Provided by: MS Urban Forest Council
Contents:

1. Conferences and Seminars
2. Positions Available
3. Sample Tree Ordinances and Policy
4. Educational Pieces
5. Environmental Politics Expert
6. Scholarships
7. Worthy Articles on Urban Forestry
8. National Update
9. Research Newsletter
10.How to join MUFC and continue to receive this newsletter
(Please notify if you want to discontinue this mailing.)

1. Conferences and Seminars
A. Tree City, USA Conference, February, 2006

More and more communities and stakeholders throughout Mississippi are recognizing the value of green space and trees in their communities and are learning to deal with the implementation and legal issues concerning urban forestry. Green infrastructure and trees provide a multitude of benefits that can be measured with cost/benefit ratios while reducing other infrastructure costs. This conference and seminar are being provided to assist communities in learning more about implementing a safe and effective community forestry program and the legal issues and concerns facing local governments, landowners, utilities, arborists, and others involved in urban forestry.If you are a county or city leader, development professional, public works, land manager or someone who advises or manages trees and landscapes, implements community forestry or would like to learn more about resources, legal issues, zoning, ordinances, federal and state regulations and programs affecting urban forestry in Mississippi, then this conference is for you. Included in the program will be expert speakers on a variety of subjects such as: state and federal mandates and concerns, funding sources, liability issues, inventories, professional liability, hazard trees, utility issues, private property rights, and expert witnesses. Exhibitors demonstrating the latest equipment will be available. Continuing education credits have been applied for through a number of professional organizations governing continuing education for attorneys, county/city planners, park managers, development engineers, landscape architects, elected officials, arborist, and others.

C. Annual Urban Forest Conferences (and other national)
www.UrbanForestrySouth.USDA.gov has been updated to reflect these dates.

D. Greening the Hospitality Industry
Below is a link to the conference. Please distribute to anyone that may be interested.
http://www.vahen.org/greening/index.htm

2. Positions Posted
Currently no listings

3. Sample Ordinances and Policy
The City of Raleigh, North Carolina’s criteria for removal of street trees is below. A separate management policy, signed by the City Manager, requires that sidewalks be repaired in various ways to preserve the tree, and paid for by the City. Under NO circumstances is a STREET TREE removed to make sidewalk repairs.
Andy Gilliam, Forestry Specialist
City of Raleigh Inspections Dept--Zoning Enforcement
P. O. Box 590; Raleigh, NC 27602
ph: 919.890.3624 fax: 919.890.3056
http://www.raleigh-nc.org/inspections/index.htm

CHAPTER 7: TREE REMOVAL POLICY
Purpose:
City Council has affirmed its commitment to protecting City trees through the adoption of Chapter 8 of the City Code - the Tree And Vegetation ordinance along with the implementation and continued support of the Urban Forestry Program. To be able to protect City trees, the City Code section 9-8004 (9) states “The Urban Forester shall have the authority to review all requests for permits for any planting, removalºThe Urban Forester shall also have authority to attach reasonable conditions to these permits and to grant or deny them.” In addition, the code requires that (section 9-8004 (10)) “Objective standards, criteria and procedures for ...removalº” shall be written. To these ends the following policy has been written.
Provisions:
The City will remove a City tree only if it is dead, dying, carrying a virulent disease, or is endangering life and/or property as determined by the Urban Forester. In addition, City trees may be removed if their removal is specifically part of a City approved plan for construction or renovation.
Urban Forestry will permit the removal of a tree for the above reasons. In addition, if construction plans require the removal of a City tree and these plans are unalterable due to other site constraints, as determined by the Urban Forester, then the tree can be removed under the following conditions:
a) The permit holder shall be responsible for removing the tree and stump and shall bear the cost of the same.
b) The permit holder is responsible for grinding stumps and surface roots at least six inches (6") below grade. Chips and residue can be returned to the hole. At least a two-inch (2") thick layer of topsoil shall be placed over any chips and residue. The area shall be crowned at least two inches (2") above the surrounding grade to allow for settling and shall be raked smooth. The permit holder shall restore any damaged turf areas and grades due to vehicular or mechanical operations. The area shall be re-seeded.
c) Debris and logs shall not block the public right of way overnight.
d) The usable wood (4" diameter by 12" in length or greater) shall be taken to “Warmth For Wake” or other site approved by the Urban Forester. Unusable wood shall be lawfully disposed in accordance with the City Code, Part 7, Chapter 3 “Solid Waste Management”.
e) The City shall charge $60.00 for the issuance of a Tree Removal Permit.
f) Should any damage or unauthorized disturbance to any public or private property (including pavements) or utility facility occur, the permit holder shall immediately notify the Urban Forester and shall be held liable and responsible for damages or unauthorized disturbances.
g) The tree(s) to be removed shall be posted with a public notice, provided by Urban Forestry, a minimum of 24 hours in advance of the tree’s removal. This notice shall be placed street side of the tree, five feet from the ground.

4. Sample Educational Brochures on Tree Protection
I am in the middle of preparing an informational brochure for landowners applying for ministerial permit applications on how to protect trees during development, processing procedures, and County protection policies for trees. I would be interested in viewing other County and City brochures used to give to the public informing them about tree regulations and advice on protecting trees. If you have any such publication, I would be much appreciative if you could send one my way, either by snail mail or e-mail, thanks a lot!
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/DK6135.html

5. Environmental Politics Authority
Gene Marshall, co-founder of Realistic Living in Bonham Texas, is clearly one
of the brightest, boldest and most realistic thinkers in America. When I read his latest
article on Progressive Politics in the USA I wanted to share it with you. Go to this website and download the seven page article.
http://www.RealisticLiving.org/PDF/BIO/ProgressivePolitics.pdf

6. Scholarships
Graduate Scholarship in Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Communities in the Greater Mississippi Delta The Heller School for Social Policy and Management announces a full tuition scholarship for the two-year Master of Arts Program in Sustainable Development. Nominations are encouraged from anti-poverty and social change organizations. Self-nominations are accepted. This scholarship is open to residents of Mississippi, Louisana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois, or candidates with a demonstrated commitment to the development of the Delta Region. Graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and women are especially encouraged to apply. The Delta Community Development Scholar will join early to mid-career professionals from over 40 countries for an interdisciplinary study of development and social change emphasizing poverty reduction, gender, human rights, environmental conservation, and project planning and management. The Delta Community Scholar will receive full tuition and fees at Brandeis. Living expenses are not included in the Scholarship. The Scholarship begins in late August 2004.The application deadline is January 15, 2004.For more information, visit
http://www.heller.brandeis.edu/sid/programs_ma_admis_scholar.htm

7. Worthy Articles on Urban Forestry Trees Seen as Way to Grow Community
http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/7300343.htm

8. National Update
ARTICLE SUMMARY:
Negotiators Reportedly Close to Reaching Agreement on 'Healthy Forests' Measure
The "Healthy Forests" legislation is nearing approval in Congress as the Senate reviews compromise legislation. Members would not discuss details of the compromise, but several issues needed to be resolved between the House and Senate bills.
The Senate version would require that at least half the money for forest thinning be spent near communities thought to be at risk for wildfires. It also would require that the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management - the two agencies responsible for public forests - "fully maintain, or contribute toward the restoration" of old-growth trees. The House version has neither provision.
U&CF Relevance
There is nothing in the legislation directly impacting the federal Urban and Community Forestry Program. However, the legislation does impact all communities that are adjacent to national forests. There are 14 designated "urban national forests". This legislation will likely mean an increase in on-the-ground activity to thin fuel load and perform restoration on fire damaged lands; it limits the amount of court delays and legal appeals possible.
There are opportunities for community organizations to receive stewardship restoration contracts or community assistance grants via the National Fire Plan ..... in Urban Interface areas, this may be a funding opportunity for your organization. The National Fire Plan has infused a lot of new money into federal and state budgets and there is not enough internal capacity to deliver all the work -- contracting is necessary. For more on this subject, read "An Introduction to the National Fire Plan: History, Structure and Relevance to Communities" at http://www.pinchot.org/pic/gtp_pubs.html#Policy
You will notice at the state level that your state agencies have more resources right now for programs such as FireWise Communities education and outreach -- that is because of National Fire Plan dollars. You may be able to approach your state agency to provide contract funds to expand your existing citizen education programs to include a firewise training component.

9. Research Newsletter
Here's a newsletter from the USDA Forest Service Pacific SouthWest Research Center. You can sign up to receive it by visiting :http://cufr.ucdavis.edu. This issue contains a feature on cost/benefit analysis of municipal programs using the center's test piloted software, STRATUM, as well as an overview of the center's new publication, "NorthernMountain and Prairie Tree Guide: Benefits, Costs and Strategic Planting.

10. Join the MS Urban Forest Council
This newsletter is full of the latest information available on urban forestry and green infrastructure issues. We are providing the first three newsletter free to potential members of the Mississippi Urban Forest Council. For only $25 Individual membership you can continue to receive this valuable newsletter. Please pass this on to anyone you think may be of interest. We will continue to provide newlsetters and current information comes available.
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