonebhadra

District have demanded land and forest rights to sustain themselves.

" We have no land to till and are facing hardships. How long this

plight will continue? " asked Sursati, a tribal woman. Eminent social

worker Medha Patkar also addressed the rally. Over seven thousand

women protesters took part in the event. Over 40 million people live

in the country's resource rich forest areas, which include protected

wildlife reserves and dense woodlands, eking out a meagre living from

simple farming, picking fruit and collecting honey. For generations,

they have had no legal entitlement over the land or the use of forest

resources. They claim they are treated as " encroachers " and

" criminals " on their own land and forced to leave it by forestry

officials, mining and logging companies.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/UP_tribals_seek_forest_rights/articleshow/287\

5200.cms

 

 

31) Though it has been considered that Joint Forest Management

committees have to be set up in every village for protection of the

forests, restrictions imposed on felling of trees and collection of

wood would deny the people living in the forest areas of their

livelihood. Moreover, although it has been laid down that

representatives NGOs, village chiefs and head of families in each

household in the villages of every district have to be included in the

Joint Forest Management committee, the same has not been followed and

the government has not taken them into confidence in this regard, said

Peter. Jayenti Keishing of United NGOs Mission, Ukhrul asserted that

there is lot of confusion among the people on its implementation at

the grassroots level. Forest resources in the hill districts have been

converted to money minting machines for a handful of people, he

alleged adding that there are no restrictions on lifting of large

quantity of woods from the forest area by the officials of the forest

department though the common people are not allowed to venture inside.

Even for collecting dry wood from the forest area where they grew up,

people in the hill areas have to seek the permission of the forest

department and taxes are being imposed unreasonably, complained

Jayenti. Therefore, the concept of Joint Forest Management should be

clear and the people living in the forest areas made aware of the

programme and a prior consent from public should be taken for such

projects to be undertaken, he said. The implementation of Joint Forest

Management resolution was adopted on June 8, 2000. However, it was

implemented only in 2003 and so far 937 villages in the state have

been covered under the Joint Forest Management program.

http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=headline & newsid=41515 & typeid=1

 

Vietnam:

 

32) Vietnam has become a major South-East Asian hub for processing

illegally logged timber, according to a report from two environmental

charities. The trade threatens some of the last intact forests in the

region, say the UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and

Indonesia's Telapak. Because Vietnam has increased measures to protect

its own forest, producers are getting timber from other nations. The

authors add that some of the timber is reaching the UK as garden

furniture. " Over the last decade, governments around the world have

made a raft of pronouncements regarding the seriousness of illegal

logging and their determination to tackle it, " the authors of the

Borderlines report say. " Yet the stark reality is 'business as usual'

for the organised syndicates looting the remaining precious tropical

forests for a quick profit. " The report says that an increase in the

price of raw timber has prompted some wood producing countries, such

as Indonesia, to take steps to combat illegal logging. But, they

explain, as tougher measures were enforced by one country, the problem

shifts to another. EIA and Telapak say they have gathered evidence

that " Vietnam is now exploiting the forests of neighbouring Laos to

obtain valuable hardwoods for its outdoor furniture industry " , which

contravenes Laotian laws banning the export of logs and sawn timber.

They add that they also obtained evidence that timber traders from

Thailand and Singapore were also securing raw materials from Laos. The

researchers who compiled the report said they met a Thai businessman

who openly admitted paying bribes to secure a consignment of timber

with a potential value of half a billion dollars. " The cost of such

unfettered greed is borne by rural communities in Laos who are

dependent on the forests for their traditional livelihoods, " said

EIA's head of forest campaigns, Julian Newman. " They gain virtually

nothing from this trade; instead, the money goes to corrupt officials

in Laos and businesses in Vietnam and Thailand. " The authors estimate

there are about 1,500 wood processing enterprises in Vietnam with a

total processing capacity of more than 2.5m cubic metres of logs a

year. They believe outdoor furniture accounts for about 90% of the

country's total wood exports.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7302732.stm

 

Indonesia:

 

33) Here's a website idea that is crossing over and having a real

impact on real world climate change issues. Everytime you plant an

animated tree on this site, a real baby tree comes to life in the

Indonesian rainforest. And for the first time ever, you can see real

time proof -- pictures, exact co-ordinates and your name on your baby

tree. Indonesia's rainforest is one of the most important centers of

biodiversity in the world. But 2 football fields disappear every

minute. But now people can plant a cute little animated tree online at

www.mybabytree.org and WWF plants a real one in Sebangau, Kalimantan.

But what's really cool is this - Thanks to Geotag technology, for the

first time, they can see the exact location of their tree, photos and

their personally named tree on Google Earth! For just 5$ (which pays

for the nursery, land and care from local communities) through a

secure paypal transaction one of the last remaining rainforests can be

saved one baby tree at a time. Top Indonesian stars come out to show

support for mybabytree and the good cause at a virtual tree planting

event where they all plant a babytree online.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/03/prweb786284.htm

34) Illegal logging and land clearance have damaged 56 million

hectares of Indonesian forests and it takes 56 years to rehabilitate

them, an official said Wednesday. " If the replanting grows at the rate

of 1 million hectares a year, we need 56 years to save all the damaged

forests, " Forestry Minister Malam Sabat Kaban was quoted by the

national Antara news agency as saying. He claimed that over the last

four years, the replanting program has saved 3 million hectares of

forest. " Previously, the destruction affected 59 million hectares of

the country's total 120 million hectares of forest. The damaged forest

has been reduced to 56 million hectares, " he said during a visit to

the southern Java town of Yogyakarta.

http://indosnesos.blogspot.com/2008/03/deforestation-reaches-56-mln-hectares.htm\

l

 

Papua New Guinea:

 

35) Papua New Guinea (PNG) will phase out log exports by 2010 said

Forest Minister Belden Namah last month. The move comes as the country

seeks to gain greater control over illegal logging and promote

expansion of oil palm cultivation. The National reported that the

phase-out could result in the loss of PGK450 million ($166 million)

worth of revenue from raw log exports annually. However the impact is

expected to be offset by increased revenue from downstream processing

of timber. Raw logs — which are often exported to China, sometimes

illegally — offer the lowest economic return on timber resources and

provide less opportunities for employment than higher-value processing

industries. Namah also announced a tripling of the timber royalty paid

to landowners, from PGK10 ($4) to PGK30 ($11) per cubic meter (logging

in PNG can yield 25 cubic meters per hectare). Companies that fail to

comply with the new laws will see their timber permits revoked said

Namah. More than 60 percent of Papua New Guinea is forested but

between 2000 and 2005, the country lost an average of 250,200 hectares

of old-growth forest per year, according to the U.N. Overall PNG lost

4 million hectares of primary forest between 1990 and 2005.

http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0318-png.html

 

New Zealand:

 

36) A deforestation survey released yesterday has been described by

the National Party as evidence of a chainsaw massacre, but the

Government says it shows fewer trees will be cut down in future.

National's climate change spokesman Nick Smith said the figures were

" nothing short of an environmental disaster " because they showed a

record 19,000ha of deforestation last year. That amounted to millions

of trees, he said, and the records showed deforestation began in 2004.

" It is no coincidence that deforestation started the year after the

Labour Government decided to deny forest owners the carbon credits

from their trees, " he said. " Proposals to impose a deforestation tax

further accelerated this chainsaw massacre. " Landowners continued to

deforest in order to avoid liabilities beginning on January 1 2008,

under the emissions trading scheme. " But Forestry Minister Jim

Anderton said the survey showed forest owners intended cutting down

fewer trees as a result of the proposed emissions trading scheme. He

said last year's survey on the amount of planned deforestation between

2008 and 2012 – the commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol – was

about 50,000ha. The latest survey showed that had dropped to 12,000ha

over the same period. " That's a saving in emission liabilities of $760

million for the New Zealand economy, assuming a carbon price of $25

per tonne, " he said. Mr Anderton acknowledged that the survey also

showed landowners had taken advantage of the transitional period

before 2008, when deforestation could be undertaken without

liabilities under the protocol.

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