Author: Site Owner

Last week, we attended the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco. Amid all the excitement, here are the perspectives of our staff members, each of whom played a huge role in acknowledging forests as a key player in climate change mitigation tactics:

Jad Daley, President & CEO: The Global Climate Action Summit represented a permanent and historic turning point for forest-climate solutions. In the past, forests were treated as a side issue, if at all. At this Summit, forests took center stage. American Forests helped make this happen by working with the 17 states of the U.S. Climate Alliance to develop a shared Natural and Working Lands Challenge. This puts these states in the lead on forests and climate change, and will lead to billions of dollars in new forest restoration investment.

American Forests’ partnership role was celebrated as part of the Alliance’s high profile announcement of the NWL Challenge, including our pledge of 10 million trees to be planted in these states. We return from this Summit more resolute than ever – America must act on climate change, and American Forests must provide bold leadership with all of the resources, skills, and resolve we can muster.

Rebecca Turner, Vice President and Chief of Staff, General Counsel: As a delegate to the proceedings of the Global Climate Action Summit, it was amazing to see the land sector, and forests specifically, take center stage. Forests are a key part of the solution to meeting the carbon reduction commitments set by the international, state, local, private and NGO sectors. American Forests is ready, with our partners, to make this happen, from cities to wildland forests.

Eliza Kretzmann, Urban Forestry Manager: Planting trees in the Tenderloin was a high point – the neighborhood is teeming with life, including the challenge of many people experiencing homelessness. To help plant trees in and for the areas that need them most felt like the right thing to do on our 143rd birthday week – giving the gift of shade, cleaner air, and healthier communities.

We could not have done it without local groups – from the City of San Francisco to local tree groups and community groups like Friends of the Urban Forest and Safe Passage Tenderloin – and I am thankful for the rich partnerships and friendships we have in San Francisco.

Ian Leahy, Director of Urban Forestry: This week in San Francisco amplified the feeling I’ve had that people are waking up to urban forestry as a way to bring seemingly unwieldly problems, like inequality and climate change, to a scale where people can see impacts and progress where they live. Mayor London Breed, Senator Scott Wiener, and Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia had many options this week where they could show their commitment to global climate action goals. The fact they chose a tree planting in a community of high need speaks volumes.

Emily Barber, Marketing Manager: The amount of passion, intelligence and leadership at GCAS was undeniable, and I was honored to be a part of it. The threats of climate change can be overwhelming and downright scary at times, but it’s impossible to ignore the momentum this movement is gaining. GCAS proved that it will take everyone – nonprofits, elected officials, corporate leaders and citizens alike – to tackle this hurdle. But when we do, the results can be outstanding.

Lea Sloan, Vice President of Communications: GCAS was a perfect debut for the new, climate-focused vision for American Forests under Jad Daley’s leadership.

It was hugely gratifying to be recognized and appreciated as a key dynamic force among partner organizations, many much bigger and more widely known – and by their leaders and our colleagues who work for them.

Emily Russell, Director of Major Gifts: I’m inspired every day by the work we do at American Forests, but especially at GCAS I felt so proud to be part of an organization that is truly leading a movement in promoting forests as a solution to climate change. While there is much to be done to reverse the climate threats that we as a global society face – and that we alone have wrought – I believe that we can also work together to implement smart solutions.

Jennifer Broome, VP of Philanthropy: It’s been incredibly encouraging to experience firsthand all the brain power that is converging to address climate change – the single biggest collective-action challenge facing our planet in human history. To feel all the positive energy, hear the many powerful ideas, and witness the exciting actions individuals, businesses, and governments are taking has given me immense hope that we CAN solve the existential crisis that is climate change. And, I’ve discovered that in many cases we already have the tools to do it! Trees, for example. These amazing carbon-eating climate devices can slow climate change IF we protect them and plant more – a LOT more – everywhere.  Something powerful is in the air – and it’s not climate change – it’s the solution to climate change!

Check out what’s happened this week in forest news!

House committee vote boosts Coloradans’ hopes Land and Water Conservation Fund will be renewed – The Denver Post

Last Thursday, a congressional committee approved a bill that would permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Radar Weather Maps Can Forecast Bird Migrations And Aid Conservation – Forbes

Migratory birds pay close attention to the weather as they make their travels, which conservations can use to help ensure the birds stay safe.

Opinion: You can’t put America first if you put climate change last – The Washington Post

President Trump’s lack of climate change action will have direct effects on the citizens of America.

When trees make rain: Could restoring forests help ease drought in Australia? – ABC News

The connection between forests and rain can be hard to understand, but there is strong evidence that areas with more canopy cover receive more rainfall.

Nearly 30 megacities announce massive cuts in greenhouse gas emissions in defiance of Trump at California summit – Independent

Thousands of world leaders convened at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, committing to take action against climate change.

From September 12-14, thousands of people from around the U.S. and the world traveled to San Francisco, California, for the Global Climate Action Summit, a gathering of leaders spanning all sectors collaborating on climate action and advancing new strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change.

American Forests was proud to play a major role, hosting an official Affiliate Event on Tuesday, September 11th. The two-part event consisted of a dynamic lightning round discussion on urban forests as climate solutions, followed by a hands-on tree planting in the Tenderloin district, opened by San Francisco Mayor Breed and our own Jad Daley. Participants of the tree planting saw how to calculate the benefits of both new and already existing street trees using the i-Tree urban forestry tool.

Calculating the benefits of street trees – this tree, part of a row of six, will provide carbon reductions of almost 220,000 pounds over the next 40 years!

Delegates at the Summit also had the chance to publicly commit to climate actions. On August 23, American Forests became the first nonprofit to accept the U.S. Climate Alliance’s Natural and Working Lands Challenge, securing these lands as net carbon sinks. During a panel featuring Governor David Ige of Hawaii, the Governor spoke of the importance of these lands in mitigating climate change effects, taking note of American Forests’ announced plan to plant 10 million trees in Climate Alliance Member States.

Despite lack of federal leadership on climate change, the Global Climate Action Summit provided a chance for international, subnational, state and local governments to continue stepping up for the good of the environment. American Forests has long been a leader in advancing forests as natural climate solutions, from our policy work to on-the-ground efforts planting trees in both urban and wildland areas. Currently, forests have the capacity to gather 14% of U.S. emissions. Moving forward, the role of forests in the fight against climate change is more important than ever, and we’re ready to do whatever it takes to help them achieve their full potential.

A special thank you to the partners that made our GCAS Affiliate Event possible – San Francisco Public Works, Friends of the Urban Forest, California Urban Forests Council, California ReLeaf, City Forest Credits and SF Environment.

By Mercedes Subhani, American Forests

Having grown up in the Garden State, trees were intertwined with every part of my life and nature would lure me in to explore its secrets. South Mountain Reservation was a hidden gem only known to the locals in my hometown of Union, N.J. Undoubtedly, it would be the place you could find me every Saturday morning.

A tradition started when I was a little girl, my mom would take me to go hiking on the smaller trails in search of fairies who lived in the woods. I would find their little houses adorned with acorn seats, abundantly flowered tables and tiny notes written in glitter that stated “Fairies like: Acorns, pinecones, shells, flowers and pretty stones. NOT PLASTIC.” Each time I went, their houses would be moved, reorganized or simply not there. It was the ultimate game of hide and seek between them and me. Each time when I couldn’t find them, I would leave a note saying “Mer was here, I love your new house!”

No one knows exactly when and how this tradition started, but as time went on and my senior year of high school came around, I realized that the fairies were very good at hiding from me. To continue the next generation of kids’ interest in the outdoors from my town, I decided to follow in the footsteps of those before me. My mom and I built small furniture for the fairies out of acorns, flowers and twigs and hid them all around the forest. Children could find them everywhere: underneath logs, in hollowed out trees and tucked in between a tree’s branch. A part of me was sad to realize that that would be the last time I would search for fairies, since I would be headed to American University for the fall. I didn’t want to leave my “backyard” for a new one in the nation’s capital.

Despite leaving the comforts of home — and the forest — Washington, D.C. offers so many opportunities to make a difference. When I first met some American Forests staff at my school’s job fair, I knew that being a policy intern for a nonprofit organization like this one would be the right choice for me. Not only would it give me a nostalgic feeling about my childhood, but it would put my interdisciplinary major of communications, legal institutions, economics and government to work.

Now, instead of enticing wonder in children’s minds and helping them engage with nature, I can start advocating for and pushing legislation that does the same.

For example, the Every Kid in a Park program, strongly advocated by the coalition Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK) of which American Forests is a member, promotes that every 4th grader and their family have free entry for their families into more than 2,000 federally managed lands and waters. All they have to do is just download the pass. American Forests is a strong supporter of this program, signing on to the coalition’s policy statement letter to Secretary Zinke in 2018 to ensure the program’s growth and expansion.

This program and others like it are critical because three-quarters of children don’t meet the recommended 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day recommended by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By interning for a nonprofit that ensures children have access to “nearby nature,” I can help a new generation of kids increase their time in the forest and be amazed by its beauty and hidden gems. I won’t be forced to compromise my past interests to pursue my future endeavors.

By Nicholas Del Giudice, American Forests 

It’s hard to find two environments as unalike as the tropical beaches of the Bahamas and the cold-water jack-pine forests of the Great Lakes, and the complexities of how fire policy in Michigan and Ontario could have a palpable effect on the flora and fauna of the northern Caribbean only add to the confusion. Despite the stark ecosystem differences, these biomes are all connected via a common resident: Kirtland’s warbler.

Forty years ago, Kirtland’s warbler faced extinction because of habitat loss. Today, a motion has been made to de-list the species in the United States as restoration efforts in Michigan have seen the population bounce back. However, in Canada, creating the warbler’s preferred forest type has just begun.  

“The Kirtland’s warbler was likely never widespread in Canada,” said Ken Tuiniga, of the Canadian Wildlife Service, and Peter Burke, of Savanta Inc. “Current population is estimated to be around 20 pairs, but ongoing research is indicating that if more suitable habitat were created for the warbler, our population could significantly increase.”   

Kirtland’s warbler began disappearing in the United States and southern Ontario as development and modern fire policy destroyed their habitat. The species is unique in that it will only breed in loose sandy soil with branch coverage from young jack pine trees. Unfortunately, those conditions are generally caused by fire — an integral part of the North American landscape that is often considered an enemy. Jack pine forests are created when fire burns out the older, weaker trees, allowing for younger trees to sprout and provide habitat for the warbler. A common theme of the past century’s forest management policy is putting fire out, no matter the cost, to protect human development. The consequence of that policy is a reduction of native, fire-dependent ecosystems, with invasive species filling the blank space. 

A dire situation existed for the warbler in the U.S., but now the bird once again has a happy song to sing. As birds don’t have much use for national borders, it is important to restore the warbler’s habitat on the other side of the lakes too.

In Ontario, American Forests, the County of Simcoe, the Canadian Wildlife Service, and other stakeholders partnered to protect the warbler, with American Forests helping plant 80,000 jack and red pines to provide adequate habitat for the warbler.

“[Partnerships] are vital and the most efficient and effective means to approach species recovery,” Tuiniga said. “Most Ontario species at risk are found in southern Ontario, where there is much private land and many competing land uses. Recovering species at risk is a large and expensive task that requires multiple partners.” 

The planting site is on a former ballast pit (gravel extraction) area, which was in use by Canada Pacific Railroad from the 1920s to the 1960s. Minor site restoration, such as soil enhancement, was conducted prior to 1980, and since that time this area has primarily been left to regenerate naturally. The dry sandy site conditions are relatively unproductive and have seeded primarily into patchy scotch pine (an invasive exotic species), jack pine, and a variety of both native and non-native herbaceous and woody plants. Thus, forest restoration is critical to creating the unique habitat conditions the Kirtland’s warbler requires to survive.

Of course, these improvements only matter if they can be continually reinforced and maintained for the species’ long-term survival. There was some resistance in the U.S. to planting stands of exclusively jack pine, as it is a low-quality wood, not worth very much to cut down and replant, the conservation practice that simulates wildfire. To address this concern, red pine was interspersed with the jack pine, as red pine is more valuable and its inclusion is compatible with a mixed-species forest for the Kirtland’s warbler. With the welfare and profitability of the warbler entwined, the future and continued maintenance of this environment can be ensured.  

Simcoe County Forestry Technician Will Cox said that the Simcoe County Forest, site of the recent Kirtland’s warbler habitat planting, is a municipally owned forest that has three main goals: economic sustainability, environmental enhancement and social benefit.

“Profit is not the deciding factor on forest management activities or conservation efforts,” Cox said, “rather forest management activities use this multi-faceted approach.” 

By creating conservation projects that are sustainably funded, our forests may become more resilient than ever. 

“Without generous funding from American Forests and the Government of Canada, and significant in-kind contributions from the Canadian Wildlife Service and Savanta Inc.,” Cox continued, “the project’s economic sustainability would not have been met.”

In the coming years, we will find out the effectiveness of this planting. One can only hope the success of the warbler’s restoration in Michigan will transplant to Ontario and give the species an even greater chance to survive. 

Check out what’s happened this week in forestry news!

Global Climate Action Summit Set For Sept. 12-14 – SFGATE

American Forests will be joining hundreds of other international leaders, activists, businesses and organizations in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit to discuss ways to continue combating climate change.

Arizona Trail Association Marks 50th Anniversary Of National Trail System Act – KNAU

The National Trail System Act marked its 50^th anniversary this year, meaning celebrations for iconic trails across the country, including the Arizona Trail.

Calif. proposes to reward rainforest preservation – E&E News

Regulators proposed a standard to reward tropical regions for keeping forests intact.

Houston trees struggling after drought, heat, Harvey – Texarkana Gazette

Extreme weather patterns from climate change are causing ‘zombie trees’ – trees that look alive but actually have dead root systems.