I. Announcements

• Earth Friends to Plant 2,000 Trees for Tigers
• American Forests Gets an "A"
• Race For Trees!
• Membership Plans Trip to South Africa

II. What's Happening?

• Paving the Way for Wilderness Roads
• High Hopes For An Oak
• Trees and Their Hold on H2O

III. Activities and Links

• American Forests’ Feature Creature: The Lynx
• Environmental News from ENS-news.com

To kick off the New Year, American Forests received a generous donation from Earth Friends Wildlife Foundation, an organization that promises to help build bridges to our future by giving a voice to the earth's wildlife and wild places.

Founded in 1995 by Rick Flory, an entrepreneur and visionary, Earth Friends Wildlife Foundation is committed to using its resources to support the work of conservation and wildlife protection groups.

The organization supports the efforts of our scientists, socially responsible businesses, and community to create a sustainable future.

Earth Friends Wildlife Foundation carries a message of "hope, of our connectedness, of the dignity for all life forms, and of a great and urgent need."

This year, as part of American Forests' Trees for Tigers program, Earth Friends will plant 2,000 trees in 2003. "We look forward to continuing our long-term partnership with American Forests and toward great success with the projects, " says Earth Friends' executive director, Lee Robert.

Poaching and forest fragmentation have taken their toll on Siberian tigers. In addition, intense logging in the region has led to the near disappearance of native Korean pine -- a key species critical to the size of the tiger population, because this nuts of this species are a vital food source for elk, deer, and boar -- the tiger's chief prey.

Today, the Korean pine is protected by Russian law. Yet in many areas of prime tiger habitat, the ecosystem is virtually wiped out. In order to bring the forest ecosystem back to health, millions must be planted to replace those logged in the past.

Our partners such as Earth Friends Wildlife Foundation and donations from tree lovers across America have helped us plant thousands of trees to restore the habitat. To find out more about Trees for Tigers, visit http://www.treesfortigers.org.

American Forests Gets an "A"

The November 28th issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy featured American Forests on the cover for its B+ nonprofit business rating. In the article, American Forests executive director Deborah Gangloff said,” We take very seriously those ratings. Of course my board asks how can I make that an A?”

Last month, her question was answered when American Forests was upgraded to an ‘A’ by Charity Navigator, and now passes all 23 standards of the Better Business Bureau.

We’d like to know what you think? How important are the ratings by charity watchdog groups to you? Email us at info@amfor.org.

Membership Plans Trip to South Africa

American Forests is teaming up with People to People Ambassador Programs to develop and lead annual forestry delegations to forested areas around the world. After a successful excursion to China in 2001, the two organizations are planning a trip to South Africa in November 2003.

American Forests has a tradition of sponsoring educational trips for people with an interest in forestry, beginning with the popular Trail Riders backcountry pack trips in the 1930s to the 1980s and continuing in the 1990s with trips to Europe, Asia, and Latin America. People to People Ambassador Programs was founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to further his belief that private citizens reaching out in friendship to people of other nations could make a significant contribution to world peace. American Forests proudly joins this venture to promote friendly relations among countries through scientific, professional, and technical exchange.

The South Africa trip will take place November 8-19, 2003, and American Forests is working with People to People staff in the U.S. and South Africa to develop the itinerary. The exchange is intended primarily to allow forestry-related disciplines and others interested in forests to exchange views and observe physical, biological, and social/economic factors. Participants also will learn about South Africa's forestry and natural resource issues and demands.

Among the topics being considered are: sustainable forestry, reforestation, timber harvest, ecosystem protection, urban ("social") forestry, forestry-wildlife relationships, protected areas, and subsistence use of forests by local people.

People to People Ambassador Programs' staff will provide all travel arrangements, country and local guides, and interpreters as appropriate. Watch for more details in future ForestBytes.

Race For Trees!

Race Uwharrie 2003 in Raleigh, North Carolina benefits American Forests.

To help American Forests plant trees in restoration projects, the annual Uwharrie Mountain run will be held February 8th, 2003 in the Uwharrie National Forest in central North Carolina. For the first time, a portion of the proceeds from the race will go to charity, and American Forests is proud to be the recipient of this honor.

Awards are a special tradition at Uwharrie, a region well known for its beautiful pottery. All participants receive a race t-shirt and those finishing the race receive hand painted pottery awards crafted by a local Seagrove potter. The top three male and female winners in each race receive handmade commemorative plates. Awards are presented as runners finish.

If you are interested in registering for the race or learning more about the tricky terrain of the trail, visit www.raceuwharrie.com . All proceeds benefiting American Forests will go to our Global ReLeaf program. You can find out more about the program by visiting http://www.americanforests.org.

Armstrong's Bayou Trees

Armstrong Wood Products is helping plant 175,000 native hardwoods at the Bayou Bartholomew in Arkansas and an additional 25,000 hardwoods at the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Texas.

Bayou Bartholomew, the world's longest bayou, begins slightly northwest of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and flows approximately 300 miles before crossing the border of Louisiana and joining the Ouachita River. Lined in places with cypress and tupelo swamps, inhabited by alligators and large turtles, visited by waterfowl, and containing more than 130 species of fish, the bayou is considered a wonder of nature.

Although it's escaped many of the negative effects of channelization common to other parts of the delta, this riparian area still suffers from previous deforestation and agriculturalization. It's also an important habitat for endangered, threatened, and sensitive species such as the American alligator, snapping turtle, and bald eagle.

The Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge follows the last 275 river mils of the Rio Grande. Subtropical, temperate, coastal, and desert influences converge at this juncture, and the Lower Rio Grande Valley is considered one of the most biologically diverse wildlife refuges in the continental United States. Eleven distinct biotic communities are host or home to 1,100 types of plants, 200 vertebrate species (including 484 birds) and more then 300 species of butterflies.

More than 50 native hardwood bottomland species are being planted on 1,300 acres of riparian fringe land.

To learn more about Armstrong's environmental vision, visit http://www.armstrong.com/corporatena/environment.html or http://www.americanforests.org/planttrees/corporations/corporations.php#armstrong

Paving the Way for Wilderness Roads

In late December, the Washington Post reported that the Bush administration is about to make it easier for state and local governments to gain control over roads and paths on federal lands, a move some say will spur development in wilderness areas and national parks.

A rule published in late December creates a streamlined procedure to resolve title disputes over who controls rights of way along many roads, trails and rivers that cross federal lands. The policy allows the Bureau of Land Management to disclaim federal ownership "in a wide variety of property interests that may be in dispute," according to a BLM summary of the rule. It waives a 12-year limit on when applications can be filed and allows any entity, not just the owners of record, to ask the federal government to relinquish its interest in a parcel.

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) said the rule "will let the administration enter into closed-door negotiations for paving our national parks, refuges and forests. It's another dilution of the 'public' part of 'public lands.' " Federal officials denied such charges, calling the policy an administrative answer to complaints by state and local governments, especially in the western United States, that "clouded titles" have made it difficult to build and improve roads and impose new traffic patterns.

What do you think about the new rule for roadless areas? Will it make national parks and wilderness areas more vulnerable? Or will it serve as a better way to solve land ownership disputes? Email us at info@amfor.org . To get the latest news and information about trees and forests, visit http://www.americanforests.org.

High Hopes For An Oak

Environmentalists, children, tree sitters, and at least two celebrities have converged on Santa Clarita, California, to show their support for a 400-year-old oak threatened by a road-widening project.

The 70-foot tree, known as Old Glory, stands in the way of Laing Homes' plans to expand a local road from two lanes to four to allow for future homes. After a proposal by a LA County supervisor, company president Bill Rattazzi said he would transplant the tree to a 20-acre park nearby. The park has 120 existing oaks; about 170 more will be planted there after the relocation is completed, according to a local paper, The Signal. Environmentalists dispute whether the large, old tree can survive the move.

Hired tree sitter John Quigley has been camped out in the oak's branches since October 1. He has been joined there by Travis Joochimsen.

Actress Rene Russo stopped by to lend her support as has environmentalist Tom Hayden, best known as an icon of the anti-war movement. Children wave signs and an LA-based songwriter came by recently with his banjo to perform an original song about the tree's battle.

Want to know about other big trees? Since 1940, American Forests has documented the largest known specimens of every native and naturalized tree in the United States. We count on individuals in the public, just like you, to identify new potential National Champion Trees. We call this list of champs The National Register of Big Trees. To find out more, visit us at http://www.americanforests.org/resources/bigtrees/

Trees and Their Hold on H2O

According to Mike Dombeck, former chief of the USDA Forest Service and professor of global environmental management at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in a December New York Times article, forests generate most of the water in the country, providing two-thirds of all the precipitation runoff in the 48 contiguous states. Dombeck reports that some 14 percent of all runoff comes from the roughly 190 million acres of our national forests, which take up only 8 percent of the land.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 60 million people in 3,400 communities in 33 states rely on national forests for their drinking water. Millions more depend on state and private forests to facilitate the refilling of aquifers from which they draw their water.

Dombeck also points out that a century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt recognized the vital connection between forests and water. When Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot, the first U.S. Forest Service chief, set up the national forest system, they talked about managing for the greatest good for the greatest number -- for the long run. This was in response to the cut-and-run era of timber harvests that left the United States with 80 million acres of denuded forests known as clearcuts, mostly in the East and upper Midwest. Roosevelt, Pinchot and other federal policy-makers were concerned about preserving the long-term timber supply and the watershed function of the forests.

How do forests produce and preserve water? The complex array of trees, shrubs, ground covers and roots slows runoff from rain and snow, and water is purified as it percolates through the soil and into aquifers. By slowing runoff, forests also reduce floods and erosion, minimizing the sediment entering streams and rivers. Mature forests do this work best. They have the best soil, and their mixed canopy-- a mosaic of open and closed spots among the treetops-- allows for snowfall accumulation and eventual runoff. Old trees also use less water for growth than young trees do.

As intact forests better regulate water chemistry and temperatures, they enhance habitats for aquatic species. (In many streams this means better recreational opportunities, such as trout fishing.)

Maintaining these areas is both prudent and conservative, especially given the explosive rate of urban expansion and the rapid decline of open space.

Today, the debate continues. Should national forest planning regulations specify that the remaining old-growth public forests should not be harvested, since these wild lands provide the cleanest water in the country.

In the New York Times, Dembeck said, "Rather than wasting energy on the rancorous, tired debates about roadless and old-growth forest management, the focus should be on how to let our forests do their jobs of producing high-quality water. Given our water supply problems, this should be the highest priority of forest management."

From Maryland's Chesapeake Bay to Washington's Sammamish River Basin, for decades, American Forests has worked to restore riparian forest ecosystems across America. For example, American Forests is working on the Applegate River in Oregon to replace forested areas destroyed by decades of timber extraction, agricultural intensification, and residential development. These threats have damaged riparian habitats in the Applegate basin and as a result the abundance and diversity of species in native biotic communities have declined. To mitigate this damage, trees will be planted over the next two years on riparian properties near the affected areas. Visit http://www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/projects/ to find out more about our 2003 Global ReLeaf projects.

American Forests’ Feature Creature: The Lynx

Photo by Fred Voetsch

Across the United States millions species make the forest their home. Each month, American Forests will introduce a new "feature creature" to you. This month we take a closer look at the lynx -- a big-pawed, tuft-eared cat -- native to Alaska.

The lynx is found all over Alaska except on some islands in the Bering Sea, Prince William Sound and Southeast Alaska. These shy cats may seem scarce, but they’re not. They’re sometimes glimpsed late on summer days in forested areas on the edges of towns, chasing their favorite meal, the snowshoe hare.

These short-tailed cats have long legs, furry feet and a tail with a black tip. The fur is thick and a buff gray with indistinct spots.

Newborn lynx look like domestic cats, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Wildlife Notebook, but they grow into adults weighing 18 to 30 pounds. Males sometimes reach 40 pounds.

A lynx’s best habitat is where mixed vegetation types provide good habitat for the snowshoe hares. Lynx populations tend to lag behind hares’ population cycles, which run from eight to 11 years.

The long-legged lynx can cover five miles a day and may have a home range of 100 square miles. They can climb trees, and prefer to keep a look out from their branches.

Lynx are often seen on Anchorage’s Hillside in the foothills of the Chugach Mountains. The lynx is the mascot of the city’s Diamond High School. The cats have been popular exhibits at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage. As for many species including the lynx in Alaska, trees play an important role in wilderness habitat. They provide shelter, food, and support the soil and maintain healthy riverbeds and promote clean air. American Forests' Global ReLeaf program is constantly finding new ways to help replace forested habitat lost to human and natural causes. To find out how you can help us restore forest in need, visit http://www.americanforests.org

Did you know?

The average life of a tree growing in a typical downtown area is only seven years. Due to a lack of root space and poor, compacted soils, most downtown trees are essentially "potted plants."

To find out more about our Urban Forests, visit http://www.americanforests.org/graytogreen/.

You can do your part to help the environment today by joining American Forests. Not only are 25 trees planted for you in a damaged ecosystem or forest restoration project, but you will also receive:

• A free subscription to our quarterly magazine
• A free Big Trees calendar
• A window decal

Join Today! Visit http://www.americanforests.org/

Don't forget to forward this information to friends or colleagues.

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