Wildlife Habitat Management at the Catamount Community Forest, Vermont
2020-05-18 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Halifax)
Monday, May 18
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. ET
Join the Chittenden County Forester, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Audubon Vermont, the Vermont Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and the Catamount Community Forest Committee for a presentation on wildlife habitat management at the Catamount Community Forest in Williston.
The Catamount Community Forest (CCF) is a 393-acre conserved property owned by the Town of Williston. A Forest Management Plan was drafted for the CCF in early 2020 by the Chittenden County Forester which details forest management work scheduled to occur over the next 10 years. Among the activities planned at the CCF are some exciting wildlife habitat management activities to create unique wildlife habitat for declining wildlife and bird species, specifically encouraging shrubland and young forest habitat. This management will occur in partnership with Audubon Vermont, the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Vermont Fish and Wildlife.
Join us to learn more about supporting healthy bird and wildlife habitat in Vermont and the work planned at the CCF.
Join Zoom Meeting
Dial in: 1-646-558-8656
Meeting ID: 868 8040 7884

Wildlife Forestry in Bottomland Hardwoods - webinar
2020-05-19 12:30 - 14:00 (America/Halifax)
Register today!
May 19, 2020
12:30 – 2:00 p.m. ET
Agenda to download
This webinar qualifies for 1.0 SAF Category 1 CFE credit.
We welcome forest landowners, natural resources professionals, and others to join us for a virtual workshop in wildlife forestry practices in bottomland hardwood forests of the Southeast. We’ll cover topics such as bottomland hardwood management, hydrology and water issues, timber stand improvement, and how to manage your forestland to improve wildlife habitat.
Bottomland hardwood forests are critically important to biodiversity, wildlife, carbon storage, recreation, and clean water in the southeastern United States. Unfortunately, bottomland hardwood forests are threatened by several factors. Wildlife forestry management practices can benefit these ecosystems and the communities that depend upon them.
Join us in learning from two experts on how to manage bottomland hardwood forests of the Southeast using wildlife forestry practices!
Presenter bios:
Dr. Lockhart has always been passionate about hardwood silviculture, particularly in bottomland hardwoods. He has been a professor at both the School of Forest Resources at University of Arkansas and the School of Renewable Resources at Louisiana State University. Most recently, he was a research forester for 16 years at the Center for Bottomland Hardwood Research in Stoneville, Mississippi.
Mr. Duck Locascio received a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Forest Management from Louisiana State University and a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Wildlife Management from Louisiana State University. He has managed forest resources on LDWF WMAs within the Mississippi Alluvial Valley for the last 23 years and currently serves as Program Manager of the LDWF Forestry Section supervising all forest management activities on State-owned Wildlife Management Areas.

Know Your Trees (webinar)
2020-05-19 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Halifax)
Register
May 19, 7 – 8:30 p.m. ET
Hosted by Vermont Woodlands Association, Michael Wojtech, author of Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast will discuss his book and share information on how to identify the trees around us.
As a freelance naturalist, writer, photographer, illustrator and educator, Michael strives to share the science and beauty of natural history in an accessible and compelling fashion through presentations, participatory activities, and outdoor exploration. He writes and teaches about the structure, growth processes, and ecology of trees-including their bark, buds, leaves, roots, and wood-for audiences at all levels of experience, and explores how knowing the natural history of the places we live and love fosters connection and the feeling of home.
Michael earned his masters degree in Conservation Biology from Antioch University New England in Keene, NH. He is the author of Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast and co-author of Drawing Leaves and Trees: Observing and Sketching the Natural World. His article “The Language of Trees: On a Walk with Rutherford Platt” was recently published in American Forests.

Land and Wildlife – Changes Over Time (webinar)
2020-05-20 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Halifax)
Register (After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.)
Wednesday, May 20
9:00am – 10:00am ET
Join VT Coverts as we host Kim Royar, a wildlife biologist with VT Department of Fish and Wildlife to share how land use has affected the occurrence and distribution of wildlife. This engaging program will review the fascinating, and sometimes devastating influence humans and land use change have had on wildlife populations such as beaver, otter, bobcat, and coyote.
Register in advance for this meeting:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Webinar - Forest Birds. #6 in the Forest Adaptation Webinar Series
2020-05-21 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Halifax)
Forest Adaptation Webinar Series (#6)
Forest Birds
featuring Steve Matthews of Ohio State University, and Tom Lautzenheiser from Mass Audubon.
May 21, Noon – 1:00 p.m. ET
Register now!
NIACS and the Forest Stewards Guild have teamed up to offer a webinar series focused on forests and climate change adaptation. The series brings together scientists and managers to learn about and discuss emerging topics related to the effects of climate change on forest management, with a focus on forests in New England and New York.
Each session first explores the latest scientific information from someone actively researching the issue, followed by an example of a real-world management project.
Flyer of webinars in the series for download
For more information on the entire webinar series in one place, visit NIACS’s webinar series page.

Using the Wildfire Risk to Communities Website (webinar)
2020-05-21 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Halifax)
Register for the webinar
May 21, 2020
11:00 a.m. PT, Noon MT, 1:00 p.m. CT, 2:00 ET
Presenters: Greg Dillon, Frank Fay, Jim Menakis, Kelly Pohl, Joe Scott
See a demonstration of the new Wildfire Risk to Communities website, including use of the interactive maps, charts, and resources available for every community, county, and state in the U.S. Learn how the website and downloadable resources can help community leaders such as elected officials, community planners, and fire managers prioritize actions to mitigate risk.

Ecological Forestry in Mountain Coves of the Appalachian Region - webinar
2020-05-26 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Halifax)
Recording of the webinar is here
May 26, 2020
2: 00 -3:00 pm ET
This webinar qualifies for .5 SAF Category 1 CFE credit.
This webinar precedes a field workshop scheduled for August on the same topic. Register for one or both of these events!
Welcome foresters, land managers, natural resource professionals, and private forest landowners to this webinar about management and conservation of mountain cove forests in the Appalachian region.
In this webinar, we will learn about ways and opportunities to improve forest operations to protect water quality and limit the spread of invasive species in mountain coves. We will discuss management approaches that work towards minimizing the threats to these sensitive sites in the southeast and northeast.
Background: Mesophytic cove sites in the Appalachians and associated physiographic regions represent unique opportunities for maintaining, improving, or re-establishing biodiversity that was present prior to anthropogenic disturbance. Many sites also have historical uses that require attention in sustainable management planning. These attributes along with the highly dissected topography, hydrologic complexity, and restricted access impose significant issues to forest operations. Because these sites are highly productive, there can be pressure to harvest and impose timber objectives in these sensitive areas. These attributes make management challenging, and comprehensive and detailed planning is required to ensure operations maintain critical mesophytic attributes and meet management objectives.
Presenter Bio: Presentations and discussion will be led by the University of Kentucky’s expert in hardwood silviculture, Dr. Jeffrey Stringer. Dr. Stringer has been actively engaged in upland hardwood silviculture and forest operations research and continuing education for the last 35 years. He has served on several national Forest Stewardship Council, FM and Controlled Wood working groups, and is currently operational director of the Center for Forest and Wood Certification, providing solutions for certification issues in the eastern U.S.

Southeast region Guild member call
2020-05-27 10:30 - 12:00 (America/Halifax)
The next Southeast Region Call is not yet scheduled. Until then, notes from the previous 2020 calls are available:
February’s call notes
May’s call notes
This call is for members of the Forest Stewards Guild in states of the southeast region. If you are interested or engaged in projects in the Southeast and not yet a member, please consider joining today, and registering for this call. We’d love to have you on board!
Wednesday, May 27
10:30 – Noon ET
During this call, you will be able to listen-in while the Guild’s current southeast state representatives discuss updates on natural resource hot-topic issues within their states.

LANDFIRE Remap in the North Central United States (webinar)
2020-05-27 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Halifax)
Connect to this webinar
May 27, 2020.
8:00 a.m. PT, 9:00 MT, 10:00 CT, 11:00 ET
Presenters: Randy Swaty, Ecologist, & Jim Smith, Ph.D., TNC LF Program Lead
This webinar, presented by TNC-LF’s Randy Swaty, ecologist, and Jim Smith, LF program lead, will inform participants about the new LF Remap products, what has changed from previous product offerings, and what remains the same or has been updated. We will offer application examples taken from the North Central GeoArea, and will save time to answer questions and listen to comments at the webinar’s conclusion. The presentation is directed to those who are or might be considering using LF products to inform fire and vegetation management decisions, e.g. researchers, land and project managers, fire and fuel professionals, GIS specialists, scientists, and students.
Sponsors: Great Plains Fire Science Exchange, Lake States Fire Science Consortium, and Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Fire Science Consortium

Woodland Owner Lunch and Learn - Managing Your Woodlands with Prescribed Fire
2020-05-28 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Halifax)
May 28, 2020.
10:00 a.m. PT, 11:00 a.m. MT, Noon, CT, 1:00 pm ET
Sponsored by: North Carolina State Extension Forestry
Full event website
Approximately 30 minutes before this webinar’s start time, the ‘Join’ button will be activated on the event webpage. Once the ‘Join’ button is available, you may click the ‘Join’ button and begin the registration process. Please arrive 30 minutes prior the event start time, as participation is limited to the first 500 people to join.
Summary:
Prescribed fire is used as a forest management tool for wildfire risk reduction, wildlife management, and many other purposes. The presenters will address considerations related to prescribed burning such as benefits and uses, liability and risk, and technical and financial assistance. This information will be most useful for landowners who are considering or are currently using prescribed fire on their land. Training resources available to landowners will also be discussed.

Data, Science, and Methods behind the Wildfire Risk to Communities Website (webinar)
2020-05-28 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Halifax)
Register for this webinar
May 28, 2020.
11:00 a.m. PT, Noon MT, 1:00 p.m. CT, 2:00 ET
Presenters: Greg Dillon, Frank Fay, Jim Menakis, Kelly Pohl, Joe Scott
Learn about the science and data used to calculate and map wildfire risk nationwide in the new Wildfire Risk to Communities website. Hear from the project’s technical lead about the use of LANDFIRE and other input datasets, the methods for modeling and mapping wildfire risk, and the data products available through the website. See a demonstration of the website and how to download geospatial and tabular data.

Webinar: Wood Utilization, Land Use and Global Outlook
2020-06-03 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Halifax)
Register today!
June 3, 2020
Noon PT, 1:00 p.m. MT, 2:00 CT, 3:00 ET
Join the last webinar in this spring’s Forest Climate Working Group Learning Exchange Series!
New wood products like mass timber offer the potential to dramatically reduce the emissions associated with core industrial activity while storing carbon in end-products. Under the right circumstances, forest products demand could incentivize conversion of marginal agricultural lands into tree farms.
Focusing on mass timber as a case study, what is the current state of knowledge of forest products as a climate solution? What are the risks and opportunities of demand-led climate solutions? What tools do decision makers need in order to maximize the potential contribution of forest products to climate mitigation?
Presenter bio: Mark Wishnie is Executive Director and Head of Sustainability at the BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group. At BTG, Mark is responsible for sustainability across the firm’s c. $3.5 billion global timberland portfolio and leads the firm’s climate-focused investment practice. Mark joined BTG from The Nature Conservancy, where he led the Global Forestry & Wood Products program and a portfolio of initiatives aimed at delivering on the massive climate mitigation potential of forests and the broader forest economy.

Burning in Hardwoods (webinar)
2020-06-10 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Halifax)
Register today.
June 10 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET
This free, two-hour webinar is hosted by the North Carolina Prescribed Fire Council, the Southern Fire Exchange, NC State University, and the University of Florida. Society of American Foresters CFE Credit is expected.
There is increasing interest in using prescribed fire to restore and maintain Piedmont ecosystems dominated by hardwood species. This webinar will address several topics relevant to those using prescribed fire in Piedmont hardwood ecosystems, including the history of North Carolina Piedmont hardwood ecosystems, wildlife impacts for game and non-game species, and silvicultural considerations. This webinar is co-sponsored by the North Carolina Prescribed Fire Council, but will cover information relevant for fire practitioners in many areas of the South. Following the presentations there will be time for audience Q/A with the speakers. This webinar will be recorded.
A subsequent field tour in Central North Carolina will be scheduled once restrictions related to COVID-19 have been lifted.
Presenters:
Sharon Bischof, North Carolina State Parks
Chris Moorman, NC State University
Dan Dey, US Forest Service Northern Research Station

Considerations for evaluating effects of wildfire to Northern spotted owls (NSO) and NSO habitat
2020-06-16 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Register today!
June 16, 2020
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET
Full event flyer for download
Fire is a natural ecosystem process and forest dependent wildlife evolved with, and are well adapted to fire. Spotted owl responses to fire continue to be the topic of significant research, investigating changes in occupancy, foraging behavior, colonization and site extinction probabilities, and movements. The effects of wildfire on spotted owls can be either positive or negative, depending on the size, severity, and landscape position of the fire. In this presentation we will explain how we are currently working with partners to conserve spotted owls in post fire landscapes. Our methods are applicable to all spotted owl subspecies but may need to be tailored to local conditions and species needs.
Presentation Objectives:

Learn about how fire influences the use of habitat by spotted owls
Better understand how post-fire timber harvesting might impact spotted owls
Explore ways to minimize adverse impacts to spotted owls when conducting timber salvage or post-fire restoration activities

Presenters: Christine Jordan and Bob Carey, Fish and Wildlife Biologists, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Yreka California.
This webinar is part of The Forest Ecology and Management Webinar Series sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Forest Ecology Working Group (FEWG). The FEWG is a forest ecology based community of practice for individuals to share forest ecosystem expertise and information.

LANDFIRE Remap in the Southeastern United States (webinar)
2020-06-17 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Halifax)
Register for this webinar
June 17, 2020.
10:00 a.m. PT, 11:00 MT, Noon CT, 1:00 p.m. ET
Presenter: Jim Smith, Ph.D., TNC LF Program Lead
LANDFIRE Remap is a multi-year effort to improve the usability of the product suite by recreating base LANDFIRE products using new plot information, new imagery and production techniques. Presenter Jim Smith, TNC LANDFIRE Program Lead, will review LANDFIRE product offerings, describe what has changed, what has not changed from previous versions, and provide information on future program plans, all from the perspective of a user in the Southeast US. Following the presentation there will be time for audience Q/A with the speaker.
Sponsors: Southern Fire Exchange and the University of Florida

State of Montane Conservation and Management in Maine
2020-06-17 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Halifax)
To register email Bryan Wentzell: bwentzell “at” mainemountaincollaborative.org.
Or, you can wait as a direct registration link will be coming soon.
June 17, 2020
2:00 p.m. ET
This webinar is hosted by the Maine Mountain Collaborative as part of a series of webinars leading up to their Symposium in autumn.
More details about this webinar are coming soon.
Presenters: Dr. David Publicover, Appalachian Mountain Club and Dr. Caitlin McDonough MacKenzie, University of Maine.

Webinar - Regeneration Issues. #7 in the Forest Adaptation Webinar Series
2020-06-25 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Halifax)
Forest Adaptation Webinar Series (#7)
Regeneration Issues
featuring Kathryn Miller, with the National Park Service, and Chris Zimmerman of The Nature Conservancy.
June 25, Noon – 1:00 p.m. ET
Register now!
NIACS and the Forest Stewards Guild have teamed up to offer a webinar series focused on forests and climate change adaptation. The series brings together scientists and managers to learn about and discuss emerging topics related to the effects of climate change on forest management, with a focus on forests in New England and New York.
Each session first explores the latest scientific information from someone actively researching the issue, followed by an example of a real-world management project.
Recordings from the full webinar series are available. The series was hosted by the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science and the Forest Stewards Guild.

Northeast Silviculture Institute for Foresters available online - 40% off for Guild members!
2020-07-01 - 2020-08-01
40% discount on Online Silviculture Institute for Guild members with promo code ForestGuild. Offer expires in August, 2020.
Summary
Get Forester Credits without going to meetings or field training. The Institute is a series of 5 two-day graduate level training sessions held in 2017 and 2018 for foresters all over the northeast. Each session, including the field stops and classroom training, was filmed and now Guild foresters can access it at a 40% discount. This is the premier silviculture training offered in the northeast in decades. Thanks to all the speakers and attendees for allowing everything to be filmed. Now you can experience the tremendous silvicultural learning opportunity that is available at Institute offerings. Forester credits are available for all the sessions – instructions online.
Click register, choose the session you want (Overview, Northern Hardwood, Pine-Oak-Hemlock, Mixed Oak-Hickory and Spruce-Fir), and set up a free Vimeo account. Click on “Pay $79.” If you are a current guild member you may enter promo code ForestGuild to get your 40% discount.
Further reminder – if you attended one or more Silviculture Institute field sessions in 2017 or 2018, you are entitled to free access to that session. Contact Charles Levesque if that is of interest.
Here’s what one Online Institute user said:
“This is great. I can do the training at my own pace, when I have time. The written materials and videos capture everything like I was at the training. I’ve never done training this way before and I highly recommend it.”
Questions? Call or email Charlie Levesque at 603-588-3272 or levesque@inrsllc.com.

Coffee with the Commissioner (webinar style)
2020-07-10 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Halifax)
No registration required. Please contact membership@forestguild.org for the zoom participant information.
Friday, July 10
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. ET
Join Vermont Coverts and Vermont Woodlands Association for an informal discussion over coffee with Michael Snyder, the Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation. Michael, author of Woods Whys has much knowledge and insight into our Vermont Forests. We are very grateful that he is willing to join us all in our Friday morning Q&A. Brew your coffee and bring your questions.

Natural Resource Management Academy (online course)
2020-07-13 13:00 - 2020-07-17 14:30 (America/Halifax)
Sign up today
July 13 – 17
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET
Program flyer
The Natural Resource Management Academy is a learning opportunity “for youth entering grades 7-12 who are interested in the environment and ready to explore, in depth, their passion for Vermont’s natural resources.” This program is a partnership between UVM Extension 4-H and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. There will be virtual presentations each day about all kinds of neat stuff.

Foundations of Forest Wildlife Habitat Management - Habitat through Disturbance and Silviculture
2020-07-14 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Halifax)
To register free of charge, click on the date below for each event that you will be attending. All sessions are from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
Our guest lecturer is Dr. Brenda McComb, Dean Emerita, Oregon State University.
This is a 5-part focused lecture series and this event page will be updated as the dates pass. Each topic builds on the last, so attendance at all presentations is highly recommended, but not required.
The Forest Ecology Working Group and the US Fish and Wildlife Services National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) are pleased to offer this series to introduce fundamental principles of forest habitat management. This is a great opportunity to learn or revisit fundamental forest habitat management principles from a premier ecologist with more than 100 publication under her name.
Series Description:

Register for July 14 – Habitat Selection by Forest-Associated Species: Abiotic factors Lecture series overview and introduction to habitat, habitat selection, and abiotic elements influencing forests and habitat for selected species.
Register for July 28 – Saving all the Pieces: Forest structure and Composition Introduction of biotic factors affecting forests and forest composition and structure as habitat elements
Register for August 11 – Forest Disturbance and Stand Dynamics Forest development stages, successional pathways and characterization of forest disturbances, both background and human-caused, based on size, frequency and intensity, with a brief introduction of silviculture as one type of disturbance
Register for August 25 – Silviculture as a Forest Disturbance Introduction to even- and uneven-aged silvicultural systems and management practices used to regenerate and tend forests to provide desired habitat elements.
Register for September 15 – Habitat Considerations: Dead wood and Riparian Areas Additional forest management considerations for specific habitat components critical to certain wildlife species including riparian areas, dead wood, legacy trees and other unique features.

Series Objectives
1. Introduce concepts & theory and of wildlife habitat selection and application of forest management to provide habitat for selected species or conservation of biological diversity.
2. Help participants with forestry, wildlife, environmental sciences, fisheries and related backgrounds to find a common ground when approaching management of forests for multiple values.
3. Introduce approaches of managing forests to achieve desired conditions for selected species or conservation of biological diversity.
Contact John Ossanna with technical questions or if Closed Captioning is required: john_ossanna@fws.gov

Family Meetings and Governance in Woodland Legacy Planning (webinar)
2020-07-14 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax)
Register today
Your registration confirmation email will have the details you need to join the meeting.
July 14
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET
Most private woodland owners wish to keep their land in the family and intact into the future. Unfortunately, many of these woodlands will not remain in the family. The biggest risk to a successful transfer from one generation to the next, is a lack of communication coupled with challenging family dynamics. Family lands can fail to make it to the next generation because the family cannot resolve differences or failed to address them during the lifetime of the owner(s). By starting the conversation now, holding family meetings and establishing a system of governance, you can leave a long-term woodland legacy for the use and enjoyment of your family.
Dr. Mary Sisock and Audrey Winograd, JD, MSW, experts on land legacy planning, will discuss the principles and processes of effective family meetings and governance. This presentation is for all woodland owners at any stage of the succession planning process. There will be time for Q&A.
This webinar is sponsored by Kings Point Capital Management and hosted by Vermont Woodlands Association.

Woodland Owners Webinars: Protecting Our Oaks (webinar)
2020-07-15 13:30 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
Register today!
July 15, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. CT
This webinar is hosted by the St. Croix River Association and is approved for 1 Category 1 CFE credit.
Oaks are an important part of our ecosystem and economy. They provide habitat and food for wildlife, their wood is used for furniture, making barrels, and heating, and large oaks can increase the value of your property. But sadly, oaks are in need of a helping hand. High deer populations, diseases and pests, and other factors lead to poor oak regeneration. John Geissler, Saint John’s Abbey Land Manager and Outdoor University Director, will discuss their research on oak management and dealing with high densities of deer while Paul Cigan from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will discuss oak wilt in northwest Wisconsin.
Presenters:
John Geissler, Land Manager at Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum who will talk about Adaptive management for future oak forests in the hardwood hills of Minnesota–a 20 year journey
Director at Saint John’s Outdoor University and Paul Cigan, Forest Health Specialist for Northwest WI at Wisconsin DNR who will talk about Oak Wilt in Northwest WI

State of Montane Conservation and Management in Maine (webinar)
2020-07-17 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Halifax)
Register today (free of charge)
July 17, 2020
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET
State of Montane Conservation and Management in Maine
Speakers: Dr. David Publicover, Appalachian Mountain Club and Dr. Caitlin McDonough MacKenzie, University of Maine
The Maine Mountain Collaborative is hosting a series of webinars leading up to the autumn Symposium on Climate Change in Maine’s Mountains. This is the third in the four-part webinar series. Prior webinars in the series can be found on our webinar library page.

Managing Emerald Ash Borer and Climate Change (webinar)
2020-07-22 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
#8 in the Forest Adaptation Webinar Series
Register here
July 22
9:00 a.m. PT /10 MT/ 11 CT/ Noon ET
This webinar is approved for 1 CFE credit by SAF
This one hour is presented by Tony D’Amato, University of Vermont, Alexandra Kosiba and Nancy Patch, Vermont Department of Forests Parks and Recreation, and Pieter van Loon, Vermont Land Trust. Facilitated by Amanda Mahaffey and Leonora Pepper, Forest Stewards Guild.
Recordings from the full Forest Adaptation Webinar Series are available. The series was hosted by the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science and the Forest Stewards Guild.

Restoring resilient ecosystems, communities, and economies in complex terrain: the Western Klamath Restoration Partnership
2020-07-23 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Denver)
Register
Thursday, July 23
Noon PT
CFE credit pre-approval is pending.
The Western Klamath Restoration Partnership (WKRP) has been working to maintain resilient Klamath ecosystems, communities, and economies guided by cultural and contemporary knowledge. Four decades of all too frequent megafires have greatly impacted communities and the instream and upslope habitats upon which they depend, but also created one of the most “skookum” regions in the West.
WKRP partners, including the Karuk Tribe, USFS, NGO’s, industry and environmental groups, through an intensive collaborative effort, have created a plan for restoring fire process at the landscape scale. By addressing the social, ecological, economic and cultural aspects of fire through multi-scalar strategies, the WKRP has built social license to utilize prescribed fire extensively in the Wildland Urban Interface through a shared risk model. Manual and mechanical thinning to create strategic fuel breaks allow for increased use of managed wildfire and larger scale prescribed fires, while protecting assets at risk.
In this webinar, WKRP co-lead Will Harling (Mid Klamath Watershed Council) will address the complex fire history of the Klamath Mountains, how fire exclusion and now climate change that have created the Perfect Storm for megafires, and the strategies developed by WKRP to protect communities and valued resources, maximize carbon storage, and restore fire process and indigenous fire management. Specific examples from the Somes Bar Integrated Fire Management Project that is currently being implemented on 5,600 acres of NFS lands will highlight how WKRP strategies are implemented on the ground.
This webinar will be recorded and available in the Guild’s webinar library after the live event.

Sustainable Forestry and Managing for Rare, Threatened, or Endangered Species
2020-07-29 12:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
To Register contact Joe Kies by phone/text 715-459-1399 or email joseph.kies@domtar.com. 40 person maximum
SAF and the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association are hosting this joint meeting:
July 29, 2020
12:30 – 7:00 p.m. CT
Waushara WWII Veterans Memorial, 440 W. Main St., Wautoma, WI 54982
CE credits available as follows:
SFI: 4 hrs. CE Credits ($35 recording fee paid to FISTA. FISTA registration materials available at the door)
WDNR Cooperating Consultant: 3 hrs. CE credits
SAF CE credits 2.5 hrs. Category 1
Event agenda includes:
Sarah Herrick – WDNR – Endangered Resources Division, “NHI History, search procedures, concerns”
Mike Lynch – Forest Steward Guild, “Forest Practices Study – Impacts of Harvesting Restrictions to Logging/Forest Products Industry”
Adam Fuehrer – Industrial Forester – Verso Corp., “Establishing/administering a timber sale with endangered resources present”
Updates on SAF happenings and GLTPA happenings
Two hour dinner and social (on your own: buffet or off the menu) at Christiano’s in Wautoma
Sponsors include Domtar and Ahlstrom-Munksjo.
COVID-19 RESPONSE: Due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and protocols that will be in place at the time, we are planning on having this meeting as scheduled. However, the meeting may need to be postponed or modified due to changing pandemic conditions. More information will be shared after July 4.

Call for Presentations for NM Wildland Urban Fire Summit
2020-07-31
Mark your calendars! The New Mexico Wildland Urban Fire Summit will be in Las Vegas, San Miguel County, NM on October 22-23, 2020.
A call for presentations is open now! (view the full details)
Proposals due: July 31, 2020.
Submit proposals to Aelysea Webb at awebb@nmcounties.org
Theme: All Lands, All Neighbors (for wildfire resilience)
Audience: The NM Wildland Urban Summit is attended by community members, fire service volunteers and professionals, non-profit conservation groups engaged in fire adaptation, and federal, state and local government representatives.

Forestry for Maine Birds (FFMB) workshop
2020-08-07 09:30 - 14:30 (America/Halifax)
Register (free) by calling 207-796-2100 or emailing info@downeastlakes.org and indicate if you are staying for dinner.
August 7, 2020, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm ET
Location: Meet at the Grand Lake Stream school building, 15 Water Street, Grand Lake Stream, ME 04668
Approved for 3.5 Category 1 continuing education credits by SAF.
Event flyer to download
Maine Audubon and the Forest Stewards Guild are joining the Downeast Lakes Land Trust to host a Forestry for Maine Birds (FFMB) highlighting the forest management goals and recent forestry activities of the Downeast Lakes Land Trust, and to introduce participants to the FFMB goals of managing woodlands “with birds and other wildlife in mind.”
Our workshop will begin at the Grand Lake Stream school building. From there we will caravan to the Community Forest and make multiple stops at different sites, including an early successional stand, crop tree release site, riparian habitat, and older forest stand.
The entire workshop will be outdoors, rain or shine, so please dress for the weather, wear layers, bring extra warm clothes and a rain coat, and wear shoes or boots for traversing damp ground. Bring your own water, snacks, lunch, sunscreen and bug repellent as well. Lunch is available from the Pine Tree Store, and you can order ahead of time if you like.
To protect yourself and others during the COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage you to wear a face covering and remain at least 6’ apart from anyone outside your household throughout the workshop. If you are feeling at all unwell, please stay home.
This workshop is designed to help foresters, landowners, and loggers learn more about community forestry, with a special emphasis on managing your woodland to benefit fish and wildlife in addition to other community and personal goals, specifically “with birds in mind.”
Working Agenda:
9:15-9:30 Welcome and Registration.
9:30-10:00 Overview and Introduction: Forestry for Maine Birds.
10:00-10:30 Introduce “handy” habitat assessment tool.
10:30-12:30 Visit several different forest stands/sites. Break into groups, practice habitat assessments, discuss silvicultural options, and share findings.
12:30-1:00 Brown bag lunch in the forest.
1:00-2:15 Visit several more forest stands/sites, conduct quick habitat assessments, and discuss different management options.
2:15-2:30 Closing circle and evaluations.
2:30 Adjourn
For those interested in staying for dinner, Leen’s Lodge will serve dinner for us. The menu that night is a choice of lobster or steak, and they will be following all COVID guidelines for dining together safely. It is BYOB, and the price is $35/ea or it is included in the price of lodging for anyone staying there ($220 per night includes all meals).
For anyone interested in staying overnight, we recommend you visit the DLLT website for a full list of lodging in the area, including some less expensive options.
The workshop is free, but you must register with the Downeast Lakes Land Trust by calling 796-2100 or emailing info@downeastlakes.org. We need at least 10 participants to run the program, and will cap enrollment at 22. When you register, please indicate if you are or are not staying for dinner at Leen’s Lodge as well.

Appalachian Cove Virtual Series - Ginseng webinar
2020-08-07 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Halifax)
Three-pronged ginseng. Photo by Jennifer Chandler.
This webinar is the first in a series that replaces an original event that was scheduled for August 7, 2020 entitled Mountain Cove Forest Management and Conservation in the Central Appalachians. That original event will not be held due to Covid-19.
This webinar was recorded
The effect of timber harvest on the growth of American ginseng
August 7, 2020
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET
This webinar is pre-approved for 1 SAF CFE credit
Ginseng agenda
Timber harvest is a common disturbance that is important due to its ongoing, cyclical nature and its direct effects on forest canopy structure. Most of the research regarding logging has focused on the study of trees, with less emphasis placed on the incredibly diverse herbaceous understory. Due to the high demand for its root on the Asian market, ginseng is the premier medicinal non-timber forest product in the United States. Historic accounts suggest that ginseng was once far more abundant than it is today, and while over harvesting of ginseng for its root is often described as the primary cause of reductions in population size, extensive changes in ginseng habitat caused by logging likely played a role in ginseng decline.
In this webinar, we asked: “Do the traditional logging practices of eastern hardwood forests have negative side effects on the survival, growth, and reproduction of wild American ginseng?”
Presenters: We were joined by Dr. James McGraw, and Dr. Jennifer Chandler who is the Guild’s new Southeast Program Manager!
James McGraw is Professor Emeritus of Plant Population Biology and Ecology at West Virginia University. He received his B.S. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University in 1978, and his Ph.D. in Botany from Duke University in 1982. His ecological research has spanned field sites from Alaska to Colorado to Zimbabwe to Antarctica. For the past 20+ years, a major focus of his lab’s work has been the study of valuable native medicinal plants of the eastern deciduous forest, especially American ginseng. Dr. McGraw was an Aldo Leopold Leadership Program Fellow, and he believes firmly that scientists must reach beyond the Ivory Tower to explain what they do, and why.
Jennifer “Jen” Chandler recently joined the Forest Stewards Guild as the Southeast Region Manager after spending several years in academia. She received her B.A. in Business Administration from Transylvania University in 2004 and her B.S. in Biology from Northern Kentucky University in 2009 before completing her Ph.D. under the mentorship of Dr. James B. McGraw at West Virginia University in 2016. Her research has focused primarily on plant response to discrete and chronic disturbances, including the response of American ginseng to both natural and man-made canopy disturbances, and the impact of the invasive pest, spotted lanternfly, on woody plants in the forests of Pennsylvania.
A downloadable flyer for the full series will be updated as we have more information.
