Taking Root is the monthly newsletter of the NYSUFC.

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TAKING ROOT September 2016

On the Blog: CommuniTREE Stewards, Jennifer Kotary, Lori's Upcoming Tour des Trees Ride, Bronx River Restoration, Rochester Urban Forest Master Plan

From President David Moore

Greetings!

I hope you enjoyed a pleasant and well-deserved Labor Day weekend, perhaps spending time in a park with family or friends. We have a beautiful state, wherever you are in it! I myself have enjoyed travelling in a big triangle across New York State the past couple weeks—from Brooklyn to the Adirondacks and now to the suburbs of Buffalo.

Where I stand in Western New York, the effects of emerald ash borer are very apparent. Forests and backyards are a patchwork of living green trees and the brown ones that already succumbed to the borer. We are going to have a lot of work on our hands responding to ash decline now and over the next 20 years. The issue not only affects our forests but also our backyards, streets, schools, parks, and playgrounds.

As public awareness of emerald ash borer grows, I hope we can see this as an opportunity to educate folks about the importance of urban forestry and best management practices. The Council's Five-Year Strategic Plan outlines ways we are educating and advocating for urban forestry, such as disseminating urban forestry master plans (see the recent blog post about Rochester’s UFMP, for example), posting best management practices to the resources page of our website, and participating as speakers and presenters at other New York State conferences. If you'd like to be involved in any of these efforts, or would like to share a write-up of an effort you are already pursuing, please drop me a note.

You'll notice in this month's newsletter that we're sharing an exciting senior level job opportunity at the NYC Parks Department. Our contemporaries like ACTrees and the Society of Municipal Arborists are quite active in promoting urban forestry job opportunities. Would you be interested in seeing more job postings in the Taking Root newsletter? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Wishing you a happy September,

David Moore
President
president@nysufc.org

Please send your Muni's Urban Forest Master Plan

The Council is collecting UFMPs on our website to create a useful compendium for all. Kindly send yours to editor@nysufc.org.

NYC Parks Recruiting for Chief of Forestry and Horticulture

Job Description Here

Parks is the steward of nearly 30,000 acres of land - 14 percent of New York City - including more than 5,000 individual properties ranging from Coney Island Beach and Central Park to community gardens and Greenstreets. We operate more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds, 1,800 basketball courts, 550 tennis courts, 67 public pools, 51 recreational facilities, 15 nature centers, 14 golf courses and 14 miles of beaches. We care for 1,200 monuments and 23 historic house museums. We look after 600,000 street trees and two million more in parks. We are New York City's principal provider of recreational and athletic facilities and programs. We are home to free concerts, world-class sports events and cultural festivals. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. www.nyc.gov/parks

RELEAF WORKSHOP

Streets & Sidewalks: Streets without Trees are Incomplete

This workshop in Newburgh will include indoor presentations about enhancing tree pits while improving sidewalks to make communities walkable as well as a walking tour of projects in the city. Early registration is due by September 15, 2016. Continuing education credits: Planning and Zoning, ISA pending.

Looking back with Pride: The Council's 2015 Annual Report

A document to show our communities the dynamic range of activities of the NYSUFC in tandem with NYS DEC Urban and Community Forestry, from Arbor Day startup grants to the Annual ReLeaf Conference. Please share!

Cost-Share Grants in 2016 A new round of DEC-administered urban forestry grants will be available in 2016. Go to the Cost-Share Grant site to see documents from the previous round to plan for the next application period and to sign up to receive a notice when the 2016 grant application period officially opens.

EAB Newsletter

CCE Onondaga County is now putting out a monthly EAB e-newsletter. It will serve as a way to keep the lines of communication open among all EAB task force members, organizations, municipalities, and residents in the Central New York region, although anyone is welcome to subscribe. This newsletter will contain news on research, projects, grant opportunities, and questions sent in by you. You can subscribe, and see the a recent edition here.

2016 TRAQ Program - Oyster Bay & Syracuse

ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ)
November 14-16, 2016
Planting Fields Arboretum, Oyster Bay, NY

November 17-19, 2016
Hilton Garden Inn Syracuse, East Syracuse, NY

Join the New York Chapter ISA for the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) 2-day educational course followed by a 1/2 day assessment that includes both a written and field component.

Registration Information
• November 14-16, Oyster Bay: Register online or download a registration form
• November 17-19, Syracuse: Register online or download a registration form

Registration Deadlines
• Oyster Bay: October 14: Spaces are limited on a first come, first served basis.
• Syracuse: October 17: Spaces are limited on a first come, first served basis.

New York State Arborists Fall Conference
September 25-26, 2016 ♦ Holiday Inn ♦ Liverpool, NY

Join us Sunday, September 25 and Monday, September 26 for an outstanding educational opportunity. Join tree care professionals and arborists from across the state to EXPLORE the latest trends and issues, SHARE ideas and NETWORK with their colleagues.

The Fall Conference offers diverse education topics, exclusive time to explore innovative products/services and plenty of time to talk and share your experiences with other arboriculture professionals from across the state.

Speakers confirmed to date:
♦ Brian Eshenaur, Ornamentals IPM Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension-Monroe County
♦ Don Gabel, Director of Plant Health, New York Botanical Garden
♦ Lorraine Graney, Diagnostic Services Manager, Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory
♦ Don Nelson, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Pesticides Management, Pesticides Control Specialist

Preview the schedule and register here.

SMA and Partners Conferences
2016 Society of Municipal Arborists Conference November 14-15 & Partners in Community Forestry Conference November 16-17
Indianapolis, Indiana
More Info and Registration

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The Taking Root Newsletter and Blog are made possible by a grant from the USDA Forest Service through the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

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