Gulf Coast Workshop Creates Plan to Add $1 Billion in Value to the Urban Forest

Biloxi, MS (August 24, 2007)- Participants in a regional workshop drafted plans to restore and improve South Mississippi's urban forest. "Science and partnerships are going to be the cornerstones of your success," said Ray Tretheway, the director of Sacramento Tree Foundation, who came to South Mississippi to share his expertise and "Greenprint" model for urban forest restoration.

Preserve America Grant- Deadline: November 1

The grant program provides competitive grants of $10,000 to $15,000 each to help fund national wildlife refuge interpretive and education projects focusing on history and historic sites and how they contribute to conservation and understanding of natural resources.

City Trees Sustainability Guidelines and Best Practices

Minneapolis, MN (August 20, 2007)- This publication was created by Tree Trust and Bonestroo, a Minnesota planning and engineering firm, to better institutionalize codes and standards for designing communities with trees. These guidelines will help organizations integrate urban forestry goals with urban development projects.

Getting Into Greenroofs- September 20

National Webcast hosted by ACT

Greenroofing offers an attractive alternative to the barren deserts of tar, gravel and asphalt usually seen from urban windows. Greenroofs can capture and evaporate up to 100 percent of rainwater in their space, making them ideal for urban settings in which high-density development offers few opportunities for rainwater to percolate into the soil during storms.

Federal Update on Urban & Community Forestry Legislation

Washington, DC (August 23, 2007)- In late June, the House of Representatives passed Interior and Environment Appropriations for fiscal year 2008 that would restore funding to a wide array of conservation and environmental protection programs. The House provided $355 million above the President's budget request to the U.S. Forest Service, including a small budget increase for the Urban and Community Forestry Program, which would result in a $31,130,000 national budget for U&CF.

Working with the Olympic Games to Plant Trees

(Atlanta, GA)- When Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympic Games, Trees Atlanta helped secure $4.5 million from public and private sources to plant approximately 2,000 trees in the areas surrounding the Olympic Games. If you visit downtown Atlanta today, you'll see the dramatic legacy of the Olympic tree planting campaign.