DC Forester
August 2007
Chair’s Corner
It is time to focus on upcoming elections of NCSAF officers for 2008. We need a few good folk to step forward and either nominate another member or to self nominate for open positions which are: (1) chair elect, (2) treasurer and (3) secretary. NCSAF is a volunteer organization and the system works best when we all take our turn sharing in the official responsibilities of our Society. “Many hands make lighter work for everybody.”
According to article 7 of our current bylaws on elections, the chair shall receive nominations from members with a copy to the secretary by September1. Further nominations can be made by the nominating committee no later than September 15. So, please get your names and suggestions into Corbin Newman, chair, NCSAF nominating and professional recognition Committee as soon as possible by September 1,2007. If you also need to find out more information about duties and expectations of any of these positions, feel free to contact any of us on the executive committee.
On August 16th the NCSAF executive committee chose to conduct our 2007 election of officersby traditional paper ballot that will be mailed to the membership in early October. As you know, the national office of SAF will hold 2007 elections electronically, and the SAF has provided the opportunity for state societies to also hold their 2007 elections electronically.
The NCSAF executive committee however, felt that our entire membership should help make the decision on whether NCSAF SAF moves to electronic voting. Therefore,the Tellers committee will prepare a ballot proposal to amend the NCSAF bylaws to provide for electronic voting of officers beginning with the election to be held in October 2008. There may be additional NCSAF bylaws issues with this electronic voting process that might include:
1. How are votes counted and certified, as now done by the Tellers Committee with paper ballots; and,
2. Will future amendments to the NCSAF bylaws be able to be conducted by electronic vote?
I have asked John Witherspoon, chair, NCSAF Tellers Committee, to research these two items and report back to the chair and executive committee as soon as possible.
Further, the NCSAF Strategic Action Plan for 2007-2008 was unanimously adopted during the August 16th NCSAF Executive committee meeting. This plan is based upon the 2008-2012 version of SAF’s Strategic Plan and is therefore organized to follow the Outcomes, Basic Strategic, and Suggested Actions found within the SAF Plan. Our NCSAF Strategic Action Plan is intended to guide NCSAF leadership by incorporating member desires into an action plan that will encourage membership participation in NCSAF programs and activities. You can find a copy on our NCSAF website at Donna Gehlhaart, secretary can forward you a copy of the plan.
Wilhelmina B.Bratton
NCSAF Chair
District VII Member Wins National Award
Congratulations to Jessica G. Strother, CF who has been named the SAF Presidential Field Forester for 2007 for District VII, which includes NCSAF and the Allegheny State Society. As an urban forester in Fairfax County, Virginia, focusing on planning, organizational development, technical review, and site inspections, Jessie reviews site, subdivision, wetland and riparian restoration plans to ensure compliance with the County’s vegetation preservation, planting, Chesapeake Bay Ordinance and Resource Protection Area requirements. She also evaluates and makes recommendations regarding land use re-zonings, and proffers affecting forest and natural resources, wetlands, landscaping, stream valleys and protection of perennial and intermittent streams.
From 2002-2004, she also served as staff liaison to the Fairfax County Tree Commission, assisting the director on administrative, public policy and educational matters and providing training to the 12 member commission on county ordinances and legislation for the protection of natural and forest resources and the Chesapeake Bay Ordinance regulations. She also provided leadership to the countyWatershed and Storm Water Planning Division to develop and organize protection strategies for perennial streams and mad public presentations to educate people on new stream protection strategies and future watershed management plans.
From 1996-1997, as Coordinator of Stormwater Management Facilities, she managed and coordinated the privately owned stormwater management facilities program to ensure conformance with approved plans, legal agreements, and the State (VPDES) permit process. She also supervised and trained six site inspectors responsible for monitoring these facilities.
As Director of Conservation for the Virginia Native Plant Society, she coordinated and led educational efforts on pending legislation and public policy and stewardship issues affecting native plants and forests, and also coordinated development of a 5-year strategic plan for the Society. Also, as a Director-At-Large for the Society, she advised the Society on conservation issues affecting the preservation and management of native forest cover throughout the state. She also represented the Society at the Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Pest Council, served as liaison between the Society and local chapters, and developed a proposal for the executive council for the elimination of invasive/alien plants to be added to the State’s Erosion and Sedimentation Handbook and Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Manual.
As a member of the Chesapeake Bay Forestry Work Group, she develops and decides on strategies for policy development and technical issues affecting water quality, riparian forest buffers and forest fragmentation in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
As a member of the SAF Certification Review Board, she represented the Board at USDA Under Secretary Mark Rey’s presentation of Certified Foresters as Consultants to Federal Projects.
As a member of the SAF Educational Policy Review Committee, she provided technical assistance in the development of standards for an urban forestry curriculum for future accreditation of coursework in academic institutions.
She has used her SAF membership to advance her career and professional development and has mentored and supported students and other professionals interested in urban forestry work and in membership with SAF.
Congratulations to Jessie!
NCSAF Membership Update
As of the end of July 2007, NCSAF now has a total of 279 members, which is 16 less than our membership goal of 295 for 2007.
The following NCSAF membership changes occurred in July.
New
Monica Lear, Deputy State Forester, District of Columbia
Jessica McGlyn, World Wildlife Fund
Reinstated
Frank R. Beum, USDAForest Service
Peter L. Greeno, The Wilderness Society
Transferred In
Darrel M. Pendris, VirginiaDepartment of Forestry – from GreenMountain Division
John W. Houchins, Paculli Simmons & Associates – from Blue Ridge Chapter
Transferred Out
Michelle M. Harvey, CF - to Northwest Arkansas Chapter
DeAnn Stish - to Mid Wisconsin Chapter
Robert M. Swinford – to Southern CaliforniaState Society
Anne E. Heissenbuttel - to Sacramento-Tahoe Chapter
John Heissenbuttel, CF - to Sacramento-Tahoe Chapter
Edward W. Shepard, CF – to Portland Chapter
In addition to the above, I have completed the mailing of membership pins to those NCSAF members who have completed another decade of SAF membership in 2007. I still have three more pins that I will present later this year.
Jim Culbert
Membership Committee Chair
Treasurer’s Report
Current Balance:
Certificates of Deposit $16,000.00
Cash $100.00
Checking $9,387.11
Total $25,487.11
7/13 to 8/13Year-to-Date
Amount received:
Auction Income -- $2,184.95
Dues Disbursement $199.00 $1,456.50
Interest & Dividends $6.07 $419.49
Luncheon Receipts $290.00 $3,916.00
Raffles -- $230.00
Total $495.07 $8,206.94
Amount expended:
Awards-Recognition -- $222.00
Congressional Outreach $2,600.00 $2,600.00
Foresters’ Fund -- $500.00
HSD Assessment -- $145.04
Luncheon meals $378.00 $3,806.36
Mailing -- $42.57
Miscellaneous expenses $192.50 $256.72
Web site -- $138.80
Total $3,170.50 $7,711.49
Net increase (decrease): ($2,675.43) $495.45
In the past month, we have received $495.07 mainly from the August 9 luncheon receipts and a dues disbursement from the national SAF office. We also had some interest from our maturing certificates of deposit. Over the course of five years, we earned $3,292.06 on a $13,000 investment. We have purchased five new 60-month certificates (totaling $16,000) at a higher interest rate. Our expenses this month totaled $2,675.43. Most of this was $2,600 that was returned to the national SAF office to repay a 2006 Foresters’ Fund grant that we had not used for Congressional outreach. Our luncheon expenses were higher than receipts because we treated the seven interns on the program to their meals. Finally, the $192.50 miscellaneous expense was for administrative work done to assist the executive committee in updating our NCSAF strategic action plan. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Treasurer Doug Powell at .
Doug Powell
Treasurer
NCSAF Luncheon Presentation on USFSState & Private Forestry Re-design
Jim Hubbard, U.S. Forest Service deputy chief for State & Private Forestry, gave a luncheonpresentation on July 12 on the efforts underway to re-design agencyState & Private Forestry (S&PF) programs. The Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters (NASF)have assembled an S&PF Redesign Board to review currenttrends affecting trees and forests and to consider the most effective roles for state andfederal government in sustaining forest benefits. The purpose of a new approach to S&PF is to shape and influenceforest land use on a scale and in a way that optimizes public benefits from trees and forests forboth current and future generations. Jim stated that the members of the Redesign Board have taken on their organizations’ unifiedcommitment to sustaining a diverse range of public benefits from forests. The Boardhas developed a corresponding strategy, including guiding principles and componentsof change. The Board is sharing this strategy with S&PF partners, stakeholders, andemployees, in the hopes of stimulating dialogue and encouraging feedback.
The S&PF re-design has identified three National Themes with associated actions and strategies for S&PF programs:
Conserve working forested landscapes
Actions: Reduce the rate of conversion of forested landscapes and inform decisions about which landscapes should be conserved as working forests.
Strategies: Promote markets for forest products and environmental services; implement tax policies, easements and other planning tools; promote social and economic incentives of forests.
Protect forests from harm
Actions: Reduce threats to forest health and productivity, including uncharacteristic wildfire, insects and disease, and invasive species.
Strategies: Restore fire-adapted forests; monitor, assess, and treat forest insect and disease pathogens; eradicate or control invasive species through prevention, early detection, and rapid response.
Enhance benefits from trees and forests
Actions: Enhance public benefits associated with forests, such as clean air and water, fish and wildlife habitat, open space, recreation, renewable supplies, economic attributes, and climate change mitigation; reduce the risks to communities from uncharacteristic wildfire.
Strategies: Encourage urban forestry, support watershed planning, enhance community fire protection capabilities, and link environmental health with community well-being.
A National Assessment will identify forest conditions, trends, and opportunities across ownerships. Key elements of the assessment will include wildfire risk, insect and disease impacts, and threats of conversion. This geospatial, interactive tool will help identify priority landscapes and demonstrate progress. The National Assessment will eventually include a partner-accessible Web-based database. StateForest Resource Assessments will define forest benefits and services,comprehensively assess threats and opportunities, and delineate critical forestresource landscapes. State Response Plans will describe how a state proposes toinvest competitive federal dollars, in combination with other available resources, toaddress the S&PF National Themes along with key issues identified in their own stateassessments.
Jim explained that national and state assessments and state response plans will be used to introduce Competitive Allocation of S&PF program funding to the States beginning in FY 2008. Initially, 15 percent of program funds will be allocated competitively, ramping up 10 percent per year over the next 5 years, for a final competitive target allocation of 65% by 2013.
“Accountability for making meaningful progress toward the National Themes will be akey component of the S&PF Redesign,” emphasized Jim. New emphasis will be placed on improving ourcollective ability to demonstrate and communicate accomplishments. As an example, anannual S&PF Report Card will be produced to roll up visual, quantifiable, and anecdotaldemonstrations of progress and success.
S&PF will seek to better integrate our programs with other complementary Federalprograms in order to better meet the needs of non-Federal landowners and other S&PFcustomers.
Jim stated that additional information on S&PF Redesign can be obtained from Paige Lewis, Redesign Project Lead at 303-489-6534 ().
Loren B. Ford
Program Chair
A Thank You from the University of Michigan
On behalf of the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment, thank you for the gift in honor of Arthur V. Smyth. Please extend our gratitude to all the members of the National Capital Society of American Foresters, as well. Although I did not have the pleasure of
meeting Art myself, he had a long history with the School, and your contribution in his honor is a most fitting legacy.
The Burt Barnes Forest Ecology Scholarship will help continue the tradition of field studies here at the School – a tradition exemplified by the career of Professor Barnes, for whom the scholarship is named. Art met Professor Barnes at several national conferences, and was very supportive of his work in the field, and continuing that tradition at the School. I think Art would be very pleased by your gift in his honor to the Forest Ecology Scholarship.
Thank you again for your support, and please let me know if you have any questions about the School or the Forest Ecology scholarship.
Erin Goretzke
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
An Abbreviated Natural and Human History of Theodore Roosevelt Island
By Doug MacCleery, US Forest Service
Introduction
Many view Theodore Roosevelt Island, in the Potomac River near Georgetown, as a “natural preserve” or even “wilderness.” But human action has profoundly influenced the island’s ecology. Theodore Roosevelt Island today is a product of human use and natural influences acting over hundreds of years. It is a wonderful case study on how nature and humans interact on a particular landscape.
This note summarizes the natural and land use history of Roosevelt Island from indigenous occupation through intensive farming during the colonial period, development as a urban park and “pleasuring ground” for the residents of 19th Century Washington, and reversion back to nature after 1930.
Natural Setting
The island is located in the geographic transition area between the Virginia coastal plain and the Piedmont uplands. It is also in a transition zone between southern forest and the forests of the north. Because of this, it contains species characteristic of both northern and southern forests. Within the 90-acre island are contained a surprising diversity of habitats and associated plant and animal species.
The island exists because it has a resistant core of very ancient and very hard mica schist. This has allowed the island to resist the efforts of the Potomac River to sweep it away.
Nature and Human History Intersect
Aboriginal Occupation:
Between 8-10,000 years of human occupation and ecological influence occurred in the area before European contact.
What is now Virginia and Maryland had large human populations in 1500. It was an agriculture-based economy. At least half of native people’s subsistence came from crops, including corn, beans, pumpkins, squash, and gourds. Forest fruits and berries, game from the forest and fish from the river supplemented agricultural sources of food.
Agriculture was typically of a shifting or “slash and burn” type. Standing trees were killed by girdling, the underbrush and the deadwood were removed by fire, and crops were planted in mounds. After a few years, natural soil fertility was depleted and new forest areas were cleared. Typically hundreds of acres around village sites were in various stages of agricultural clearing and forest regrowth.
Aboriginal peoples also used fire extensively as a management tool. The use of fire created extensive areas of open, park-like forests; encouraged the extension of pine forests into areas formerly dominated by deciduous forests; and, over time, converted some forests into grasslands, meadows and prairies.
Trade connections were common. Potomac means “trading place.”
A small native trading village (Tohoga) was located across the river near what is now called Rock Creek (current location of Georgetown). This was a strategic location – just below the fall line of the Potomac at the terminus of easy navigation from the Chesapeake Bay.
Europeans named the island “Analostan” after the peoples that lived here.
Native artifacts have been found on the island, including projectile points. Islands are highly prized locations for observation, refuge and defense.
European Contact Period (an abbreviated chronology):
1608: Captain John Smith explored the upper Potomac including the area near AnalostanIsland in his exploration of the Chesapeake Bay region.
John Smith wrote of this stretch of the Potomac in his Journal:
“… a few beavers, otters, Bears, Martins, and minks we found, and in divers places that abundance of fish, lying so thick with their heads above water, as for want of nets (our barge driving amongst them) we attempted to catch them with a frying pan: but we found it a bad instrument to catch fish with: neither better fish, more plenty, nor more variety…had any of us ever seen in any place…but they are not to be caught with frying pans…”
Thirteen years later, Henry Fleet wrote of the area that was to become the Nation’s Capitol:
“This place without all question is the most pleasant and healthful place in all of this country, and most convenient for habitation, the air temperate in summer and not violent in winter. It aboundeth with all manner of fish. The Indians in one night commonly will catch thirty sturgeons in a place where the river is not above twelve fathoms broad [Little Falls]. And as for deer, buffaloes, bears, turkeys, the woods do swarm with them and the soil is exceedingly fertile: but above this place the country is rocky and mountainous…”