s 634.9 N7CF FALL 2000 1 > Montana State Library 3 0864 1006 8370 8 T) > THE COMMUNITY FORESTER A Newsletter from the Montano Department of Natural Resources and Conservation COMMUNITY FORESTRY FALL 2000 IN THIS ISSUE: Montana Tree Climbing Championship Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Community Forestry Projects Regional Round-Up Governor’s Conference in October -WILDFIRES 2000- Nearly every Montanan was impacted by wildfires over this summer. For some, the impacts were minimal: access to public lands was restricted and the air was noticeably hazy. For others, the impacts were severe: many lost homes, agricultural crops, and personal property. Thankfully, no lives were lost in Montana as a direct result of suppressing these fires. The community forestry program staff members also assisted with fire activities. Western Region Community Forestry Mark Lennon worked at the Aerial Fire Depot most of the summer, Eastern Region Community Forester Jeff Roe performed a variety of tasks while assigned to numerous incidents, and State Community Forestry Coordinator Paula Rosenthal was on a national fire prevention team which provided public information about fire restrictions and reducing the risk of human caused fires. As always, Montanans pulled together to help in every way imaginable. One example is the tens of thousands of dollars in aid that have been collected to provide fire relief. In addition to financial help, local, state, and federal agencies, businesses, volunteers, and service organizations have developed an extensive network to provide assistance for everything from rebuilding homes to crisis counseling. There are meetings scheduled throughout the state to cover a variety of issues related to wildfires and recovery. Contact your local agencies for information about upcoming opportunities, or visit the State of Montana website for additional information. The web address is ' www.state.mt.us. As we leave this fire season behind, the community forestry staff is looking forward to visiting communities and offering our assistance with fall tree-planting, projects, working with tree boards, and promoting Tree City USA. Contact us and let us know what’s happening in your community! MONTANA COMMUNITY FORESTRY COUNCIL Ti . . „ MEETS IN HELENA he Montana Community Forestry Council held its annual meeting on June 13th in Helena Amonq the attendees were newcomers Ron Nelson of Nelson Tree Service in Livingston, and Mike Justus DNRC Forester from Libby. Communities represented included: Miles City, Livingston, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, Butte, Libby, and Anaconda. There were several presentations at the meeting, including an update from Missou a City Forester Dan Rogers about the Montana a/a/Regional Tree Climbing Championships InTcTi s ory lnslde)' Sydney Armstrong from the Montana Community Foundation, and Judie Tilman i , d B°b ^nd7ozz' f.r°m Headwaters RC&D- The Councii has several projects in the works, and several ideas for building better community forestry programs in Montana. The Council has also decided to rekindle efforts to become a nonprofit with 501(c)3 status. There's much to do, and we'd love your help' if you are (406^542 4284Vin9 °" ** C°UnCii " °U‘ m°re ab°Ut C°UnCil membershiP. cal1 Paula Rosenthal at CONGRESS MAY FUND COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROJECTS TO CELEBRATE LEWIS & CLARK Letters of support can motivate lawmakers. It seems like everyone is talking about the upcoming Bicentennial of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. State tourism officials estimate huge influxes of visitors to Montana to retrace the steps of the Corps of Discovery. Congress has formed a Lewis & Clark bipartisan caucus -- formed largely through the efforts of Representative Rick Hill -- to make appropriate investments toward the upcoming Bicentennial and the preservation of the historic routes of these explorers and the legacy of their travels in Montana. The Montana Community Forestry Program has submitted proposals to the Lewis & Clark caucus to fund community forestry projects for the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial. With increased tourism and recreation opportunities, communities will benefit from funds to plant trees, beautify entrances to their towns, and enhance public parks. In our proposal, we have requested funds which will serve as “pass-through” grants to Montana communities. The Community Forestry program will assist communities with project design, volunteer coordination, and planning, and all Montana communities will be eligible to receive funds. Letting legislators know that you support community forestry in Montana will make a difference! THE LEWIS &CLARK CAUCUS Senate Larry Craig (R-ID) Byron Dorgan (D-ND) Conrad Burns (R-MT) House of Representatives Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) Rick Hill (R-MT) To contact officials by mail, send to: U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 (or) U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 £ks- -^S'NA fr*- * P-*~ J ^,1 gag FOREST SERVICE TEMPORARILY DISCONTINUES COMMUNITY FORESTRY GRANT PROGRAM Since 1991, the USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, has conducted a community forestry grant program for communities in Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota. These grants have enabled many communities to conduct tree inventories, plant new trees, or perform other community forestry activities. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funds, the Forest Service will not be able to continue the program this year. It is the desire of the agency to continue the Urban and Community Forestry Grant Yro^ram in the future, provided funds are available for projects. Again, Forest Service grants are largely responsible for community forestry programming and projects in our communities. We hope this program can continue next year. REGIONAL ROUND-UP Here" s what's happening in communities around the state : COMMUNITY FORESTER RECEIVES AWARD Mark Lennon, Western Region Community Forester for DNRC, received a Certificate of Appreciation at the Forestry Division Annual Awards Picnic in June. The award, presented by the Southwestern Land Office recognized Mark’s commitment to the Community Forestry Program. Specifically, Mark designed a computerized tree inventory program which is in use in several communities. For information about the inventory program, call Mark at (406) 542-4215. Congratulations, Mark! WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE Montana Community Foresters are available to conduct information workshops in your area. Pruning and planting workshops have been held throughout the state, and we also offer workshops on other topics such as tree board development, volunteer recruiting, and building community forestry programs. Contact us for more information! MONTANA COMMUNITIES TAKE STEP TOWARDS TREE CITY USA STATUS WITH ARBOR DAY OBSERVANCES Nine Montana communities held official Arbor Day ceremonies this year — many for the first time. We’re excited about this not only because Arbor Day is a great holiday to celebrate tree planting and spruce up the community, but an Arbor Day proclamation is also a requirement for Tree City USA designation. The Tree City USA program is a national program to recognize communities of all sizes throughout the U.S. for their efforts related to urban and community forestry. There are thousands of Tree City USA’s throughout the country, and Deer Lodge, Drummond, Hamilton, Hot Springs, Livingston, Ronan, Shelby, Sheridan and Twin Bridges may join the ranks soon. Congratulations to these communities for their commitment to tree planting and caring for their parks and street trees! TDPI? IfiWci a* _ _ -¥• Vh i V- r WSH MONTANA TREE CLIMBERS MEET IN MISSOULA By Dan Rogers, Missoula City Forester The 3rd Annual Montana Tree Climbing Workshop and Championship was held May 5-6 at Bonner Park in Missoula. Arborists from around the state participated in a 2-day workshop and climbing event. The workshop was put on by 1999 Rocky Mountain Tree Climbing Champion, Jon-Paul Paulsen and Missoula City Forester Dan Rogers. The tree climbing competition consisted of 13 arborists that competed in 5 events consisting of the Secured Footlock, Belayed speed climb, Aerial Rescue, Work Climb, and Throwline competition. The top three combined finishers were invited to compete in a Masters Challenge event to declare an overall winner and Montana State Champion. Last year’s State Tree Climbing Champion, Robert Dillon, is the 2000 Montana State Tree Climbing Champion. Jared Stabnau took a close 2nd place, and Byron Perrenoud took 3rd place. Robert Dillon’s overall title allowed him to compete in the 4-state regional competition in Denver, Colorado on June 17, 2000. 25 of the region’s best climbers were there to showcase their talents in tree climbing. Dillon did very well, winning the Aerial Rescue, Work Climb and the Belayed Speed Climb. He scored a close 2nd in the Secured Footlock. Dillon’s final ranking was 2nd Place, missing the top spot by less than 3 points out of a possible 200. ( As for the Montana competition, there were many “positive” comments from spectators and participants alike. The success of the event is due largely to the support of Missoula businesses and regional/national ones as well. Congratulations to Robert Dillon , Montana Tree Climbing Champion and Regional Runner-Up! The event showed the high level of skill and professionalism that is becoming more common in Montana. Next years event will be held in Bozeman and will be hosted by the City of Bozeman Forestry Division. BLU5T0N YOUTH WINS STATE POSTER CONTEST F&U Tree planted j>tanned to celebrate. River Newman, from Elliston School, is the state winner of this year’s Arbor Day Poster Contest. River, then a 5th grader, won the contest for submitting the winning poster with this year’s theme, “Trees are Terrific: Inside and Out.” As the state winner, River’s poster was entered in the national competition along with the winners of each U.S. State and protectorate. The contest is sponsored annually by the National Arbor Day Foundation and the Montana Community Forestry Program. There will be a special tree planting event at Elliston school where Newman will be presented with a book and a certificate signed by State Forester Don Artley. 5th Grade Teacher Darla Paul will also be | recognized for her participation in the national poster contest. NATIONAL ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION FUNDS TREE PLANTINGS ON ACREAGES BURNED BY WILDFIRES. 2000 was one of the worst years for fires in U.S. history. Thousands of residents in states like Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, and Montana were forced to evacuate their homes while flames swept through the region. These blazes have cost millions to battle and turned many flourishing trees into charred remains. The effects to wildlife are still not completely known. The National Arbor Day Foundation is committed to restoring these forests so this and future generations can enjoy their benefits. You can help, too, by supporting the Trees for America program. For each $1 you contribute toward this effort, one tree will be planted in our dam- aged forests. These trees will grow to provide habitat and food for wildlife, restore beauty to the landscape, and provide enjoyment for recreational activities like camping, hiking, and fishing. To learn more, visit their website at www.arbordav.ora GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE EXAMINES " CIVIC ENGAGEMENT" The Governor's Conference on Civic Engagement will be held October 29-31 at the Best Western Heritage Inn in Great Falls. The goals of the conference include: examining trends in civic engagement, recognize outstanding contributions to volunteerism and community service, and to provide networking and partnership opportunities to build stronger Montana communities. Montana citizens, community leaders, volunteers, service organizations, educators, and others interested in community and civic life in Montana are invited to attend. VISIT THE MONTANA COMMUNITY FORESTRY COUNCIL BOOTH AT THE CONFERENCE! 4k VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT wwwjlnrastateiiilus click on \ forestry then ‘service forestry’, . th en ‘com m u n ity forestiy ’ * a** TREE CITY USA REWARD PROGRAM Here’s another great reason for Montana communities to become recognized as a Tree City USA: we’re working on a Tree City Reward Program! The DNRC Community Forestry Program is developing a program to reward new Tree City USA’s. With the help of corporate sponsors, we are hoping to fund tree planting projects in each new Tree City to commemorate their achievements and celebrate their Tree City USA status. Our program is currently under development, but if you’re interested in learning more, or if you know of a business or corporation that may be interested in supporting this new program, please contact Paula Rosenthal, at (406) 542-4284. c THE MONTANA COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAM call the office nea rest youf~or assistance. Mark Lennon Community Forester Western Region 1401 27th Street Missoula, Montana 59804 (406) 542-4215 mlennon@state.mt.us Paula Rosenthal Community Forestry State Coordinator 2705 Spurgin Road Missoula, Montana 59804 (406) 542-4284 prosenthal@state.mt.us Jeff Roe Community Forester Eastern Region Main Street Miles City, Montana 59306 (406) 232-2034 jroe@state.mt.us COMMUNITY FORESTRY MONTANA DNRC COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAM 2705 SPURGIN ROAD MISSOULA, MONTANA 59804 ■'i i ) -J r^Mzn ii nrot — s *******^ PR5RT5TD U.5. POSTAGE PAID MISSOULA;, MT PERMIT NO. 74 Jeff Roe P.O. Box 1794 Miles City, MT 59301