Forest Service Report Documents Environmental Benefits of Wood as a Green Building Material

The findings of a new U.S. Forest Service study indicate that wood should factor as a primary building material in green building.

The authors of Science Supporting the Economic and Environmental Benefits of Using Wood and Wood Products in Green Building Construction reviewed the scientific literature and found that using wood in building products yields fewer greenhouse gases than using other common materials.

"This study confirms what many environmental scientists have been saying for years," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Wood should be a major component of American building and energy design. The use of wood provides substantial environmental benefits, provides incentives for private landowners to maintain forest land, and provides a critical source of jobs in rural America."

The Forest Service report also points out that greater use of life cycle analysis in building codes and standards would improve the scientific underpinning of building codes and standards and thereby benefit the environment. A combination of scientific advancement in the areas of life cycle analysis and the development of new technologies for improved and extended wood utilization are needed to continue to advance wood as a green construction material. Sustainability of forest products can be verified using any credible third-party rating system, such as Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Forest Stewardship Council or American Tree Farm System certification.

"The argument that somehow non-wood construction materials are ultimately better for carbon emissions than wood products is not supported by our research," said David Cleaves, the U.S. Forest Service Climate Change Advisor. "Trees removed in an environmentally responsible way allow forests to continue to sequester carbon through new forest growth. Wood products continue to benefit the environment by storing carbon long after the building has been constructed."

The use of forest products in the United States currently supports more than one million direct jobs, particularly in rural areas, and contributes more than $100 billion to the country's gross domestic product.

"In the Rockies alone, we have hundreds of thousands of dead trees killed by bark beetles that could find their way into the building supply chain for all types of buildings," said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. "Taking a harder look at wood as a green building source could reduce the damages posed by future fires, maintain overall forest health and provide much-needed jobs in local communities."

The U.S. Forest Service report identifies several areas where peer-reviewed science can contribute to sustainable green building design and decisions. These recommendations address the following needs for use of wood as a green building material:

• Information on environmental impacts across the lifecycle of wood and alternative construction materials needs to be updated and revised;
• Green buildings codes and standards should include adequate provisions to recognize the benefit of a lifecycle environmental analysis to guide selection of building materials; and
• A lack of educational, technology transfer, and demonstration projects hinder the acceptance of wood as a green building material.

Research recently initiated by the wood products industry in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory will enable greater use and valuation of smaller diameter trees and insect and disease-killed trees. Research on new products and technologies has been initiated including improved cross-lamination techniques and the increased use of nanotechnology.

These developments are especially important amidst a changing climate because forest managers will need to increasingly thin densely forested areas in the coming years to reduce the impacts from longer and more severe wildfire seasons. Continued research of wood-based products and technologies will contribute to more environmentally responsible building materials and increased energy efficiency.

To view the report, visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/09/green-building-report.pdf

VDOF Names Toni Noreika New Regional Forester in Eastern Virginia

A 26-year-veteran of the Virginia Department of Forestry has been chosen to lead agency’s Eastern Region – a 30-county area that extends from the Eastern Shore to Brunswick County up to King George County.

Toni Noreika, most recently an assistant regional forester in the agency’s Waverly office, was selected from a competitive pool of external and internal applicants and becomes the first woman to be a regional forester in the agency’s 97-year history. A resident of Suffolk, Noreika has held a number of increasingly responsible positions since joining VDOF in 1985, and she’s looking forward to the new job’s opportunities and challenges.

“I’ve worked as a county forester in Isle of Wight, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth and Norfolk,” Noreika said. “And for the last 11 years, I’ve been managing the agency’s employees and resources in 10 counties. I’m honored to be working with a great group of people, and am excited to be part of the leadership group that will continue to move the Department of Forestry forward.”

State Forester Carl Garrison said, “We’re very fortunate to have Toni as one of our three regional foresters. She’s a strong leader, a knowledgeable forester and a hard worker who is committed to protecting and serving the citizens of Virginia.”

Noreika grew up around the fields and forests of northeastern Pennsylvania and developed a love of the outdoors at an early age. She holds a bachelor’s degree in forest science from Penn State and is the proud parent of two adult daughters.

Workshop for Women Landowners

If you are a woman who owns 10 or more acres of Virginia forestland or farmland; lives in some select counties or cities, and wants to learn more about programs that are available to enhance the productivity of your land, make plans to attend the one of the “Women and Land” workshops. Registration for either workshop, which costs $5 per person, is limited to 40 women landowners.

A workshop in Petersburg will be held September 22nd, and is open to women who live in the counties of Dinwiddie, Chesterfield, Prince George, Sussex or Surry or in the cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights or Hopewell. Registration deadline is Sept. 19, 2011. For more information or to register, contact Heather Dowling at 804.469.7343 or via email at heather.dowling@dof.virginia.gov.

A workshop in Harrisonburg will be held September 29th, and is open to women who live in the counties of Rockingham, Page, Shenandoah, Augusta, Rockbridge or Frederick or in the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton or Waynesboro. The deadline to register is Sept. 23, 2011. For more information or to register, contact Joe Lehnen at 540.459.3151 or via email at joe.lehnen@dof.virginia.gov.

“This 4.5-hour program is for women and by women,” said Heather Dowling, area forester for the Virginia Department of Forestry in Dinwiddie County. “There are a lot of women in these areas who own forestland and/or farmland but who may not be aware of all the resources and funding sources that are available to help them better manage their land. This workshop will enable women landowners to meet each other, discuss their ideas and challenges in an open and welcoming environment, and hear from women who are experts in the natural resources field.”

The workshop is a cooperative effort of the Virginia Department of Forestry; the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the local Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

VDOF Researchers Study Loblolly Pine Pest

The Nantucket pine tip moth often reduces growth of loblolly pine but has been difficult to control with traditional insecticides. Imidacloprid and fipronil were evaluated side by side across multiple sites in Virginia. Significant reductions in Nantucket pine tip moth damage were noted in trees treated with either the imidacloprid or fipronil product compared with check trees. VDOF Forest Health Specialist Chris Asaro and VDOF Research Manager Jerre Creighton published the results of their study in "Use of Systemic Fipronil and Imidacloprid to Control Regeneration Pests of Loblolly Pine." You can read the entire article on our website.

Virginia Quarantines Movement of Walnut Trees, Products from Richmond Area

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) today placed a temporary quarantine on Chesterfield and Henrico Counties and the city of Richmond following the detection of Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD) in Chesterfield and Henrico Counties.  The city of Richmond is included because of its proximity to the locations where the disease was detected.

Matthew J. Lohr, VDACS Commissioner, has established the temporary quarantine in an effort to prevent the artificial spread of TCD. Regulated articles that cannot be moved out of the quarantine area include all walnut plants and plant parts of walnut, including logs, stumps, firewood, roots, branches, mulch and chips.

TCD is a disease complex that attacks walnut trees, Juglans spp. The fungus Geosmithia morbida is vectored by the walnut twig beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis, causing small cankers under the bark of the tree. The beetle introduces the fungus while it tunnels beneath the bark. As more beetles attack the tree, the number of cankers increases until they coalesce to girdle twigs and branches, restricting movement of nutrients and eventually killing the tree. Neither the beetle nor the fungus is native to the eastern U.S.  Thinning or dead branches will initially occur at the top of the tree which will die from the top down. Trees may be infested for many years before showing symptoms. There is currently no preventive or curative treatment for the disease.

TCD has been present in the western U.S. for years; this is the first detection in Virginia and the first time it has been found east of Knoxville, TN, where it was detected in August 2010. Once established, TCD has the potential to spread to uninfested areas, either through natural means or through the artificial movement of infested articles. VDACS employees in the Office of Plant Industry Services are surveying the affected areas in an effort to determine the extent of this infestation and the source of TCD in Chesterfield and Henrico Counties. The actual source may be difficult to determine since the infestation likely occurred several years ago.

Click here for more information on Thousand Cankers Diseases in the Eastern United States.

Cicadas Active in Virginia

In Virginia both the 17 and 13-year cicadas are active, and have drawn lots of notice from citizens. Cicadas are not poisonous and do not have a stinger, but the emerging cicadas create a substantial noise. The insects damage many ornamental and hardwood trees. Heavily infested areas reveal cicadas on just about any type of plant. Halifax and Hanover counties experienced heavy cicada activity.
http://www.gazettevirginian.com/index.php/news/34-news/3120-cicadas-plague-halifax-county-residents

Purple Prisms Pluck Pests

The large, purple triangle-shaped objects you may have seen hanging in a tree are part of the 2011 Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) survey. This year, the survey has expanded significantly. More than 5,500 traps have been deployed statewide. With one trap placed per 2x2 mile grid area, you’ll probably see one soon.

The traps are especially useful for revealing new infestations that would otherwise remain undetected. This year, a large swath of central, southern and western Virginia forms the trapping grid. The 14" wide by 24" long traps are baited with natural plant oil attractant and covered with a non-toxic glue to catch the insects.

The EAB larvae kill ash trees by feeding on the inner bark and disrupting the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients. EAB was introduced accidentally into the United States and was first detected in Michigan in 2002. The first EAB detection in Virginia occurred in Fairfax County in 2003. Subsequent detections at multiple sites in 2008 resulted in the establishment of a quarantine for more than 10 northern Virginia counties and independent cities. The quarantine is an effort to slow the spread of this destructive beetle by restricting the movement of articles capable of transporting EAB.

Find additional information about the EAB at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/.  Additional information regarding specific trap locations can be obtained by calling Delta-21 Resources, Inc. at 877.207.9406.