New measures would formalize development rules, give greater prioirity to urban tree canopy goals; Worcester County, MD

Worcester measures would formalize development rules delmarvanow.com The Daily Times:
OCEAN CITY -- Worcester County officials are looking at changing two local laws to mirror what the state already has on the books.

The Worcester County Commissioners are expected to consider two bills at their meeting Tuesday, one on forest conservation and the other on stormwater management. The public would have an opportunity to comment before a final vote.Language for the forest conservation rules comes from laws passed in the 2008 and 2009 Maryland Legislative sessions. The measures reduce the amount of forest clearing that can be done, give high priority to urban tree canopy goals, increase fees and establish technological standards for reporting. The rules took effect statewide in October, and the Worcester County Department of Development Review and Permitting has been enforcing them.

Editorial: What's value of these trees?; Salisbury, NC

Editorial: What's value of these trees? Salisbury, NC - Salisbury Post:
There are patches of woods you could clear-cut in Rowan County, and residents probably wouldn't raise an eyebrow as long as the saws didn't crank up at the crack of dawn.

But if those woods are within or adjacent to a municipal area such as Salisbury or Spencer or Landis or Granite Quarry, nearby residents aren't just likely to raise an eyebrow. They'll probably raise a ruckus, which is what has occurred with a developer's plans to clear-cut a 40-acre tract in Spencer along South Rowan Avenue.

The landowner, Craft Development, initially planned to develop the parcel. Company officials now say that a changed financial picture and regulatory hurdles mean that plan is out, and the company will harvest the timber to get a return on its investment. So is this a case where development codes have, in effect, backfired and may result in a denuded eyesore, at least until the loblolly seedings bulk up? It doesn't sound that simple, and the site's future seems about as clear as mud right now. But one thing's certain: The impact of this clear-cutting won't stop at the property line. The parcel contains mature hardwoods, as well as streams and a pond, and has stood unmolested for many years. It is, in short, the type of woodsy sanctuary that might once have been taken for granted in Rowan County. But such urban oases are increasingly giving way to asphalt and brick, here and across the Piedmont.

City looks back on a century of planting and conservation and those that led the efforts; Minneapolis, MN

Tree-Huggers: An Arboreal Love Story Minneapolis Observer Quarterly:
When the city of Minneapolis was rising out of the prairie, it really was a prairie around here, not the forest of nearly a million trees that envelops us today. Charles Loring, first president of the Park Board and generally credited with being the first to plant trees in the city, described our terrain in the board’s 1885 annual report as “undulating prairie for the most part bare of trees. The only natural trees were clumps of black oak and scattered burr oak. These in the progress of improvement have largely disappeared.” As David C. Smith notes in his 2008 book, City of Parks, Loring expressed his hope for “the stimulus of a wider tree culture.”

It would seem that Loring got his wish. Over the years, the city -- from the power brokers to the common folk -- has consistently, though often clumsily, embraced its trees. Now, with the emerald ash borer gradually migrating toward our estimated 200,000 ash trees, the efforts of Loring and other visionaries who helped to create -- and conserve -- this remarkable urban forest will guide the city through the looming battle.

Use v. conservation creates conflicts on city preserve; Austin, TX

City struggles to balance needs of birds, bikers and hikers on preserve lands
Balcones Canyonland Preserve invites proposals for new trails.
By Pamela LeBlanc
AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN

Sunday, August 09, 2009
Field biologist Bill Reiner ducked under a cable blocking a trail that dips and dives through the underbrush of the Barton Creek Greenbelt Wilderness Park last month and groaned.
'Oh, no, not again,' he said, pointing to a freshly cut, wrist-thick stump.
In April, staffers checking this part of the greenbelt near Scottish Woods encountered a bicyclist with a saw in hand, blazing a new trail. They ordered him off the land but didn't press charges. They have since closed the trail but periodically discover that people have ignored their barriers.
This land, about 1,000 acres, is a piece of the multitract Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. The property was set aside to partially offset the secondary damage of development that has sprawled across these hills: the destruction of wooded habitat for the golden-cheeked warbler and black-capped vireo, both endangered bird species, and a handful of endangered cave-dwelling invertebrates.

How remote sensing and Google Earth have changed the game for global conservation efforts; Earth; 4/13/09

Remote sensing and conservation Mongabay.com - USA
While most remote sensing work remains the domain of specialists, the emergence of Google Earth has leveled the playing field, offering the potential that Google Earth can do for remote sensing what the iPod did for digital music—reach and engage the masses. In the process it is enhancing the ability of researchers to communicate their work to policy makers, other scientists, and most importantly the general public.
One of the early Google Earth Outreach projects involved indigenous tribes in the Amazon rainforest. Facing an onslaught of threats to their forest lands and culture, the tribes have embraced advanced technology as a means to protect and better manage their rainforest homeland. The tribes—including the Surui in western Brazil and the Wayana and Trio in Suriname, are using GPS to map their lands and plot rivers, sites of spiritual significance, and their resources, including medicinal plants and rich hunting grounds.