California ReLeaf Grant Alert!Applications due March 28

Grant funds are now available for education,outreach, and tree care projects. Non-profit

organizations and unincorporated communitygroups with a financial sponsor are eligible to

apply. The program is funded through acontract with the California Department ofForestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).

Visit www.californiareleaf.org for information.

air and transform it into living matter—branches, trunks, leaves, flowers, and roots. Alarge tree can remove and store several tons ofgreenhouse gases over a lifetime.

At the same time, urban trees have a sec-ond, equally important advantage. Trees helpmoderate air temperatures and thereby reduceour need to burn fossil fuels to produce ener-gy for air conditioning and heating. Everykilowatt-hour of electricity or therm of natu-ral gas reduced means less carbon dioxide inthe atmosphere (and also fewer air pollutants,less wasted water, and lower energy bills). Ajudiciously placed large tree

California Trees

Spring 2008Volume 17, No. 2

A publication of California ReLeaf

Inside:

4Tree Advocate in Action:

Sacramento MayorHeather Fargo

6Network Profile:Orange for Trees

8California ReLeafNetwork Corner

10Legislative Update

Empowering grassroots efforts andbuilding strategic partnerships that

preserve, protect, and enhanceCalifornia’s urban and

community forests.

www.californiareleaf.org

Increasing levels of carbon dioxide andother greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

are of growing concern globally and locally,and California has pledged to be a forerunnerin the fight against global climate change byreducing emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

Many of us would like to help but aren’tsure what to do. Strategies at the personalscale range from the mundane (using compactfluorescent light bulbs) to the expensive(switching to a hybrid car) to the smelly (con-verting french fry grease into diesel fuel). Allhave some disadvantages. But there is onesolution sure to appeal to readers of thisnewsletter, who are likely to find it a strategywithout a flaw: we can plant trees.

The Role of TreesWhy trees? Trees have one big advantagecompared to all other methods of addressingglobal warming: they actually remove green-house gases from the atmosphere. Most exist-ing strategies and plans for the future work toreduce the amount of carbon dioxide andother gases being produced without address-ing the already high levels that currently exist.Trees, however, take carbon dioxide from the

Young tree hugger Jesse Krause doesn’t need to be told that trees are good for the environment!

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(continued on page 2)

PPLLAANNTTIINNGG TTRREEEESSTTOO FFIIGGHHTT GGLLOOBBAALLCCLLIIMMAATTEE CCHHAANNGGEE

By Kelaine Vargas

California Trees2

California ReLeaf is a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization workingto empower grassroots effortsand build strategic partnershipsthat preserve, protect, andenhance California’s urban andcommunity forests.

CALIFORNIA RELEAF

P.O. Box 72496Davis, CA 95617(530) 757-7333(530) 757-7328 faxinfo@californiareleaf.org

STAFF:Martha OzonoffExecutive Director

Joe LiszewskiProgram Manager

Ashley MastinNetwork Coordinator

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:Chuck MillsPresident

Gail ChurchTreasurer/Acting Secretary

Elisabeth Hoskins

Rick Mathews

Amelia Oliver

Teresa Villegas

www.californiareleaf.org

in California’s San Joaquin Valley can reducecarbon dioxide emissions from energy produc-tion by another several tons over its lifetime.(For information on determining the energyand carbon benefits of your own tree, see theOnline Resources box, page 4).

Maximizing Greenhouse GasSequestrationEvery tree planted works to sequester green-house gases, but some do more work thanothers. How can we maximize the amount ofcarbon dioxide trapped by the trees?

Bigger is better. If trees reduce atmos-pheric levels of greenhouse gases by trans-forming the gases into living matter, it standsto reason that the bigger a tree is,the more carbon it is storing. Incentral California, a large ever-green oak will have sequesterednearly nine tons of carbon dioxideafter 50 years, while a Bradfordpear will sequester only about aquarter as much. To maximizecarbon storage, plant as large atree as possible.

Remember, though, that large treesrequire a lot of space both above and belowground to reach their full potential. The onlything that makes a bonsai tree so small is thatits growing space has been artificially con-stricted. When selecting the species, matchthe tree’s mature size to the space available,consider the soil volume necessary to achievefull growth, and note any overhead or under-ground obstacles, such as power lines, side-walks, curbs, roads, and water pipes, that will

stunt tree growth orrequire pruning ofbranches and roots.

Longevity isimportant. The car-bon dioxide that isstored in a tree onlyremains trapped aslong as the tree isalive. Once the treedies and begins todecompose, the green-house gases it hassequestered will returnto the atmosphere.Trees that live longer,

therefore, do more tocombat climate change

than shorter-lived trees. The evergreen oakmentioned above will not only have capturedfour times as much carbon dioxide after only50 years, but because it will outlive theBradford pear by decades or even centuries,its climate change benefit is even greater.

A tree’s longevity isn’t only dependent onthe species, but also on the individual tree’shealth. Maximize tree health by selecting aspecies that is well-suited to the site, match-ing the species’ water needs to the amount ofwater available, considering potential pestsand diseases, and noting potential conflictswith infrastructure that will require substan-tial pruning of branches or roots that can

weaken the tree. Early care andproper pruning, especially in thefirst few years, are also importantto ensure future health. Haveyour new tree inspected and, ifnecessary, pruned each year by acertified arborist for the first fiveyears to set it on the right coursefor the future. Afterwards, inspec-tion and pruning every 6 to 8

years will keep it healthy and strong.Finding a long-term use for the wood of

a dead or dying tree can extend the climate-change benefits it provides by slowing thedecay process. Most urban wood is chippedfor mulch or is sent directly to a landfill anddecays within a few years. Some Californiacities like Sacramento and Lompoc, however,are recycling trees to create plaques, fences,benches, tables and other furniture, extendingclimate benefits by as much as 50 years.

Every tree plantedworks to sequestergreenhouse gases,but some do morework than others.

Climate Change, continued from page 1

The crape myrtles on the right side of the photo will never match the carbon sequestra-tion benefits or the energy conservation benefits of the London plane trees on the left.

3Spring 2008

There is also a small but growing market forspecialty wood products made from urbantrees. For more information on reusing urbanwood, see the Urban Forest EcosystemInstitute’s Urban Wood Web page:http://www.ufei.org/urbanwood/index.html.

Maximizing Energy ConservationTrees planted near buildings have a two-foldbeneficial effect on our energy use: theylower temperatures by directly providingshade and they have a moderating influenceon the overall urban climate when they tran-spire water. A recent study by NASA andColumbia University found that trees thatshade paved or other manmade surfaces pro-vide the “greatest cooling potential per unitarea” for reducing the urban heat islandeffect.

Trees planted in the right places can havea significant impact on our energy consump-tion and a significant impact on the amountof carbon dioxide (and air pollutants like sul-fur dioxide and ozone-forming compounds)that is released when energy is produced. Atthe same time, a poorly sited tree can havethe opposite impact—increasing our heatinguse by blocking winter sun. How can we max-imize energy conservation with trees?

West is best. Concentrate first on plant-ing trees on the west and then on the eastsides of buildings. This will provide coolingshade for walls and windows on the sides ofthe house that the sun warms most strongly.Avoid planting evergreen or solar-unfriendly

trees (those with dense branching patterns orthat retain dead leaves in the winter) on thesouthern sides of houses as these will blockthe warming rays of the winter sun andincrease energy use for heating.

A large mature evergreen tree on the westside of a house in the San Joaquin Valley canreduce energy consumption by up to 323kWh and carbon dioxide production by up to290 lbs annually! The same tree planted onthe south side of the house will have a smallercooling benefit (283 kWh) and willslightly increase energy use for win-ter heating (13.4 therms).

Size, type, and form. Whenchoosing a tree, the most significantfactor to consider for maximizingenergy benefits is tree size. Big treeswith large amounts of leaf surfacearea provide the most shade and thegreatest climate moderation effects.Where aboveground space is limited,plant species such as elms, planetrees, oaks, and zelkovas that can bepruned to arch over homes as theygrow or evergreen trees such as red-woods whose lower branches can beraised.

Drought-tolerant species alsohelp reduce energy use by reducingthe amount of water used. About one-fifth ofCalifornia’s electricity and one-third of ournatural gas is used to move, clean, and distrib-ute water, so the less

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

The existence of greenhouse gases (which include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrousoxide, and others) in the atmosphere is critical to life on Earth. These gases act as a sort of insu-lating blanket, trapping heat from the sun and keeping the Earth’s average surface temperature acozy 59°F. But it’s not just the presence of greenhouse gases that is critical, it is also the amount.

Venus and Mars, both much like Earth (and, in astronomical terms, relatively the same distancefrom the sun), have wildly different temperatures because of the amount of greenhouse gases sur-rounding them. Venus has a very thick atmosphere composed almost entirely of carbon dioxidewith average temperatures near 900°F, while Mars, which has a much thinner atmosphere, has anaverage temperature around 0°F—about what we would expect on Earth in the absence of green-house gases.

The levels of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere have been increasing steadily sincethe start of the Industrial Revolution; according to the most recent report of the InternationalPanel on Climate Change (IPCC), carbon dioxide levels have risen by about 35 percent andmethane levels by about 150 percent. At the same time, the global air temperature near the sur-face of the earth has risen about 1.3°F in the last century, and the IPCC’s most recent report saysthat “most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th centuryis very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations.”

Below: Large trees havebeen pruned to arch over aSacramento home, provid-ing abundant shade forenergy conservation andmany tons of sequesteredcarbon.

Photos both pages:Center for Urban ForestResearch

(continued on page 4)

Online Resources• For more information on the benefits oftrees and ways to maximize them, see theCenter for Urban Forest Research’sregional Tree Guide series, available at:www.fs.fed.us/psw/programs/cufr/tree_guides.php.

• For help selecting the best tree for yoursite, see the Urban Forest EcosystemsInstitute’s (UFEI) tree selection guide athttp://selectree.calpoly.edu/.

• For advice on tree planting, pruning, andcare, see UFEI’s Tree Standards andSpecifications page atwww.ufei.org/Standards&Specs.htmland Dr. Ed Gilman’s Landscape Plants pageat http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/.

• To calculate the carbon dioxide emissionreductions due to a tree in California’sCentral Valley, visit the SacramentoMunicipal Utility District’s Tree BenefitsEstimator athttp://usage.smud.org/treebenefit/.

California Trees4

Climate Change, continued from page 3

water we use, the less energy is wasted. Thisis especially true in southern California,where conveying water from its distant sourceto local treatment facilities requires about 60times more energy than in northernCalifornia.

Energy Efficient Tree MaintenanceOnce you have selected the most appropriate,biggest, longest-lived tree for your site, andhave cared for it carefully, what more can youdo? You can increase the climate-change ben-efits of the tree further by being mindful ofthe greenhouse gases produced during treemaintenance. Hire a landscape company orarborist who doesn’t have far to travel, ororganize their services with your neighbors tominimize trips to your neighborhood. Rakeleaves instead of using a leaf blower and com-post tree cuttings to create your own mulchon site.

Trees, of course, won’t solve all of our cli-mate change problems, but they are a step inthe right direction that all of us can take. Andremember that the tree you plant to helpreduce global warming will also clean the air,filter stormwater, lower your energy bill, pro-vide a habitat for local wildlife, and beautifyyour neighborhood—that’s a claim no com-pact fluorescent light bulb can make!

Kelaine Vargas is an urban ecologist at the Centerfor Urban Forest Research in Davis, California.

Tree Advocate in Action:Heather Fargo, Mayor of Sacramento

By Jane Braxton Little

Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo is addressing a groupof downtown business leaders: “Plant a tree,” she tells

them. “Walk more. Switch to tap water. Unplug whatyou’re not using.”

Unorthodox advice from a mayor, it could hardly havecome as a surprise to the 600 business owners attendingher “State of the Downtown 2008” address in theCalifornia capital. Fargo, midway through her secondterm as mayor of Sacramento, has been preaching theenvironmental gospel her entire political career.

Facing a slew of urban dilemmas that include home-lessness, police protection, downtown development, and a budget deficit, Fargo has main-tained her commitment to making Sacramento one of the nation’s greenest cities.

Upper right: Volunteersfrom California ReLeafNetwork group Goleta

Valley Beautiful do theirpart to positively influenceclimate change by planting

trees.

Photo: Goleta ValleyBeautiful

5Spring 2008

Photo left, and photo oppo-site page: Mayor HeatherFargo helps kick offSacramento’s Arbor Day2007 with inspiring wordsand hands-on action.

Photos: Sacramento TreeFoundation

An Eye for PlanningGritty, determined, and energetic, Fargo,55, came to public service naturally. Born inOakland and raised primarily in Stockton,she is the daughter of a professional citymanager. After graduating from Universityof California, Davis, with a degree in envi-ronmental planning, she moved to SouthNatomas, a new Sacramento subdivision.Fargo sounded her first political fanfare aspresident of the South NatomasCommunity Association, suing the City ofSacramento and a dozendevelopers. The 1987 law-suit claimed the city wasbreaking state environ-mental laws by turning theyoung residential area intoa complex of offices andapartments. In a single-day trial, Fargo’s associa-tion won.

Two years later, frus-trated by the city council’scontinued disregard forwhat she considered goodplanning in Natomas, Fargo ran forSacramento City Council and won. She hassupported an environmental agenda forimproving Sacramento ever since, cam-paigning for open space protections, awaterfront master plan and a sustainabilitymaster plan, which she launched as part ofsigning onto the United Nation’s UrbanEnvironmental Accords.

A National ProfileA founding member of the Sacramento TreeFoundation and its first secretary, Fargo hasmade the urban forest central to her 18-yearpolitical career. As mayor when the TreeFoundation released its 2000 State of theTrees Report, she was instrumental in advanc-ing the goal of managing the urban foreston a regional basis rather than through iso-lated political entities. Eight years later, 28local governments in 6 counties are workingtogether to double the region’s tree canopyusing a program called Greenprint.

Fargo introduced the program to theU.S. Conference of Mayors and its commu-nity trees taskforce, which she chairs.Other cities across the country are nowusing Greenprint’s comprehensive princi-

ples for maximizing the benefits of shadetrees to save energy, improve air quality,retain storm water runoff, and enhancecommunity life.

Sacramento’s Greenprint program haspropelled Fargo to the national forefront ofthe urban forestry movement, says TomMcClimon, managing director of the U. S.Conference of Mayors. “She is recognizedamong her colleagues as the tree mayor,” hesays. “She’s the go-to person on urbanforests.” Fargo’s support through the

Conference of Mayors hashelped promote urbanforestry nationwide, saysAlice Ewen Walker, exec-utive director of Alliancefor Community Trees.

Fargo remains modestand unassuming despiteher national prominence.Her belief in the value oftrees is rooted in her com-mitment to communities,says Ray Trethaway, aSacramento city council-

man and executive director of theSacramento Tree Foundation. “She gets theconnection between trees and putting peo-ple at the forefront of urban forestry. Sheunderstands how planting and caring fortrees can make a neighborhood stronger,”he says.

During her seven years as mayorFargo’s environmental agenda has some-times been denounced as too simplistic andlacking vision. With the city currently fac-ing a $55 million deficit, critics are callingfor a tougher, more visionary program thatdemonstrates how environmental improve-ments can promote economic gains. Fargoreacts with the self-confidence of a pro: “Idon’t run for political office to join the club.I run to make government responsive.”

That doesn’t mean she doesn’t getupset, says Trethaway. “She’s always upset.Sometimes she wants to pull her hair out.Then she calms down and says, ‘How do wefix it?’”

Fargo is running for a third term asmayor—so far she is unopposed.

Jane Braxton Little is a freelance journalist basedin Plumas County, California.

What began 13 years ago as a class proj-ect has become a thriving tree organi-

zation in the city of Orange.In 1994, Dan Slater—who later that year

was elected to the Orange city council—tookpart in a leadership class. For his class projecthe chose to focuson improving thecondition of thecity’s decliningstreet trees.

“At the time,the economy wasbad and the citydidn’t have anymoney to planttrees that haddied and neededto be replaced,”Slater recalls.Others joinedSlater and thegroup, Orange for Trees, began to seek outfunding and gather volunteers.

“Our focus was on residential streets thathad few or no trees and we tried to get asmany residents on board as possible to helpplant and water them,” he says.

Trees as MotivatorsIt wasn’t long after Slater took office that the

Orange City Councilwas faced with an issuethat would highlightthe deep emotionalties people have totrees.

Located about 30miles southeast of LosAngeles, Orange isone of a handful ofcities in SouthernCalifornia built arounda plaza. The plazaserves as a focal pointfor the city’s uniquehistorical district andis a great source of

California Trees6

pride for the community. In 1994 fundsbecame available to upgrade the plaza.Developers wanted to remove the 16 existingCanary Island pines and replace them withQueen Palms, a Southern California icon.

“The pine trees were healthy and verypicturesque and very tall,” says Bea Herbst, a

founding mem-ber of Orangefor Trees andthe current vicepresident of theorganization.“One of thethings aboutthese pines isthat they put upwith very nastysoil. They aretough trees.”

But thedevelopers were

adamant. They were concerned that the pineswould interfere with their plans to includeoutdoor dining at the plaza.

The issue ended up before the city coun-cil. As Herbst recalls, “there were more than300 people at the meeting and about 90 per-cent of them were pro-pine.”

Slater, who is still active in Orange forTrees, said he initially supported the idea ofQueen Palms in the plaza, but was eventuallyswayed by Herbst and others. “I think it wasthe only time on the city council that Ichanged my vote,” he says.

The pines remained, and in the end,Slater says he’s glad he changed his mind. Inaddition to providing beauty and shade forthe plaza, the trees have been a financial boonto the city. With its historical buildings andhomes, the attractive plaza and its proximityto Hollywood, Orange has served as the film-ing location for several television shows andmovies, including That Thing You Do withTom Hanks and Crimson Tide with DenzelWashington and Gene Hackman.

“It has a very small town flavor to it andbecause of the pines you don’t necessarily

California ReLeaf Network Member Profile:ORANGE FOR TREES

By Crystal Ross O’Hara

Orange for Trees’ founding members (from left): Dan Slater,W. Cathcart, Bea Herbst, Dale Rhue, Jim Berry, Tim McCormick.

Members of Girl Scout Troop 688 help “green”Orange at a 2004 Arbor Day planting event.

7Spring 2008

Crystal Ross O'Hara is a free-lance journalist based in Davis, California.

think Southern California,” Herbst says.The fight to save the plaza pines helped

to galvanize support for preserving city treesand for Orange for Trees, Herbst and Slatersay. The organization, which officially becamea nonprofit in October 1995, now has abouttwo dozen members and a five-memberboard.

Ongoing EffortsOrange for Trees’ mission is to “plant, protectand preserve the trees of Orange, both publicand private.” The group gathers volunteersfor plantings from October to May. It aver-ages about seven plantings per season, Herbstsays. She estimates that in all Orange forTrees has planted about 1,200 trees in thepast 13 years.

Orange for Trees also works with home-owners to educate them about the importanceof trees and how to care for them. Herbstspent two years studying horticulture in jun-ior college and will go out to homes to offerresidents tree advice free of charge. Thegroup also lobbies the city on behalf of resi-dents for tree preservation and planting.

Slater says having support from the cityand its residents is the key to the organiza-tion’s accomplishments.

“Part of the successcomes from the buy-infrom the residents,” hesays. “We don’t plant treeswhere people don’t wantthem and won’t take care ofthem.”

Slater says plans for thefuture of Orange for Treesinclude improving the workthe organization is alreadydoing. “I’d like to see usbecome better at whatwe’re doing, grow ourmembership, and increaseour funding and our effec-tiveness,” he says. Andthat’s sure to be good newsfor the trees of Orange.

The Great Clean Air Tree Planting Project made history in Southern California on October 27 andDecember 1, 2007, when thousands of volunteers from across the region planted 5,000 trees at

parks, schools, along sidewalks, medians, and in backyards as part of national “Make a Difference Day.”The project stretched across Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, and isbelieved to be the largest volunteer tree planting undertaken in the state.

The effort was coordinated and managed by United Voices for Healthier Communities, a coali-tion of organizations led by the California Urban Forest Council, the Western Chapter of theInternational Society of Arboriculture, and California ReLeaf. Funding for this historic effort was pro-vided by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the California Department of Forestryand Fire Protection (Cal Fire), and The Britton Fund.

Individuals, families, and organizations joined the effort, which is continuing to recruit new volun-teers and add additional planting sites throughout 2008. Participants learn about long- term tree careas well as proper planting techniques, ensuring that the thousands of trees planted will reach maturi-ty in good health.

The Great Clean Air Tree Planting Project will result in a massive reduction in carbon dioxideand pollutants. Already the trees planted in October and December are working to clean the air.When those trees mature, they will remove at least 840 tons of carbon dioxide and 24,160 poundsof pollutants out of our air every year for decades. As impressive as those numbers are, we expectthem to grow substantially larger when individuals and families join the effort by planting trees—evenone will make a difference—in their own yards.

For more information about United Voices, including how to get involved in 2008, please visithttp://www.unitedvoices.org/.

Orange for Trees

Year founded: 1994

Joined Network: 1995

Board Members: 5

Membership: ~25

Projects include:Tree planting, resident education,

advocacy.

Contact:Bea Herbst, vice president

1435 East Walnut Ave. Orange, CA 92667

(714) 997-5128

Member Snapshot

THE GREAT CLEAN AIR TREE PLANTING PROJECT

Left to right: Scenes fromThe Great Clean Air TreePlanting Project in LaHabra, Live Oak Canyon,and Long Beach.

Photos: Nancy Hughes(left) , Mary Mahoney(middle and right)

California Trees8

California ReLeaf Network Corner

Welcome Ashley! In August 2007 California ReLeaf hiredAshley Mastin as our new NetworkCoordinator, over-seeing our vibrant andever-growing California ReLeaf Network(now 90 members strong).

Ashley comes to us from the Girl Scouts,where she provided volunteer support,planned events, and worked with communitypartners. She has a background in parks man-agement and environmental science. Ashleybrings a winning combination of experienceand people skills to the job and has jumped inwith both feet, helping to grow our Networkmembership and to roll-out our newMentoring program (see below).

She has also embarked upon a very excit-ing adventure of her own—in early Januaryshe and her husband Kevin became the proudparents of Eve Emily, now our youngest andcutest member of the ReLeaf family. Ashley ison maternity leave until April, at which pointshe will look forward to coming back towork—where she can finally get some peaceand quiet!

Leadership from the Grassroots UpIn late 2006 California ReLeaf was awardedfunding from theNational Urban andCommunity ForestAdvisory Council(NUCFAC) to institute aformal MentoringProgram, allowing us tolaunch two exciting newinitiatives. The first is tofacilitate in-depth, one-to-one peer mentoringbetween new organizations and more sea-soned members of the California ReLeafNetwork. The second initiative links Network

groups to each other on a program-specificbasis, enabling groups to learn from their col-leagues as they launch or explore new pro-grams.

The mentoring program was formallylaunched at our annual business meeting inNovember 2007 with the debut of ourMentoring Guide, which explains the programand provides information on how to partici-pate. We will work closely with three mentor-ing pairs throughout the course of the grant.

If you are interested in finding out moreabout this exciting program, would like a copyof our Mentoring Guide, or are interested inbecoming a mentor, please call ExecutiveDirector Martha Ozonoff, (530) 757-7333.

2007 California Urban Forestry AwardsCongratulations to the three CaliforniaReLeaf Network groups that received awardsat the 2007 California Urban ForestConference in November in San Francisco:Jim Williamson from the Tree PartnersFoundation in Atwater won the FredAnderson Award for Volunteerism; TREEDavis was honored for its outstanding UrbanForestry Program; and TreePeople wasnamed Best Urban Forestry Program for its

partnership with the LosAngeles Parks and Recreation Department.

As a special one-timeaward, former CaliforniaReLeaf NetworkCoordinator and currentboard member (and tire-less volunteer!) ElisabethHoskins was recognizedfor her outstanding con-

tributions to the Great Clean Air TreePlanting Project (see page 7 for related story).

California ReLeaf BoardMember Elisabeth Hoskinsis presented with an awardfrom Andy Trotter, presi-dent of the CaliforniaUrban Forest Council, inrecognition of her work onthe Great Clean Air TreePlanting Project.

Global ReLeaf Grants AvailableGlobal ReLeaf, a program of American Forests, is offering annual grants towards tree plantingprojects. The program provides private dollars to support local reforestation efforts and helpmatch other funding sources. Grants are available to support rural seedling projects restoring

damaged forest ecosystems. The proposal deadline is July 1, 2008. For more information, includingapplication forms and criteria, visit www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/grants/.

9Spring 2008

Formed in 1991, the California ReLeaf Network is a statewide alliance of community-based organizations thatshare the common goals of planting and protecting trees, fostering an ethic of environmental stewardship, and

promoting volunteer involvement.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIAAtherton Tree CommitteeCalifornia Association of Local

Conservation CorpsCalifornia Community Forests

FoundationCalifornia Oak FoundationCalifornia Urban Forests CouncilCanopyCREECCityTreesFair Oaks Beautification AssociationFriends of Carmel ForestFriends of El Cerrito TreesFriends of Rodeo, Refugio, and

Carquinez WatershedsFriends of the Urban ForestGreater Modesto Tree FoundationKeep Eureka BeautifulKeep Oakland BeautifulMagicMarina Tree CommitteeMarin ReLeafMendocino County ReLeafMerced River Watershed Ecological

Restoration Club Mountain View TreesNational AIDS Memorial GroveNorth Hills Landscape CommitteeOak Habitat Restoration ProjectOur City ForestPatricks Point Garden ClubPetaluma Tree PlantersPlacer Tree PartnersRichmond ReLeafRoseville Urban Forest FoundationSacramento Tree Foundation

San Mateo Arboretum SocietySan Mateo Park AssociationSouth San Francisco Beautification

CommitteeStewards of the Coast and

RedwoodsStreamindersTREE DavisTree Partners FoundationUrban ReLeafVacaville Tree FoundationVallemar ConservatorsWest Oakland Commerce AssociationWoodland Tree Foundation

CENTRAL CALIFORNIAAtascadero Native Tree AssociationCarpinteria BeautifulCSETGoleta Valley BeautifulGreenspace: The Cambria Land

TrustOjai Valley Land ConservancySanta Barbara BeautifulSanta Barbara County ReLeafSanta Margarita Community

ForestryTree Foundation of KernTree FresnoTrees for Cayucos Tree Guild of Arroyo GrandeTule River Parkway AssociationUrban Tree FoundationVisalia Beautification CommitteeWildPlaces

Network Members

If you would like to reach any of the groups listed, or if you are with a group that would like information onmembership in the California ReLeaf Network, visit us online at www.californiareleaf.org, or contact Network

Coordinator Ashley Mastin, (530) 757-7330, amastin@californiareleaf.org.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAArroyo Seco FoundationCity Beautiful of San DiegoCommunity ReLeafCoronado Street Tree CommitteeFallbrook Land ConservancyHighland Environmental Education

Coalition Hollywood/Los Angeles Beautification

TeamHuntington Beach Tree SocietyIvey Ranch Park AssociationKeep Downey BeautifulKeep Riverside Clean & Beautiful Los Angeles Community Forest

Advisory CommitteeMountains Restoration TrustNorth East TreesOrange County Conservation CorpsOrange for TreesPasadena Beautiful FoundationProfessional Tree Care Association

of San DiegoReLeaf Costa MesaSan Bernardino Volunteer Yard

Beautification ProjectSan Diego Community Forest

Advisory BoardSeal Beach Tree CommitteeShadeTree PartnershipStreet Tree Seminar, Inc.Tree MusketeersTreePeopleTrees for Seal BeachUrban Corps of San DiegoVictoria Avenue ForeverWest Hollywood Tree Preservation

Society

California ReLeaf Opens“Local Branch” at iTreeBank.org

~ Local Roots, Global Reach ~

The TreeBank is an online giving community comprised oforganizations dedicated to engaging the public to care for our

urban forests. Individual organizations join as local branches, pro-viding members with an efficient online tool for accepting contri-butions at a local level, while helping the larger urban forest com-munity on a national level.

To find out more about the program or to contribute toCalifornia ReLeaf, go to www.californiareleaf.org or visit theTreeBank at www.itreebank.org/itreebankdonate.php?org=careleaf.

Thank you for your support!

California Trees10

LegislativeUpdateBy Chuck Mills

Urban Forestry Fares Well DespiteBig Budget CutsGovernor Schwarzenegger unveiled his pro-posed 2008-2009 State Budget in earlyJanuary that seeks to address severe statedeficits through a myriad of options including10 percent cuts across the board in all stateagencies. While many departments within theResources Agency will be adversely affectedby these proposed budget cuts, the two pri-mary sources for urban forestry funding werenot targeted for reductions or suspension.

For grants for purposes related to theUrban Forestry Act of 1978, the Governor’sBudget proposes over $7 million be allocatedto CALFIRE from Propositions 40 and 84.Should the Legislature sustain these appropri-ations, the 2008-2009 State Budget willextend a significant winning streak for urbanforesters and California ReLeaf Networkmembers, who will have successfully advocat-ed for over $15 million in bond allocationsduring the last 5 years.

Another major victory for urban forestryand resource conservation is the Governor’sinclusion of $10 million for the Environ-mental Enhancement and Mitigation Program(EEMP). This is the first time full funding hasbeen proposed by the Administration since2002, and a clear demonstration of the powerof persuasion when the conservation commu-nity speaks with one voice.

Thanks to Governor Schwarzeneggerfor his strong support of urban forestry in hisproposed State Budget.

Urban Forestry Act, Volunteerism TopPublic Policy Priorities List in 2008In celebration of the 30th anniversary of theUrban Forestry Act of 1978, CaliforniaReLeaf is sponsoring legislation that will pro-vide a much-needed facelift for the statestatute that is the primary governing vehiclefor urban forestry activity in California.

AB 2045, authored by AssemblyMember Hector De La Torre (D-SouthGate), will expand the scope of the program,speaking to the need to increase multi-benefiturban forestry projects that also addressstormwater management, greenhouse gasemissions, and other resource-related impactsto urban areas. This is an ambitious bill thatwill require California Trees readers’ support asCalifornia ReLeaf begins to move this meas-ure forward.

Another priority for the urban forestrycommunity this year will be extending orrepealing the sunset provision of legislationpassed in 2004 that exempts volunteers fromexisting prevailing wage law. Without thisexemption, due to expire in January 2009,multiple urban forestry projects ranging fromtree planting to median landscaping andrestoration would be jeopardized through thelack of a volunteer-based work force.Assembly Member Warren Furutani (D-Long Beach) has introduced AB 2537 toextend the sunset to 2012, while Senator RoyAshburn (R-Bakersfield) has introduced SB1345 to repeal the sunset completely.

Finally, California ReLeaf and otherstatewide urban forestry entities will workwith Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) to move his Senate Bill 732 outof the Assembly Appropriations Committeelater this year. SB 732 specifies variousrequirements for the expenditure of specificProposition 84 funds by creating theSustainable Communities Council to overseedistribution of urban greening and planninggrants from the bond. The urban greeningfunds are especially important to urbanforestry, as additional dollars for urbanforestry (above and beyond the mandated $20million) would most likely come from thisresource. As currently crafted, SB 732 wouldempower this Council to develop and imple-ment a grant program for urban greeningprojects with eligible projects including urbanforestry projects pursuant to the CaliforniaUrban Forestry Act of 1978.

California ReLeaf Launches NewElectronic Legislative News ServiceIn January, California ReLeaf launched a new“real time” email-based resource that willkeep subscribers up-to-date on current state

11Spring 2008

Chuck Mills is associate director of the CaliforniaCouncil of Land Trusts and the president ofCalifornia ReLeaf's Board of Directors.

NationalLegislative UpdateBy Alice Ewen Walker

Alice Ewen Walker is the executive director of theAlliance for Community Trees, a national network ofmore than 130 nonprofit and community organiza-tions dedicated to urban forest education and action.

Energy Efficiency and ConservationBlock GrantsPresident Bush signed the EnergyIndependence and Security Act of 2007 onDecember 19, 2007, providing some uniqueopportunities for urban forestry advocates toexplore new funding streams. The actincludes a new block grant program for cities,providing $2 billion a year for 5 years. Theprogram would provide grants to cities, coun-ties, and states for innovative practices toachieve greater energy efficiency and lowerenergy use. Like other block grants, fundswould be distributed based on population, agood thing for most California communities.

As with other block grant programs, therewill probably be a state-led or city-led processto prioritize the use of the funds, providing afantastic opportunity for community treeadvocates to talk to their local and state elect-ed officials to help them understand howplanting trees for energy conservation can bean integral part of the block grant program.

Urban & Community Forestry TakesHuge Hits in President’s 2009 BudgetThe President’s budget was released onFebruary 4, 2008. All of the Forest Services’State and Private Forestry programs experi-enced big cuts, with Urban and CommunityForestry scheduled for an 82 percent reduc-tion resulting in a $5 million budget.

In the coming weeks, California ReLeafwill work with the Alliance for CommunityTrees and their partners in the SustainableUrban Forests Coalition to develop aresponse and recommendations for the FY2009 budget. We will keep urban forestryadvocates updated via California ReLeaf’s newelectronic legislative updates (see related storyon page 10), so please be sure to sign up forthis new service if you’d like to stay currenton this and other legislative issues.

and national legislative issues. The emails aredesigned to keep interested parties current onimportant legislative issues that affect urbanforestry in California. The updates are sentwhen we have important legislative news toreport. Often, they will just be informationalin nature, but at other times we will be askingfor direct action—helping us to ensure thatour collective voices are heard at the StateCapitol and in Washington DC. The serviceis free; to join the list, send an email tomozonoff@californiareleaf.org with “subscribeto legislative updates” in the subject line.

For more information on these and otherlegislative issues, please contact MarthaOzonoff, executive director of CaliforniaReLeaf, at mozonoff@californiareleaf.org,(530) 757-7333.

Calendar ofUrban Forestry Events

May 1 - 4, San Jose, CAWestern Chapter ISA Annual Conferenceand Trade Show: “Roots, Shoots andResearch”. Full conference flyer and regis-tration information is available atwww.wcisa.net or by calling (866) 785-8960.

May 28 - 30, Orlando, FLAmerican Forests Conference: “Nature andthe Network: Building a new framework forpeople and nature to work together”.Register online at www.americanforest.org.

May 30 & 31, Davis, CAThe California Center for UrbanHorticulture presents “Global ClimateChange and Your Backyard”. For programinformation and to register, go tohttp://ccuh.ucdavis.edu/events.

August 1 - 2, Northern California,August 8 - 9, Southern California(locations tba)California ReLeaf, the Alliance forCommunity Trees, and the National ArborDay Foundation present the 2008Community Tree Leadership Forum (seearticle, back page). For information, visitwww.californiareleaf.org/network.

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Published by California ReLeaf.Funding for California Trees isprovided in part by theCalifornia Department ofForestry and Fire Protectionand the National Urban andCommunity Forestry Programof the USDA Forest Service.Subscriptions are free.

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Coming Your Wayin August 2008!

Join California ReLeaf and

co-hosts the Alliance for

Community Trees and the

National Arbor Day

Foundation for the 2008

Community Tree Leadership Forum, a two-day event designed for staff members and volun-

teers of nonprofit urban forestry organizations.

The objective of the Community Tree Leadership Forum is to increase the impact of non-

profit and community organizations working on urban forest issues by providing in-depth train-

ing to strengthen management and leadership skills within our sector.

We will hold two forums —one in Northern California, August 1 - 2, and one in Southern

California, August 8 - 9. The program will be the same for each event and is designed to appeal

to participants on a regional level.

Each Forum will provide a series of 3-hour, in-depth workshops on fundraising (both from

individuals and through grants), legislative advocacy, and successful marketing. We are currently

working on the final details, so please stay tuned to www.californiareleaf.org/network, as more

information about location, registration, and lodging becomes available.