National Association of Conservation Districts

National Association of Conservation Districts

NACD's mission is to serve conservation districts by providing national leadership and a unified voice for natural resource conservation.

Forestry Notes

March 2008
Volume XVII, Issue 4

 | PDF version | Archive of Previous Issues |

  1. Making Use of "Wasted" Wood
  2. Ohio Forest Owners to Benefit from Interagency Collaboration
  3. Making Forestry Issues a Priority
  4. Coarsegold RCD Receives First-ever NWTF Partner Award
  5. NACD Bids Farewell to a Valued Ally
  6. NACD Adopts New Forestry Resolutions in Reno
  7. Phoenix Guide Books Available to Order
  8. Non-profit Survey Highlights Sustainable Forestry Findings
  9. New Wood Pellet Market Study Available
  10. West Virginia Districts Engaged in Forestry Efforts
  11. Madison to Host SmallWood Conference in May
  12. Scholarship Opportunities Announced
  13. New Booklet Assists Landowners with Buffers

1. Making Use of "Wasted" Wood
Grant funds and partners help Michigan RC&D maximize wood-utilization efforts

The Southeast Michigan RC&D Council has been working to find innovative uses for reclaimed urban wood. For the past year, the Council has launched several programs to encourage use of wood in local energy projects, support wood research, and provide public education on wood recycling alternatives.

 “We realized with all of the state and federal agencies we were working with, no one was addressing what could be done with the wood,” said Jessica Simons, the Council’s natural resources specialist.

First, the Council sponsored a statewide study of boiler systems through grants from the U.S. Forest Service and the Michigan Energy Office. This study produced a list of the top 35 potential wood energy projects in each county of Michigan. Additionally, they created the Michigan Wood Energy website (http://www.michiganwoodenergy.org) which includes a calculator to estimate potential savings that can be found from using wood rather than fossil fuel. The Council also funded engineering assessments for Oakland University and the City of Monroe’s Department of Public Service and will be offering $65,000 grant for a wood boiler installation in a public facility in 2008.

Said Simons, “This project showcases what RC&Ds do best—address a conservation issue, but in a way that boosts the local economy. We feel our approach could easily be duplicated in other areas of the country.”

A number of helpful research reports have also been a product of the Council’s efforts. One study last year examined how much wood is available from dead and dying trees in southeast Michigan each year. It found that 4.7 million board feet of lumber could be produced annually from the area’s “waste” trees, enough to build 362 average-sized homes. These reports can be found at http://www.semircd.org/ash/research.
 
Several events were held in 2007 to encourage the creative use of urban and other salvaged wood. The Council sponsored “It Grows on Trees,” a woodworking competition and exhibition that showcased the works of 18 Michigan artists. The event resulted in national media coverage and record-breaking audiences at each gallery where it was shown. The Council also hosted a regional conference, “EAB & Beyond: Finding Value in Urban Trees,” in May 2007 to share information on all facets of urban wood utilization. This conference brought participants from throughout the entire Midwest region and provided a valuable networking opportunity.

“One project has led to the next,” said Simons.

This year, the Council plans to start a marketing program for local urban wood businesses. “They do it under the radar,” said Simons of the sawmill operations. “They don’t advertise what they do very well.”

For more information about these projects, please visit the Southeast Michigan RC&D’s Ash Utilization Options Project Web site, http://www.semircd.org/ash, or contact Jessica Simons, natural resources specialist for the Southeast Michigan Resource Conservation & Development Council, 517/851-2372 or email her at
jessica.simons@rcdnet.net.

2. Ohio Forest Owners to Benefit from Interagency Collaboration
A pioneering Memorandum of Understanding, the first of its kind at the state level, was signed by three agencies responsible for forest conservation in Ohio. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the USDA Forest Service, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry will explore ways to provide additional forestry financial and technical assistance to landowners bordering the Wayne National Forest. This agreement will also increase efficiency by enhancing collaboration between the agencies with the development of an annual work plan facilitating the exchange of technical expertise.

“The MOU mirrors a national initiative by USDA, State forest representatives, and other conservation groups,” explains Terry Cosby, NRCS State Conservationist. “Our national leaders established a Joint Forestry Team in December 2007, which will focus on policy development and decision-making to coordinate more effective delivery of assistance to private landowners.”
 
Wayne National Forest Supervisor Mary Reddan explained how this collaboration will be felt by forest owners. “The things we practice as a routine matter on the Forest we want to spread them to private landowners in and among the Forest. That’s the value of having all three of us working together seamlessly, so you don’t have to worry about who to call in order to accomplish the practice that you want to have.”
 
Dave Lytle, state forester and chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry said, “We are pleased to work with NRCS and the Wayne National Forest to identify high priority forest conservation needs, and to coordinate our efforts to achieve the most beneficial outcomes for our forests and forest landowners. This partnership will allow each agency to draw upon its strengths, and will be of great benefit to Ohio.”

Forestry issues are increasingly in the spotlight, both in Ohio and nationally. Pests, such as the emerald ash borer and recent wildfires demonstrate that forest issues cross ownership boundaries and have forest owners searching for help to protect their forest land. With this MOU, technical and financial assistance will be prioritized to meet Ohio’s most pressing forestry needs.

The forestry partnership in Ohio is working. Forest landowners are already receiving increased assistance as demonstrated by participation in the EQIP program. In 2007, NRCS increased the number of forestry practices eligible for EQIP funding and State Conservationist Cosby credits and thanks the ODNR Division of Forestry for the high success rate in getting the forestry practices on the ground. Last year, of the 1,168 EQIP contracts, 225 were for forestry practices with payments totaling $784,000 to forest landowners.


3. Making Forestry Issues a Priority
The 62nd annual National Association of Conservation Districts convention in Reno welcomed its largest number of attendees in five years. The four-day February event, which carried the theme ‘Conservation Beyond Boundaries,’ was also a hotbed of discussion for fire, forestry and woody biomass.

During his speech, U.S. Department of Interior assistant secretary of land and minerals management Stephen Allred touched on the amount of fire damage in recent years, accenting the heightened threat to the wildland-urban interface. Districts have been a great ally to the fight, said Allred.

“Conservation districts have been involved for several years now in helping communities and federal partners work together to develop community wildfire protection plans.”

Allred also spoke of how woody biomass efforts around the country—whether as part of Fuels for Schools or the use of bug-killed trees for pellet production —are encouraging, but not yet effectively dealing with the problem.

“While these programs are innovative,” said Allred, “they are not at the scale needed to reduce the amount of hazardous fuels that are out there.”

Natural Resources Conservation Service chief Arlen Lancaster referenced the importance of strong forestry practices on family farms and ranches while presenting NRCS’s new campaign, “Conservation: Our Purpose, Our Passion,” and colonel James Seaton of the U.S. Marines spoke of how districts might work with military personnel on conservation practices, including tree plantings, at California’s Camp Pendleton.

NACD forestry efforts continued to be coordinated with the work of the new Forest Resource Policy Group. Continuing under the chairmanship of Charles Holmes, the RPG will include Dan Dixon from Georgia, Steve Hobart from Maine, Sonny Jones from Arkansas, Oval Gigstad from Nebraska, Doug Rushton from Washington, and Garth Davis from Washington as the NCDEA representative.

This was the first meeting of the new Forest RPG now serving under the Natural Resources Committee meeting. After a few moments to focus on organization, the more than 30 partners and representatives of conservation districts present quickly started discussing ways to strengthen cooperative agreements and MOUs. Discussions center on the continuance of agreements with U.S. Forest Service, the Department of Interior, and the Bureau of Land Management, and the MOU with the National Wild Turkey Federation. The Forest RPG will be active through conference calls and emails until it meets later in the year at NWTF headquarters.


4. Coarsegold RCD Receives First-ever NWTF Partner Award
During Tuesday night's appreciation dinner at the NACD annual convention in Reno, the National Wild Turkey Federation presented its first-ever NWTF Conservation District Partner of the Year award to a representative of Coarsegold Resource Conservation District of North Fork, Calif. Coarsegold RCD has a long history of partnering with the NWTF on projects ranging from trail installation to large scale habitat grants.


5. NACD Bids Farewell to a Valued Ally
Retiring USFS Director of Cooperative Forestry Larry Payne honored in Reno

Few district leaders and employees are aware of the impact U.S. Forest Service Director of Cooperative Forestry Larry Payne has had on NACD during his eight years at that post. A champion of forestry efforts, Payne has made NACD an ally in his agency’s efforts to address fire issues, tackle excessive forest fuel loads, and manage our private and public forest lands.

On February 29, Payne retired from his post at the Forest Service. He was honored at NACD’s annual convention in Reno for his active role in strengthening the relationship between the Forest Service and NACD. Said Payne of the honor, “I don’t care how strong you are, when you see 1,500 people stand on their feet for applause it touches your heart.”

A native of Montana, Payne’s career with the Forest Service began as a member of the soil and watershed staff in Missoula’s regional office. He spent 27 years working for the agency’s National Forest System, in various parts of the country, before accepting a position in State and Private Forestry in the national office in Washington D.C.

Payne will stay connected with the Forest Service in a volunteer role, but plans to relocate to the state of Washington where he has every intention of remaining active in conservation work.

Forestry Notes had an opportunity to sit down with Payne in Reno …

FN: Please explain where this relationship was at the time you took over as the director of Cooperative Forestry in 2000

Payne: My association actually goes back before 2000 when I was acting associate deputy chief, so I’ve probably been working with this National Association of Conservation Districts partnership for a total of 11 years in two different capacities. But when I became director we took a look at the amount that we were investing in NACD at the time, which was minimal, basically just enough to cover Forestry Notes. After Bill Hager and Bill Horvath and some others convinced me of the great benefits from bringing our two organizations closer together we greatly increased our time, energy and investment in this partnership. We ramped it way up and we’ve kept a high level of commitment ever since. Working together, we really created a much stronger voice for forestry within NACD and conservation districts.

And then we went on a quest to expose as much of NACD to as much of the Forest Service as possible, and vice versa. And we always had our chief, or associate chief, or deputy chiefs interact with NACD at their annual meeting, or whenever the leadership of NACD came to town. We also wanted a Forest Service liaison in each of the NACD committees—the Range Committee, the Urban Committee, the Policy Committee—wherever there was a natural resource connection with the Forest Service, we had a liaison assigned to the committee and attend all of the meetings.

The partnership really exploded from 2000 to today. It has grown a lot, and we really wanted to institutionalize it deeply within NACD and the Forest Service so that after people moved on, others could not come along and easily dismantle it or change it. At times I’ve worried about that, but so far it’s as strong as ever, but it has a long ways to go.

FN: NACD is well aware of why its relationship with your office has been beneficial. Please expand, if you will, on how the relationship has been beneficial for the Forest Service

Payne: In 2000 I could not have predicted the National Fire Plan at all, but that was a huge infusion of money into the Forest Service with a huge expectation of accomplishment and there was no way the Forest Service could do it alone, so we started to involve conservation districts in the National Fire Plan, whether through community wildfire protection plans or economic action programs. We needed a delivery system that was larger and more dispersed than our own agency.

Another example is often times at the conservation district level you have the district engaged in natural resource work and right next door you have a Forest Service office. But often times they didn’t have a relationship, they didn’t know each other. We made a major push nationally to get memorandums of understanding between Forest Service offices and conservation district offices or state associations, and there are several places where that has worked just great.

And also woody biomass. When the Forest Service joined with the Department of Interior we had this huge fuels problem in the forest—we still do—and one of the best ways to treat these forest fuels was to find a way to utilize that woody biomass. We’ve worked with the DOI and NACD with some very large grants for woody biomass utilization. That’s been a real success story, and something every conservation district can get involved in.

I worked very hard to get a joint MOU with the Forest Service, NACD and NASF that still exists today. That brought our two largest partners together to address common issues. Ever since we’ve done that we’ve had joint meetings together at the Forest Committee level, which has doubled the power and doubled the influence of these two associations and made all three groups stronger. Now I don’t think we could stop that if we tried.

Finally, NACD has consistently over the years made the state and private forestry budget one of its top three goals. That’s been very much appreciated

The more we get conservation districts connected to the national forest system, as neighboring service providers, it helps improve the relationship with the forest community … having someone like conservation districts be a voice or advocate for good forestry is a very powerful tool.

FN: What are the great challenges you’ve faced through this partnership during those eight years?

Payne: It wasn’t a challenge to understand conservation districts, but it was a challenge to get to learn NACD, how it functions, and who you need to speak to in order to get something to happen. Just like any goliath partner, you have to spend a fair amount of time getting to know them. I’ve become personal friends with all of the past presidents, attended a lot of regional meetings, and was fortunate to be able to stand up and speak about the Forest Service at those meetings. So the first couple of years the challenge was just getting to know NACD, and I’m sure that it was a barrier for NACD to get to know the Forest Service and our 105-year-old organization, our people, and out culture.

The other barrier in those early years there was a fair amount of dissention within NACD leadership about how much they wanted to support and work with the Forest Service. It’s not that they didn’t agree there was a value in the partnership, just in how funds should be distributed and so on. The more that would happen the more we would try to show positive results with the Forestry Committee and show why it was a valued committee. After time it became one of the most effective committees. You get over barriers by proving success time after time after time.

And trying to help NASF and NACD to understand each other and learn to work together well took a little doing. But the Forestry Committees of both of those associations stepped forward and made it happen.

FN: What should district folks know or understand about what the programs and priorities coming out of your office?

Payne: State and private forestry has several cooperative programs, and all of them are aimed at the same clientel that conservation districts are aimed at helping. So we’re both trying to do the same thing for the same people on the landscape. The stronger and healthier those programs are, the stronger the tools NACD and conservation districts have for their use. So the more they understand those programs, how to use them, and how to interact with their local Forest Service and State Forester’s office, the more effective they can be.

The grassroots component of NACD is a powerful, spellbinding machine. It’s appreciated by us, I can tell you that.

FN: Can you talk about your decision to retire from the Forest Service?

Payne: It was truly a difficult decision. After 27 years in the National Forest System I thought I had a great career until I started working in State and Private Forestry. This was as close to an epiphany as a person can I have, seeing the strength of partnerships and realizing that we can and should work outside of the green lines, meaning the National Forest. I’ve enjoyed the last eight years tremendously, but I’m part of that generation that is starting to retire rather quickly. It was simply time to move on. I was not getting any younger. Waking up at 4:30 a.m. every morning and driving 50 miles roundtrip through heavy Washington D.C. traffic begins to take its toll after a while. And I realized that I didn’t have to work for the Forest Service to stay involved in conservation. I could retire and leave behind some of the less desirable parts, like the daily commute, and yet still be a part of conservation in America, whether getting involved where I’m going to live next, or being a volunteer, or a consultant. Once I convinced myself of that, it made the decision easier. I’ll miss the Forest Service terribly—the people, the mission, the programs and the partners—but I can still work with most of those things on my own terms.

FN: What would you tell your successor needs to be continued with this partnership and what can be improved?

Payne: I’ve worked so hard to help nurture a deep sense of respect and value from my employees towards conservation districts and NACD. I have every confidence that when I’m gone my assistant directors and people on my staff will continue it. Now, will it continue as strong, or will it get even stronger? Who’s to know. But I’m confident that the people I’m leaving behind are not going to let it erode easily. What I would tell my replacement is ‘Do not take this relationship for granted, and do not underestimate it, but it still has great untapped potential.’ If I were to stay around I would continue to harvest that potential and the new director needs to be prepared to spend time with NACD, and not just delegate it. If they can’t spend personal time with NACD then they should stay out of the way and let someone on staff deal with it.

FN: At this event you were honored with an award, and many people within NACD have positive things to say about you. Going back to 2000, did you imagine that you’d be able to achieve so much to help get this partnership to this point?

Payne: I absolutely did not. Sometimes when you see that much power, and potential, it’s so big you can’t recognize it. You have to be careful about taking too much credit yourself, or becoming a cult hero, or the one person who has made this happen, because I’ll tell you we are all standing on someone else’s shoulders. There’s a long line of people and each one just made the ladder a little bit higher and added a few more rungs to get us to the peak where we are now. So I take great pride in helping to build this partnership over the last 11 years, but it didn’t start the day I got here. There were a lot of good people before my time, and a lot of good people came during my time to help it along.

I’m still amazed at how much work it takes to be a good partner. It takes a long time, a lot of personal commitment, and you can never take it for granted.

FN: A year from now, tell us what you plan to be doing with yourself.

Payne: I would really like to be a helpful resource to the state of Washington, whether through the land conservancy or land trust, or in the conservation district arena or the state association, or state foresters. I would like to help the state and the area around Spokane. And, also, I plan to spend four months of the year in Arizona and, if they’ll have me, I’d like to be engaged in the same things down there. I don’t know if its proper, but I imagine if you’re a volunteer you can work with as many states as you want.


6. NACD Adopts New Forestry Resolutions in Reno
The Board of Directors passed four resolutions expanding NACD forest policy. One resolution will initiate exploring the possibility of American Tree Farm System recognition of conservation districts and NRCS conservation plans as meeting management planning requirements of family forest landowners. The mutual recognition of forest plans is one barrier also being addressed by the current NACD, NRCS, NASF, and the U.S. Forest Service Joint Forestry Team. This resolution will include a review of plans with a longstanding forestry partner, the American Tree Farm System; hopefully leading to a single plan for the landowner recognized by the forestry community.

Another resolution addressed carbon sequestration in emerging markets for ecosystem services. Forests have a significant contribution in the reduction of green house gasses. Many states are currently developing protocols that will set standards for this market and Congress is developing legislation addressing this, as well. The resolution states that NACD should participate in the development of carbon protocols as appropriate, and it supports the development of carbon protocols that insure the thoughtful and economic inclusion of forests, and is designed in a way that encourages positive landowner participation.

Providing technical assistance in tropical forests around the Pacific basin has always been a challenge. It is particularly difficult to adapt national policy and programs developed for the temperate forests of North America and its landowners. The resolutions calls on the Forest Service, State and Private Forestry in programs and budgets to more realistically fit tropical forests into the national themes that have flexibility to meet unique island ecosystems and cultural approaches such as ridge to reef work, coral reef protection, and education programs that mirror these approaches.

A fourth resolution addressing the extreme fire dangers of recent years was also passed. It asks for consideration in revising policy calling for the immediate suppression of fires in important watersheds during drought years.

These resolutions will be added to the NACD Policy Book.


7. Phoenix Guide Books Available to Order
Jefferson Conservation District in Lakewood, Colo. recently released a handbook entitled, “The Phoenix Guide: A handbook for watershed and community wildland fire recovery.” The booklet is a product of information gathered from a number of western districts which have dealt with wildfire up close. The 126-page book is considered one of the best reference guides available to deal with the threats that come with catastrophic wildfire.

NACD still has a number of books available for distribution. Those interested in ordering copies of Jefferson Conservation District's Phoenix Guide should contact Fred Deneke at fjdeneke@yahoo.com. It is also available online at http://www.jeffersonscd.org/Phoenix_Guide/Phoenix_Guide.htm.

8. Non-profit Survey Highlights Sustainable Forestry Findings
The U.S. Endowment released “Mapping a Course of Action: Results of a
Survey and Workshop Designed to Assist the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities” to highlight issues on sustainable forestry and forest-reliant communities. The Endowment is a not-for-profit corporation established at the request of the governments of the US and Canada in accordance with the terms of the Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA) 2006. The Endowment is one of three entities designated to share in a one-time infusion of funds to support “meritorious initiatives” in the U.S.
Please see http://usendowment.org/images/Mapping_a_Course.pdf.

9. New Wood Pellet Market Study Available
IEA Bioenergy has released “A Comprehensive Study On Global Wood Pellets Market.” This new study provides an overview of the most important aspects of this booming market.

To learn more about the survey, visit http://www.timberbuysell.com/Community/DisplayAd.asp?id=1977.

10. West Virginia Districts Engaged in Forestry Efforts
Through close relationships with partnering offices, conservation districts in West Virginia are engaged in a number of forest-related projects. Said NRCS Staff Forester Barbara McWhorter, “Typically, districts are all about doing educational activities. In West Virginia they rely on NRCS or the Division of Forestry to take the lead on those activities.”

The Monongahela, Capitol and Western Conservation Districts were home to chainsaw safety and skills training sessions this fall. The sessions were held on the Tree Farms of Juergen Wildman in Marion County, Buck Chestnut in Kanawha County and the Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Jackson County.

Landowners interested in taking a more active role in the management of their woodlands had the opportunity to learn more about such topics as: personal protective equipment, reactive forces and safety features of the chainsaw, the chainsaw tooth, the bore cut, notches and hinges, spring poles and the five steps in felling a tree.

Said McWhorter, the challenge was getting people to attend. Once there, session coordinators were able to educate them on a number of forestry practices. “The session was built around how to safely use a chainsaw. That attracted a lot of people,” said McWhorter. “While you have them there you can discuss the silviculture of it all.”

The one-day training was provided by Cahojo Consulting with help of the West Virginia Tree Farm Committee. A follow-up workshop on chainsaw skills and safety is planned for 2008. The West Virginia Tree Farm committee has submitted a grant proposal that will provide additional workshops on forest management, wildlife management, timber sales and taxes.

Also of note are West Virginia's 12 Project Learning Tree (PLT) facilitators. A PLT Facilitator Training workshop was held at the Wood Technology Center in Elkins, W. Va. earlier this fall. Teachers, agency representatives and volunteers took part in this “Train the Trainer” activity. These new facilitators are now qualified to provide PLT training across the state at the local level.

PLT is an award-winning, environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators working with students in grades K-12.

Finally, a forest stand improvement pilot project is being planned under the EQIP in the Elk Conservation District. Woodland owners in Braxton, Clay, Nicholas and Webster counties will be able to complete forest stand improvement under EQIP. The West Virginia Division of Forestry will provide technical assistance to interested landowners through a cooperative agreement with NRCS. If successful, this project will be expanded to the entire state in future years.

For more information on work being done in West Virginia, contact Barbara
McWhorter, NRCS Staff Forester at 304/284-7576, or email her at Barbara.McWhorter@wv.usda.gov.

11. Madison to Host SmallWood Conference in May
Plans have been announced for the SmallWood 2008 and Bioenergy & Wood Products joint conference to be held May 13 -15, 2008 at the Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center in Madison, Wis. The theme of this year’s conference is “Cutting Edge Technologies to Optimize Utilization of Smallwood and Woody Biomass.”

This conference will provide state-of-the art information on small-tree utilization and to foster peer-to-peer learning. Enormous quantities of woody biomass are being generated from thinning operations, land clearing, and hurricane disasters. These issues drive the need to create solutions for using low-value and waste wood. This conference will include an international slate of speakers, including researchers, material and equipment suppliers, manufacturers, and end-users.

SmallWood 2008 and Bioenergy & Wood Products will feature two full days, May 13 and 14, of technical and poster presentations, discussions, and tabletop exhibits on:

This conference also includes a variety of optional tours on May 15, of the Forest Products Laboratory, the Aldo Leopold Center, a mobile HeeSaw demonstration, a small diameter sawmill, pulp mill, value-added processing plant, and biomass-to-energy demonstration facilities.
 
This is the major conference of this type and is held only every other year (Richmond, Va. was the sight of SmallWood 2006). This conference will be of interest to rural development professionals; conservation district and RC&D personnel; as well as community leaders, environmental groups; harvesting contractors and forest product businesses and entrepreneurs alike.

For more information, or to download a 12-page brochure on the conference, visit the SmallWood 2008 and Bioenergy & Wood Products Web site at
http://www.forestprod.org/conf2008.html.

12. Scholarship Opportunities Announced
The Department of the Interior, in cooperation with the National Association of Conservation Districts is making a limited amount of financial support available to assist with registration, travel, and lodging for the SmallWood 2008 Conference. The primary intended recipients are local officials from conservation districts, RC&Ds, and counties.

Subject to funding availability, up to a maximum of $25,000 may be available for scholarships. Individual scholarships will be limited to $1,000 per recipient.

The cut-off date for submissions for the scholarships is April 5.

For more information and scholarship application forms, please visit
http://www.forestprod.org/smallwood08scholarships.html.

13. New Booklet Assists Landowners with Buffers
The Rocky Mountain Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service, along with the USDA National Agroforestry Center has just released a new research product for the Intermountain West, “Riparian Buffer Design Guidelines.”

The handbook provides a step-by-step protocol for determining variable buffer widths for water quality and wildlife that maximize riparian ecosystem benefits and minimize the loss of productive farm and ranch land. It contains a companion CD including a case study, data forms, worksheets, reference appendices, and other informational material. The handbook and CD contents are available in hard copy or digitally. The USDA National Agroforestry Center provided the funding for the research and printing of the handbook as a part of its ongoing research on functions, design, and landscape location of conservation buffers.

“Riparian Buffer Design Guidelines for Water Quality and Wildlife Habitat Functions on Agricultural Landscapes in the Intermountain West” by Craig W. Johnson and Susan Buffler (General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-203) can be downloaded at http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/29201 or ordered by mail at Publications Distribution, Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 240 W. Prospect Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80526.