News From 11-8-2006

UNEP Launches Campaign to Plant a Billion Trees

Wangari Maathai, Prince of Monaco and Agroforestry Experts Back Global Down-to-Earth Action to Combat Climate Change

Nairobi, 8 November 2006 –The vital importance of voluntary collective action in the fight against climate change is spotlighted today with the launch of a new campaign to plant a billion trees.

The Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), will encourage all sectors of society—from the concerned citizen to the philanthropic corporation-- to take small but practical steps to combat what is probably the key challenge of the 21st century.

The campaign, backed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Green Belt Movement activist Professor Wangari Maathai, His Serene Highness Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco and the World Agroforestry Centre-ICRAF, was unveiled at the annual climate change convention conference taking place in Nairobi.

Achim Steiner, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNEP said: “Intergovernmental talks on addressing climate change can often be difficult, protracted and sometimes frustrating, especially for those looking on but we cannot and must not lose heart”.

“Meanwhile, action does not need to be confined to the corridors of the negotiation halls. The campaign, which aims to plant a minimum of one billion trees in 2007, offers a direct and straight forward path down which all sectors of society can step to contribute to meeting the climate change challenge,” he added.

“In re-creating lost forests and developing new ones, we can also address other concerns including loss of biodiversity, improving water availability, stemming desertification and reducing erosion,” said Mr Steiner.

Professor Maathai said: "When we are planting trees sometimes people will say to me, 'I don't want to plant this tree, because it will not grow fast enough'. I have to keep reminding them that the trees they are cutting today were not planted by them, but by those who came before. So they must plant the trees that will benefit communities in the future."

Mr Steiner added: “The Billion Tree Campaign is but an acorn, but it can also be practically and symbolically a significant expression of our common determination to make a difference in developing and developed countries alike.”

“We have but a short time to avert serious climate change. We need action. We need to plant trees alongside other concrete community-minded actions and in doing so, send a signal to the corridors of political power across the globe that the watching and waiting is over — that countering climate change can take root via one billion small but significant acts in our gardens, parks, countryside and rural areas,” said Mr Steiner.

Other actions include people driving less, switching off lights in empty rooms and turning off electrical appliances rather than leaving them on standby. If everyone in the United Kingdom switched off rather than left TV sets and other appliances on standby it would save enough electricity to power close to three million homes for a year, according to some estimates.

The idea for Plant for the Planet: The Billion Tree Campaign was inspired by Professor Maathai who, along with the Prince, is co-patron of the new initiative.

When a corporate group in the United States told Professor Maathai it was planning to plant a million trees, her response was: “That’s great, but what we really need is to plant a billion trees.”

His Serene Highness Albert II, said: “I am particularly honoured to be associated with the founder, Professor Wangari Maathai, whose involvement in the process of reforestation has been, and continues to be, inspirational. To plant a tree for future generations is a simple gesture, yet a strong symbol of sustainable development.”

Under the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, people and entities from around the world are encouraged to enter pledges on a web site www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign.

The campaign is open to all – individuals, children and youth groups, schools, community groups, non-governmental organizations, farmers, private sector organizations, local authorities, and national governments. Each pledge can be anything from a single tree to 10 million trees.

The Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign encourages the planting of indigenous trees and trees that are appropriate to the local environment, with mixtures of species preferred over other options.

The campaign identifies four key areas for planting: degraded natural forests and wilderness areas; farms and rural landscapes; sustainably managed plantations; and urban environments but it can also begin with a single tree in a back garden.

Advice on tree planting will be made available via the website, as well as information about reforestation and other tree-related issues, including links to appropriate partner organizations best equipped to give locally tailored advice, such as the World Agroforestry Centre-ICRAF.

Dennis Garrity, ICRAF Director General said: “the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign is a superb initiative by UNEP to link people, trees and the environment. Planting trees is great, although using appropriate scientific knowledge to plant the right tree in the right place is even greater. The 500 million smallholder farmers in the tropics stand to benefit tremendously from the greater recognition, appreciation and promotion of the right trees in the right places, so that such trees may transform both lives and landscapes.

The responsibility for tree planting will lie with the person or organization making the pledge via the campaign website. All contributing participants to the Billion Tree Campaign will receive a certificate of involvement.

They will be encouraged to follow up via the website so UNEP can verify that the trees have survived, in partnership with recognized certification mechanisms. The website will record the ongoing tally of pledges, and also publish photos and accounts from registered campaign members of what they have achieved.

Notes to Editors

For information about the Billion Tree Campaign and how to join, please see: http://www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign

Details of the second meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP 2), in conjunction with the twelfth session of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention (COP 12), taking place in Nairobi from 6 to 17 November 2006, can be found at www.unfccc.int

UNEP climate change resources are at http://www.unep.org/themes/climatechange/

For More Information Please Contact Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson, Office of the Executive Director, on Tel: +254 20 762 3084; Mobile: +254 733 632 755, E-mail: nick.nuttall@unep.org, or Elisabeth Waechter, Associate Media Officer, on Tel: +254 20 7623088, Mobile: 0720-173 968; E-mail: Elisabeth.waechter@unep.org

NEWS FROM 10-11-06

Emerald Ash Borer Alert
John Walkowiak and Robin Pruisner, Forestry Chief, DNR and IDALS State Entomologist

Actions for reducing EAB threat to Iowa's Ash trees:
Emerald ash borer (EAB) has killed over 29 million ash trees in four states to date and has been found 2 1/2 hours from Iowa's borders in the Chicago-Kane County area - this find along with continued finds in MI, OH, IN and again in MD are cause for alarm for ash trees in Iowa. Recent attendance at clinics and workshops in MI and OH by IDALS State Entomology, Iowa DNR Forestry and ISU Extension Entomology staff has confirmed that no actions to date in those states will prevent possible EAB in Iowa. EAB is a diffifult pest to find until large impact is seen years later, movement by firewood and nursery stock is a serious problem and costs of tree removal and impact on Iowa's 50+ million ash trees could run into hundreds of millions of dollars.

Over two years ago, INLA joined DNR, IDALS, ISU and others in participating in a voluntary moritorum on not purchasing ash trees west of the Mississippi River and urging customers to diversify their plantings as much as possible with other tree species. Today, it is difficult to even find ash in many INLA member garden centers. Many INLA members have assisted DNR and ISU by donating ash trees for "trap" trees at high priority campgrounds - to date over 150 traps trees (to date Miller Nursery Inc. has donated aprox 100 of those trees) have been established and no EAB has been found. But we need to become more proactive as EAB comes closer to our borders and minimizing its impact.

An EAB Action Plan detailing how EAB finds by USDA, IDALS, IDNR and ISU will be handled and who is responsible has been completed and we encourage you to review it at www.iadnr.com/forestry/.

Next, since firewood appears to be the number one way EAB has been moved IDALS State Entomology and Iowa DNR Forestry are pursuing administrative rules to prohibit out of state firewood from entering Iowa. Approximately 65% of campers bring firewood with them to campsites at state and county parks in Iowa. Getting to all the firewood dealers and wholesalers will be a challenge, but we believe citizens will assist us in compliance and we will work to help provide alternate and safe firewood sources for campers through nearby concessions. Next, the State Forest Nursery located in Ames will stop growing and selling all ash seedlings for conservation work by the end of June, 2007. Annually the State Forest Nursery sells about 100,000 ash seedlings for conservation work, we are planning on growing substitute native species for conservation plantings. We are planning on pursuing efforts to cease cost-share for ash plantings in federal and state conservation programs after July 1st. Iowa DNR foresters will no longer recommend ash species for plantings in urban areas and will encourage city foresters to remove stressed ash trees as high priorities.

We are urging INLA members to no longer sell black, green or white ash species or cultivars after the Spring of 2007 no matter what the source and urge customers to buy alternative native tree species whereever possible. No treatments for prevention on existing trees are recommended at this time. With INLA members assistance and others we hope to find EAB populations when small to eradicate them, and to work with local governments on control programs that are efficient and effective.

Should you have any questions please feel free to contact either John Walkowiak, Iowa DNR Forestry Chief at 515-242-5966, john.walkowiak@dnr.state.ia.us or Robin Pruisner, IDALS State Entomologist at 515-725-1465 robin.pruisner@idals.state.ia.us

News from 8-5-06

Holub Garden Centers closing in DM area
(from the Des Moines Register)
ANNE FITZGERALD
REGISTER AGRIBUSINESS WRITER

August 5, 2006

Holub Gardens, a long-time fixture on Merle Hay Road in Johnston, has closed, and another, separately-owned Holub garden center on Des Moines' south side is being closed at the end of August.

Jerry Holub, owner of the Johnston business, declined to comment Friday, but relatives confirmed that his store had been closed. An employee at Holub Garden Center and Greenhouses on Southeast 14th Street in Des Moines, which is owned by one of Holub's sisters, said the Johnston store was closed on July 31.

Holub's business telephone has been disconnected. Earlier this week, he asked the city to shut off water to his business, said Jim Sanders, city administrator in Johnston.

Holub's parents, Dorothy and Albert, now deceased, established the wholesale and retail garden business bearing the family name 80 years ago in Oskaloosa, said Shirley Holub-Masterson, owner of the south-side store, as well as one in Oskaloosa.

In the 1970s, after their father died, she and her three brothers expanded the business into Des Moines and Ames, Holub-Masterson said.

She declined to comment on the closing of the Merle Hay Road store, and said the pending closing of her store on Southeast 14th Street is unrelated to the closing of her brother's store.

"Our lease is up, and we do not feel like purchasing it. We're moving everything back to the home operation in Oskaloosa," said Holub-Masterson, who also operates seasonal gardening sales centers at grocery stores in the Des Moines area and in Ottumwa.

Her brother Michael Holub and his wife, Diane, own Holub Garden Center and Greenhouse east of Ames.

News From 7-20-06

Poison ivy: Leaves of three, let it be
COMMUNITY RECORDER | STAFF REPORT
A mild winter and recent rain in the Ohio Valley have produced an abundance of poison ivy in the Tristate area. University of Cincinnati physicians are already seeing plenty of patients who have developed the characteristic blisters. And uncomfortable, sleep-robbing itch isn't all of it. Contact with the dreaded "leaves of three" can even send some sufferers to the emergency room. Allergy to poison ivy is genetic. If your parents are susceptible, chances are you are too, so some 50 to 80 percent of us are in trouble.
The actual "poison" in the plant is an oily ingredient called urushiol, which is irritating to all people. Babies are less sensitive to it, some people develop a reaction only after multiple exposures, and others become less sensitive as they age. In the Midwest poison ivy grows everywhere. Birds eat the berries and drop the seeds onto even the most tidy gardens. Most poison ivy patients had been working in the yard or landscaping and came into contact with the cut leaves, stems or roots of the plant. But by taking a few precautions, and acting quickly if you think you have touched poison ivy, you can reduce the risk of ruining the next few weeks of your life. Follow these tips from Dr. Kathy Downey, associate professor in UC's family medicine department, and you can remain blister free, or avoid the worst if the mean green does get you:

" If you think you have been exposed to poison ivy, Downey says, wash well with soap and water within 10 minutes to prevent the rash, which can spread to other parts of the body if the oil remains on the hands.

" Once the oil is washed off the skin or clothing, the initial rash cannot spread, and the weeping blisters are not contagious. However, oil that remains on the shoes, gloves, or gardening tools can spread from there, so wash or clean these areas with a cloth and alcohol.

" If you are allergic to poison ivy, Downey advises, wear long sleeves or an over-the-counter ivy barrier cream. Drugstores also offer over-the-counter poison ivy scrubs kits that quickly remove the oil. After yard work, wash all clothes and bathe with soap and water as soon as possible.
" Teach children to recognize and avoid poison ivy, and they should be changed and bathed quickly if they say they've been in contact with it.

" If a rash does appear, bathing blisters in cool water with oatmeal or applying cool compresses may reduce the itching. Calamine lotion, antihistamines and topical steroids can also help relieve itching and speed healing. In severe cases, a doctor may prescribe steroid shots or pills.

" And much, much easier said than done, "Try not to scratch, since it can cause open sores that become infected," Downey cautions.

From: Cincinati.com Community Press

News From 7-13-06

Emerald Ash Bore found near Chicago, Illinois.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2006

SECOND ILLINOIS EMERALD ASH BORER INFESTATION CONFIRMED IN WILMETTE

Illinois Department of Agriculture, Village government, working to implement response plan and encourage public support

WILMETTE, Ill. – Just one month after the first Illinois emerald ash borer (EAB) case was detected in Kane County, the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) has confirmed a second infestation in the Chicago area. IDOA announced today that a beetle found in the yard of a Wilmette home, a north suburb of Chicago, is an emerald ash borer, a destructive, non-native pest that feasts on ash trees.

"After the first EAB detection in Kane County, we have received hundreds of calls from around the state to report suspected cases. We were well aware it was only a matter of time before another case was confirmed," Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke said. "The good news is residents and interest groups statewide are on the lookout and the faster we can detect and respond to a positive case, the better chance we have of isolating and containing the pest."

The emerald ash borer is a small, metallic-green beetle native to Asia. Its larvae burrow into the bark of ash trees, causing the trees to starve and eventually die. While the beetle does not pose any direct risk to public health, it does threaten the tree population. Since the emerald ash borer was first confirmed in the Midwest in the summer of 2002, more than 20 million ash trees have died.

"We can’t stress enough how important community participation is in fighting the battle against the Emerald ash borer," Warren Goetsch, IDOA division manager of Natural Resources, said. "Because of the rapid response to the infestation in Kane County, we may have kept the beetle from spreading outside a half mile area of the original detection. We are in the process of laying out quarantine zones and working to contain the beetle within that area. Now, our coordinated response plan has been activated in Wilmette and we’re working with local and federal partners to determine the extent of the damage in order to limit the spread. "

A resident discovered the beetle earlier this week and alerted the Village Forestry Department. After foresters examined the suspect tree they immediately contacted the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS). The bug was sent to the USDA to its lab in Romulus, Mich., for identification which notified IDOA nursery inspectors.

Inspectors visited the residence where the beetle was found and discovered several infested ash trees. Upon initial survey, IDOA and Village Forestry officials found suspect trees in approximately a five-block area with as many as 16 trees exhibiting symptoms of EAB infestation. A more extensive survey of the area will begin to assess the full extent of the infestation.

"This beetle is a serious threat to our residences and landscapes in Wilmette," Village President Chris Canning said. "We will do whatever is necessary to work with our homeowners and state officials to contain this pest and protect the healthy trees in our neighborhoods from future damage."

There are more than 18,600 trees on Wilmette Village parkways encompassing over 150 species and sub-species, of which 2,818 are ash. In light of the threat of the Emerald Ash Borer, the Village has not added any ash trees to its parkway tree inventory since 2003. The village has four foresters on staff who are all Certified Arborists. Wilmette has been a certified Tree City for the past twenty-two years, receiving eleven growth awards from the National Arbor Day Foundation for excellence in tree care.

Inspectors have not determined how the beetle arrived in Illinois, but suspect it may have been transported here in contaminated firewood from a quarantined area in Michigan. Michigan and Illinois are two of the five states where EAB infestations have been confirmed. The others are Indiana, Ohio and Maryland.

The emerald ash borer typically moves only short distances by flying, but can survive long distances in transit on ash nursery stock, ash logs, branches and firewood. To avoid the accidental introduction of the beetle to new areas, people are advised to purchase only locally-grown nursery stock and locally-cut firewood.

The emerald ash borer is difficult to detect in newly-infested trees. Signs of infestation include the presence of metallic-green beetles about half the diameter of a penny on or around ash trees, thinning and yellowing leaves, D-shaped holes in the bark of the trunk or branches and shoots growing from the base of the tree. Anyone who suspects a tree has been infested is urged to first contact their county Extension office. The Illinois Department of Agriculture also will offer a toll-free hotline at 800-641-3934 for extension-confirmed infestations.

Options for treating infested trees are limited. In most instances, they must be removed.

News From 5-12-06

Miller Nursery Donates another 75 trees to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for the project to detect Emerald Ash Bores in the State of Iowa.The Iowa DNR picked up 75 ash trees from us in late spring. These trees were intentionally girdled and planted all over the state. Girdling causes the tree to go into stress and give off natural chemicals that attract Emerald Ash Bores. By doing this the IDNR has effective set a trap to test and see if there is any evidance of this pest in Iowa. We are proud to be a part of this test and we were very happy to donate the trees to this cause once again.