Events & Announcements

Public Meetings on New USFS Planning Rule

Spatial Interest — 2010-03-08T08:46:09-08:00

WASHINGTON, Feb.24, 2010--USDA Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell today announced a series of events to provide opportunities for public discussion on the development of a new Forest Service Land and Resource Management Planning Rule (planning rule). The Forest Service will host a national science forum, three national roundtables and nine regional roundtables. Read more>>

Pinchot Newsletter on Ecosystem Services

Spatial Interest — 2010-02-17T08:48:58-08:00

The Pinchot Institute's Winter 2010 Newsletter includes articles about ecosystem services:

Bay Bank - The Chesapeake's Conservation Marketplace [Download article]
Status of Markets for Ecosystem Services by Sara Vickerman [Download article]
Valuing Drinking Water as an Ecosystem Service by Albert Todd and Emily Weidner [Download article]
Sustaining the World's Natural Capital by William H. Hudnut, III [Download article]
Forestry Done Right: Precious Woods and the Future of the Amazon by Char Miller [Download article]

Newsletter (single PDF)>>

Interior's FY2011 Budget

Spatial Interest — 2010-02-10T12:36:29-08:00

The Department of the Interior released its FY2011 budget. The format includes review of major initiatives. The Treasured Landscapes Initiative. Included in the initiative is a $106 million increase in Lawcon funds. The criteria for making the investments include an emphasis on landscape level conservation with emphasis on :

Rivers, riparian areas , or waterboides.
Land conservation for wildlife or its habitat.

Planning for Climate Change in the West

Spatial Interest — 2010-02-10T10:52:42-08:00

"Planners in the Intermountain West must focus on the economic savings of mitigating and adapting to climate change as they tailor federal and state efforts to suit local and regional needs, according to a new report published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy."

Assessing the Future of Wyoming's Water Resources

Spatial Interest — 2010-02-01T21:56:03-08:00

"The Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) produced the 28-page report, "Assessing the Future of Wyoming's Water Resources: Adding Climate Change to the Equation," as a basis for management strategies. Written for a broad audience, the brochure-type publication includes easy-to-read text, color graphics and sidebars. It is available on the Ruckelshaus Institute Web site at www.uwyo.edu/enr."

A New Climate for Conservation

Spatial Interest — 2010-01-29T10:01:35-08:00

A report funded by a coalition of conservation groups recommends a change in management direction for British Columbia's land base. The author identifies biodiversity and adapting to climate change as two priority management objectives for B.C.S forests. The present management status of the land base conserves 15% of the land base in parks and wilderness areas. The author recommends that 50% of the province's forests should be managed intact, with biodiversity and climate change as the management objective. Read more>>

Climate Change, Bioenergy, and Sustaining Forests of Idaho and Montana

Spatial Interest — 2010-01-21T21:16:04-08:00

Conference - March 3-4, 2010
Boise , Idaho

Purpose: This conference will help people connect global-scale issues regarding climate change, renewable energy, and carbon emissions to potential effects on forests in Idaho and Montana. Discussions will center on strategies for sustaining our forests and the services people expect from them.
Read more>>

The State of Ecosystem Services

Spatial Interest — 2010-01-14T16:16:37-08:00

With so many diverse efforts underway, it has been difficult, if not impossible, for many of those involved in the fie ld to get a sense of what the ecosystem services landscape looks like as a whole, much less learn from one another�s experiences. To help provide a map of the field, and to facilitate learning, researchers at Bridgespan, funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, undertook a project to provide a comprehensive overview
of the current state of ecosystem services and its potential for impact in environmental conservation.

This report synthesizes:

Thirty-six interviews with experts from academia, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies, and corporations;
A literature review of over 60 white papers and reports (a list detailing these resources is included at theend of this document); and
Impact results from 194 case studies from the Nature Valuation and Financing Network (NV&F) CaseBase database and 46 from the WRI�s Corporate Ecosystem Services Review project database.

USFW Bull Trout Critical Habitat Announcement - 2010

Spatial Interest — 2010-01-14T11:25:24-08:00

"On January 13, 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to revise its 2005 designation of critical habitat for the bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), a threatened species protected under the Endangered Species Act."

Global Warming and Stress Complexes in Forests of Western North America

Spatial Interest — 2010-01-08T13:15:00-08:00

The interaction of stress complexes and natural disturbances will impact the ability of managers to sustain Western U.S. forests. Warming trends, including earlier spring snow melt, reduce soil moisture and the water deficit increases forest stress. These conditions can increase insect and fire disturbances. The authors conclude that forest composition will likely change over time, productivity will decrease, including a reduction in the capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. Read more (PDF)>>