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GUFC Third Quarterly Program

Continuing the Conversation:

Trees as Green Stormwater

Infrastructure Thursday, August 18, 2016, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Alpharetta City Hall, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009

On Day One of the GUFC/GAA Summer Symposium (August 18, 10

a.m. - 2 p.m.), GUFC will present its Third Quarterly Program,

"Continuing the Conversation: Trees as Green Stormwater

Infrastructure." This event will be a follow-up to our discussions on

this topic last year. Has there been progress in the past year? Eric

Kuehler of the US Forest Service will report on the latest research

regarding trees and stormwater mitigation, and communities will report

on projects that they've completed that have addressed the stormwater

issue and implemented trees, vegetation and greenspace as the answer.

Registration: $40 GUFC and GAA members. $50 non-members.

Lunch is included. Register for this August 18th event at gufc.org.

3.25 ISA CEUs. 3 SAF continuing forestry hours and a certificate of

attendance for landscape architects and others are available.

The Georgia Arborist Association is presenting Day Two of the Summer

Symposium, "Tree Ordinances, Construction and Appraisal," at the same location on

August 19. Receive a discounted rate to both days by signing up at Summer

Symposium Day 2: Tree Ordinances, Construction, & Appraisal/.

Newsletter of the

TREE TALKS Georgia Urban Forest Council

SUMMER 2016

GUFC P.O. Box 2199 Stone Mountain, GA 30086 470.210.5900 www.gufc.org

2016 Excellence in

Urban Forestry

Awards - a call for

nominations

Do you know someone

deserving accolades for good

work for the urban forest?

Each year GUFC rewards

individuals, organizations,

businesses, municipalities, and

counties for outstanding work

in protecting and enhancing

our community trees. Each

award recipient will receive a

framed, limited-edition print of

a painting commissioned solely

for GUFC and will be honored

on November 2 at our annual

awards luncheon, held in

conjunction with our

statewide annual conference,

this year at Brasstown Valley

Resort in Young Harris,

Georgia. The application,

which includes information on

how to submit a nomination

for the 2016 Excellence in

Urban Forestry Awards, can

be found here.

.

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HOT, HOT, HOT

Well, we haven’t had a summer this hot in a while. We are back in drought conditions

and trees are dying. This is work for all of us - from removals, to plant health care to

replanting programs to education. But on a brighter note, there is plenty of air

conditioned training going on so that when it does finally break, we can get going

strong again. I am excited for the coordinated efforts of the GUFC and the Georgia Arborist Association in

having a combined training two-day symposium. There will also be collaboration with members from both

groups participating in Saluting Branches, which is a day of service for arborists to give back to veterans on

September 21st.

It’s really hard to believe, too, that we are nearing the final quarter of the year. Time lasted forever as a child

and now it just flies by. The GUFC has visited some newer areas of the state this year, going to the Southwest

and then Northeast corner for the annual conference. We will be back in planning meetings soon for the next

calendar year, and I’m sure there will be no shortage of ideas to bring to the plate. We are in an ever-changing

industry, and that is one of the motivating factors that drive a lot of us.

All of us are in the people business all the time and our trees and job performance is better for it. We are

always looking for future leaders and volunteers. If you are ever interested in being on a board or committee,

please ask other board members about it. It is a great way to network, grow business, socialize or sometimes

hear how others are fighting the same problems as you. I would like all of us to reach out to potential

members within our state, cultivate our ties and promote us on social media.

I hope everyone gets some relaxation in these final warm months and gains some knowledge and friendships

from all the educational opportunities available to you. Hope to see all of you at the annual conference in

November.

Daniel Bauer

Does your community need assistance with planting trees to replace canopy lost to storms or to honor

veterans? GUFC is now receiving applications through October 1 for Georgia ReLeaf funding. Grant

recipients will be announced by October 8, and projects must be completed and GUFC must receive invoices

for reimbursement by December 31st. To download a 2016 Georgia ReLeaf application with full details

of the process, click here.

Also, remember to get those Excellence in Urban Forestry award nominations in! There are so many

individuals and organizations who need to be recognized – help us honor them. Click here for learn more.

Mary Lynne Beckley

President’s Letter

From the Executive Director

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IN THE NEWS

TENDING OUR TREES

The Georgia Forestry Commission’s Robert Farris, Susan Granbery,

and Stasia Kelly; Trees Atlanta’s Greg Levine; GUFC Board Member and

Milton City Planner Michele McIntosh-Ross; and many other “tree

tenders” that you may know are featured in a new 28-minute production by

the AIB Network entitled Tending Our Trees. This filmed feature spotlights

dedicated individuals who promote, advocate, educate about, and care for

trees in our state. Hear personal stories about childhood memories of trees,

human connections to trees, and individual and group endeavors to conserve and manage beloved Georgia

trees. Interviews range from the humorous to the educational to the inspiring.

“Tending Our Trees” aired on the AIB network this summer, but now you can catch it on the AIB Studios’

Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/AIBStudios.

INTRODUCTION TO TREE IDENTIFICATION TAUGHT BY

GUFC BOARD MEMBER & ARBORIST TERRY PAIGE

Join Terry Paige, Arborist for the City of Rome and GUFC Board Member,

as he leads a walking tour of the Gardens at Martha Berry’s Oak Hill home,

leading course attendees through the identification of trees found on the

grounds, focusing on Japanese maples, native hardwoods, and conifers. The

class kicks off with a field trip to the Heritage Trail Memorial Arboretum.

Date: Thursdays, October 13-27 Time: 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Cost: $35. This

program is presented through Berry College’s Senior Scholars Program,

which is sponsored by Oak Hill and The Martha Berry Museum. For more

information, visit www.berry.edu/oakhill/seniorscholars.

SUPPORT GUFC BY USING YOUR KROGER PLUS

CARD

Did you know you can support the Georgia Urban Forest Council

just by shopping at Kroger? It's easy when you enroll in Kroger

Community Rewards® and choose GUFC (#70012) as your

charity of choice. Learn more and register online

at krogercommunityrewards.com.

GEORGIA TECH ESTABLISHES CLIMATE NETWORK

The Georgia Tech Climate Lab says that “An analysis of urban and proximate rural temperature trends in

major US cities finds Atlanta to be the third most rapidly warming metropolitan region in the country.”At

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http://www.urbanclimate.gatech.edu/projectList.shtml, read about how the Georgia Tech Climate Lab is using a

“dense network of temperature and relative humidity sensors throughout the campus to identify the location

of hot spots, measure the impact of ongoing development on micro-climatic conditions, and assess how the

use of vegetation and cool materials around campus can moderate warming trends.” Read also about changing

tree hardiness zones and other related topics.

2016 PARTNERS IN COMMUNITY FORESTRY CONFERENCE

Join your counterparts across the country for the Arbor Day Foundation’s

Partners in Community Forestry Conference, an annual gathering of urban

forestry professionals, educators, nonprofits and others who seek new ideas

and share experiences in promoting and planting trees in our cities. This

year’s two-day event will be held November 16-17 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

To learn more about sessions, field experiences, partner events, and

registration details, visit https://www.arborday.org/programs/pcf/

2016 National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge

Grants Recipients Announced

Washington, DC (July 21, 2016) – Agriculture Secretary

Tom Vilsack has announced the 2016 USDA Forest

Service’s National Urban and Community Forestry

Challenge grant recipients. The U.S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA) is providing $900,000 in funding to

four goal recipients who will demonstrate how healthy

urban forests can increase public health benefits,

improve development and redevelopment efforts, and

contribute to urban food production.

“Urban forests are integral to strong, vital, and healthy

communities, enriching the lives of the more than 80

percent of Americans who live in cities and towns,” said Vilsack. “The grants announced today will make

important strides in innovative research and community projects that will help keep our urban forests valuable

contributors to our daily lives.”

“As our urban communities grow and confront rapid development and climate change, urban trees will be

more important than ever by providing rich habitats, capturing storm water and helping provide clean air and

water,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. The grant recipients will help to improve the public’s health,

well-being and create resilient ecosystems for present and future generations.”

The grant recipients, whose work will highlight the economic and social value of urban forests, are committing

an additional $1.1 million to their projects bringing the total investment through this project to $2 million.

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In the United States alone, urban trees store over 708 million tons of carbon, which is equivalent to the annual

carbon emissions from about 500 million automobiles. Urban trees help further reduce emissions by lowering

electricity demand for summer air conditioning and winter heating. Well-maintained urban forests can help

address climate and extreme weather impacts by reducing storm water runoff, buffering high winds,

controlling erosion and minimizing the impacts of drought. Urban forests also provide critical social and

cultural benefits providing places for people to recreate and gather with their communities.

The U.S. Forest Service, together with many partners, plays a pivotal role in ensuring

urban and community forests continue to provide their life enriching benefits. In partnership with state

forestry agencies, the Forest Service helps over 7,000 communities to plan, manage, and grow urban forests

through the Urban and Community Forestry Program and the National Urban and Community Forestry

Advisory Council’s Ten Year Action Plan.

The 2016 grant recipients and amounts are:

State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, A Decision

Support System to Develop, Analyze, and Optimize Urban and Community Forests: $285,340 to

create a decision support system for i-Tree Landscape to allow forest managers and planners to achieve

desired benefits and service from urban and community forests. Developed by the Forest Service, i-Tree is a

ground-breaking interactive web tool helping communities identify and make the most of their urban trees.

Earth Learning, Inc., Community Food Forestry Initiative: $175,627 to address tree canopy loss due

to re-development by providing planners, decision-makers, and designers with a comprehensive set of

resources to integrate food-producing trees and plants into the urban landscape.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dept. of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, Urban

Forestry’s Return On Investment Tying Residential Nature To Health Care Expenditures:

$278,383 to document the effects of urban and community forests on health care savings by examining the

impacts of urban forests on major U.S. population groups, particularly the underserved, giving the findings

direct relevance to communities across the nation.

Georgia State University, The Impact of Natural Environments on Symptom Expression in

Children with Autism: $160,650 to research the impact of nature on symptom severity in children with

autism. A “Lessons Learned” document will provide best practices for working with children with autism.

For more information about the National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge grant recipients, visit

www.fs.fed.us/ucf/nucfac.html.

The mission of the Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation's

forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides

assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service

manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of

the Nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of

about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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Oxford College at Emory hosts 2016 College Canopy

Conference

Do you take care of trees on a college or university campus? Don't

miss the 2016 GUFC College Canopy Conference, scheduled for

September 14 (9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.) at Oxford College of Emory

University in Oxford, Georgia. This historic college located at 110 Few

Circle in Oxford, Georgia will host us as we hear talks on best

management practices and campus management plans and choose from

tours which include the Trees of the Oxford College Quad, Oxford's

famed Yarbrough Oak, and tree care on a construction project. This

popular conference is a must for physical plant managers and crews,

landscape directors, administrators, arborists, and others who are

responsible for healthy campus urban forests. Meet your peers from

other educational institutions, share projects, and gain new urban forestry knowledge and ideas. $50 to

register. Lunch IS included. 5.5 ISA CEUs will be available. See agenda here. Register here.

2016 GUFC Annual Conference is November 2-3

Mark your calendars

today for our

Statewide Fall Annual

Conference &

Awards Program

November 2 & 3 at

the Brasstown Valley

Resort in Young

Harris, Georgia.

Paul D. Ries, Manager of the Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program for the Oregon

Department of Forestry and Instructor and Director of the Graduate Certificate Urban Forestry program at

Oregon State University, will lead us with talks on "The Power of Collective Impact in Urban

Forestry." We also enjoy talks by horticulturist and author Erica Glasener ("The Impulse of Why: A

Passion for Trees"), the University of Georgia's Dr. Kim Coder ("Ecological Renovation") and other

noted experts. Included in the conference are breakout sessions on related topics, offsite tours, and our

Excellence in Urban Forestry awards luncheon. This annual event is also an enjoyable opportunity to see old

friends and meet new ones who, like you, are concerned about maintaining Georgia's green legacy and helping

communities grow healthy trees and incorporate trees into their planning and growth. Registration is now

open at a $195 early-bird rate, which ends Oct 2! See agenda here. Register here. CEUs will be available.

*LODGING RESERVATIONS ARE A SEPARATE FEE. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RESERVING A ROOM AT THE CONFERENCE

RATE OF $139, CLICK HERE. THE CONFERENCE ROOM RATE ENDS OCTOBER 2!

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OFFICERS

Daniel S. Bauer, Arborist, President, Arbor Equity, Inc. PRESIDENT

Derrick Catlett, Arborist, Middle Georgia State University PRESIDENT-ELECT

Susan Russell, Consulting Arborist, City of Jefferson SECRETARY

Dale Higdon, Forester, Certified Arborist, Retired Ga. Forestry Comm., TREASURER

Andrew Saunders, Environmental Coordinator, Athens-Clarke Co. PAST-PRESIDENT

GUFC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jon Balkcom, Forestry & Right of Way Services, Georgia Power Company, Atlanta

Andrea Greco, Landscape Architect/Arborist, Pond and Co., Norcross

Darryl Haddock, Environmental Education Director, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance

Karol Kelly, Bibb County Cooperative Extension, Macon

Mark McClellan, Forester, Specialist, Georgia Forestry Commission, Darien

Michele McIntosh-Ross, Principal Planner, City of Milton

Art Morris, Master Arborist, Bartlett Tree Experts, Tucker

Liz Moss, Tree Health Technician, UGA Center for Invasives & Ecosystem Health, Tifton

Terry Paige, Municipal Arborist, Rome

Robert Seamans, Streets & Parks Division Superintendent, Statesboro

EX OFFICIO

Susan Granbery, GFC Urban & Community Forestry Coordinator, Stone Mountain

Joan Scales, SCFP Manager, Georgia Forestry Commission, Athens

Mary Lynne Beckley, GUFC Executive Director, Stone Mountain

Georgia Urban Forest Council

P.O. Box 2199

Stone Mountain, GA 30086

470-210-5900

www.gufc.org

Follow GUFC on

member

GEORGIA URBAN FOREST COUNCIL 2016

Funds for this project were provided by the Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program administered by the Georgia Forestry

Commission. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race,

color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political belief, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited

bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communications of program information (Braille,

large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of

discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-A, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250-9410.

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Thank you to our partners who help us bring vital urban forestry education and resources to Georgia.

2016 Sponsors

Sponsors