Conifer Translational Genomics Network Project Receives USDA Secretary’s Honor Award

Posted on September 21, 2011 by

Conifer Translational Genetics Network team with United States Department of Agriculture 63rd Secretary’s Annual Honor Awards held in the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Auditorium in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, September 14, 2011.

Front Row, L to R: Fikret Isik(NC State), Deputy Secretary Merrigan, Nicholas Wheeler(adjunct - NC State & Oregon State), and Jill Wegrzyn(UC-Davis). Back row, L to R: Ross Whetten(NC State), Konstantin Krutovsky(Texas A&M), and Randy Johnson(US Forest Service) USDA photo by Bob Nichols

The Conifer Translational Genomics Network Coordinated Agricultural Project (CTGN -CAP) was honored at a ceremony in Washington, DC on September 14, 2011 with the prestigious 2011 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary’s Honor Award in the category of Ensuring our national forests and private working lands are conserved, restored, and made more resilient to climate change, while enhancing our water resources.

Dr. Nick Wheeler with USDA Sec, Vilsack and Dept. Sec. MErrigan

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (l) and Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan (r), with Dr. Nick Wheeler (c) representing the CTGN Team. USDA photo by Lance Cheung

These awards are the most prestigious Departmental awards presented by the Secretary of Agriculture and recognize exceptional leadership, contributions, or public service by individuals or groups who support the mission/goals of the USDA.

The CTGN CAP is an integrated research, education, and extension project aimed at maintaining or restoring healthy forests and ecosystems by bringing genomic-assisted breeding to applications in the United States. The multi-state, multi-institution project is funded by the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the USDA Forest Service. The CTGN draws from or delivers to virtually all conifer genomics scientists and tree breeders in the United States.

Project team members represent five universities, the Texas Forest Service, and the United States Forest Service. Additional guidance and feedback comes from advisory committees: a Scientific Advisory Board, an Extension Committee, and an Education Committee. Project evaluation for extension and education activities is provided by an independent evaluator from Cedar Lake Research Group, LLC.

Team members from NC State University’s Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources include: Dr. Steve McKeand, Dr. Ross Whetten, Dr. Fikret Isik, Dr. J.B. Jett, Dr. Nicholas Wheeler, Joshua Steiger, Jaime Zapata, Funda Ogut, W. Patrick Cumbie, Jin (Sherry) Xiong.

Drs. Whetten, Isik and Wheeler from the NC State team made the trip to DC for the awards ceremony and reception with Secretary Vilsack.

More Information about The Conifer Translational Genomics Network Coordinated Agricultural Project

See more photos from the US Department of Agriculture 63rd Secretary’s Annual Honor Awards in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Septemeber 14, 2011.

Strnad Receives Governor’s Conservation Achievement Award

Posted on June 30, 2011 by

Each year the North Carolina Wildlife Federation(NCWF) presents the prestigious Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards. The awards honor individuals, governmental bodies, organizations, and others who have exhibited an unwavering commitment to conservation in North Carolina. These are the highest natural resource honors given in the state.

Renee Strnad - coordinator NC Project Learning Tree and Forestry Extension Specialist at NC State University

Renee Strnad - 2011 Environmental Educator of the Year - NC

We are very excited that Renee Strnad, Extension Forestry Specialist and Coordinator of NC Project Learning Tree ® (NCPLT) in the College of Natural Resources at NC State University was selected as Environmental Educator of the Year.

One of the goals of the NCWF Conservation Awards is to inspire all North Carolinians to take a more active role in protecting the natural resources of our state through the celebration of these individuals and organizations.

Strnad’s enthusiasm for her work with NC State Extension Forestry, NCPLT, the Fur, Fish & Game Rendezvous 4-H Camp and with organizations like the North American Association of Environmental Educators and Environmental Educators of North Carolina have given her ample opportunities to educate and inspire people of all ages to understand and embrace the natural world around them. We are excited and proud that she is being recognized.
Congratulations, Renee!

We are also proud to have long, rewarding relationships with several other honorees including but not limited to –

Lewis Ledford – CONSERVATIONIST of the Year
The longtime director of the North Carolina State Parks system, Ledford is a friend of the college and the 2009-2010 Lifetime Acheivement Award winner from our Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management

Wilburn (Wib) Owen – FOREST CONSERVATIONIST of the Year
An alumnus of our forestry ( ’78) and recreation (’84) programs, Owen has served at the Wildlife Resources Commission and as State Forester for North Carolina where he had responsibility to protect our forests for the people of our state, Owen and his staff were (and still are) are frequent partners and collaborators with researchers and extension specialists at NC State.

Hal Atkinson – SPORTSMAN of the Year
A 1966 alumnus, Atkinson served for 20 years as chief of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Division of Wildlife Management where he had daily impact on conservation in the state and where he championed collaboration with NC State’s wildife researchers and extension specialists.

See all the winners

We congratuate each awardee and thank them for their dedication to convervation in North Carolina and for their past and future support of the NC State College of Natural Resources.

A gala banquet is scheduled for August 27, 2011 at the Hilton Raleigh Durham where award recipients will be recognized and presented with a statuette and certificate.

Learn More about –
Extension Forestry
Project Learning Tree
NC Wildlife Federation

Learning about an imPORTant partner

Posted on June 23, 2011 by

Forest products is a legacy industry and biomass a rapidly growing one for North Carolina. That’s why our Extension Forestry group took a recent field trip to the Port of Wilmington for a firsthand look at the vital role the Ports Authority plays in the export of these products.

Groups Tour Port of Wilmington Facility

Reprinted from Stem to Stern – May 2001 – the newsletter of the NC Ports Authority

Representatives of NC State University Extension Forestry, NC Division of Forest Resources, NC Association of Professional Loggers, Inc., and Eastern Wood Products visited the Port of Wilmington on May 11, 2011. Karen Fox in the Business & Economic Development Department served as their tour guide.

“The visitors are working to increase forest products and biomass exports out of North Carolina ports, especially wood pellets and logs,” said Fox. “They were especially interested in the logging operation at Wilmington,” Fox concluded.

Forestry Professionals Tour the NC Ports Authority in May 2011

Karen Fox, far right, gives a tour of the Port of Wilmington on May 11 to representatives of NC State University Extension Forestry, NC Division of Forest Resources, NC Association of Professional Loggers, Inc., and Eastern Wood Products. Front Row (left to right): Matt Sharpe, Bob Bardon, Helene Cser, Dennis Hazel and Karen Fox; back row (left to right): Duane Truslow, Les Hunter, Clay Altizer, and Doug Duncan. Photo by Susan N. Pridgen

“It’s great to see a fantastic partnership between the North Carolina Ports and the forest products industry since both are major contributors to North Carolina’s economy,” said Clay Altizer, Utilization Forester with the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources Forest Resources Division. “Hopefully, we can work together to strengthen this vital relationship.”

“I also want to thank Mrs. Fox for the outstanding tour and appreciate her taking the time out of her schedule to educate us on the logistics of North Carolina’s Ports and for sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience with our group,” said Altizer.

“I think Karen did an excellent job and it was very informative. I’m glad I went,” said Matt Sharpe of Eastern Wood Products.

“Ms. Fox appeared to be very enthusiastic about helping the forest industry and the potential benefits both for the port and North Carolina citizens. The tour was very informative and I enjoyed learning the functionality of our state port,’ added Helene Cser, Extension Associate for North Carolina State University Extension Forestry.

“I wish that all the citizens of North Carolina had a better appreciation of the economic importance of our State Ports to the state and my hope is that our state will steadily and significantly support expanded capacity of our state ports. We all benefit!”

Dennis Hazel, Extension Specialist and Associate Professor
NC State University – Extension Forestry

“We now have a much better appreciation of North Carolina’s Ports and the many economic benefits they provide to our state,” Altizer concluded.

Learn more about Extension Forestry at NC State University

Study Finds Summer Camps Bring $365 Million to Western North Carolina

Posted on April 13, 2011 by

NEWS RELEASE
For more information contact Jane Murray NCYCA 828.669.2145

Western North Carolina has one of the highest concentrations of summer camps in America. For generations, beautiful settings, ideal temperatures, and unspoiled terrain have contributed to the area’s popularity as a destination for summer campers from all over the world.

Anecdotal evidence has long suggested that these visitors and their families have a significant annual impact on local economies. That impact has now been quantified with the release of an economic impact study completed in January 2011 by a team of researchers from North Carolina State University.

Economic Benefits
According to the study, residential summer youth camps in four western North Carolina counties (Buncombe, Henderson, Jackson and Transylvania) contribute $365 million in total economic impact to western North Carolina. The study also estimated a direct economic impact of $218 million, more than 10,000 full-time equivalent jobs created in addition to camp staff, $260 million in increased resident income, and $33 million in new tax revenues during the summer of 2010.

Buncombe County (13 camps represented): $103 million total economic impact, $61 million direct economic impact, and $9.7 million in tax revenue
Henderson County (18 camps represented): $120 million total economic impact, $77 million direct economic impact, and $10 million in tax revenue
Jackson County (2 camps represented): $11.5 million total economic impact, $7 million direct economic impact, and $0.8 million in tax revenue
Transylvania County (17 camps represented): $126 million total economic impact, $84.5 million direct economic impact, and $11 million in tax revenue

The study was completed by Dr. Michelle Gacio Harrolle and Dr. Samantha Rozier Rich of the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management at NC State University, and was commissioned by the NC Youth Camp Association (NCYCA) with funding support from Morrow Insurance Agency, Inc. (Hendersonville, NC) and the American Camp Association Southeastern.

The study collected data from camp directors, camp staff, and camp families based on camp information from the summer of 2010. A total of 45 camps participated with a total of 40 usable surveys representing 50 camps from Western North Carolina.

From staff data, approximately 540 usable surveys were collected representing 5,477 total staff. Seasonal staff, who traveled specifically to WNC because of the residential camps, were shown to spend an average of $2,402 during their stay (before, during, and after camp) in WNC.

Visitor data (collected from camp families’ data) provided 4,600 usable surveys representing nearly 53,238 families. Total attendance at camps was estimated to be 53,238 over the summer, with 49,665 who were considered “incremental visitors.” These incremental visitors, who traveled specifically to WNC because of residential camps and did not live in the four-county WNC region, each spent an average of $2,096 during
their multiple stays in WNC.

The Benefits for Youth
The study also examined families’ perceptions of the benefits of summer camps. More than 93% of camp families feel camps make a positive difference in their children’s lives, and 95% would not only recommend a camp experience but would send their child back to camp.

The top three benefits of organized camps (according to camp families) include:

Gaining independence
Improving self-confidence
Developing new skills

Camps and Tourism
Additionally, the study demonstrated a mutually beneficial relationship between summer camps in WNC and tourism. Specifically, when examining camp families’ travel behaviors, 82% of families traveled to WNC by car and those who stayed overnight stayed primarily in hotels for an average of four nights. A majority (69%) considered themselves to be tourists and participated primarily in four types of activities during their camp-related travel: shopping, visiting a scenic area, hiking, and visiting historical sites/museums.

Overall, findings from this study illustrate that camps generate considerable economic impacts and that these impacts have dramatically increased since the last study conducted in 1998. Additionally, camps are providing an opportunity to improve the lives of our children.

Please visit www.nccamps.org for the complete study.

Challenges Ahead
According to Gordon Strayhorn, President of the NC Youth Camp Association and owner of Camp Illahee in Brevard, there are five key issues currently threatening the camping industry- school calendars, building codes, urban growth, taxes and public land permits.

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About the North Carolina Youth Camp Association: The NCYCA is a trade association formed by North Carolina summer camps to expand public understanding of youth camps and to represent their interests with local, state and federal policymakers. The Association seeks to strengthen and expand the educational, environmental and recreational opportunities provided by North Carolina’s camps.

About the American Camp Association: The American Camp Association works to preserve, promote, and enhance the camp experience for children and adults. This is accomplished through the only nationwide accreditation program, through professional development, and public awareness programs and public policy monitoring. ACA-accredited camp programs ensure children are provided with a diversity of educational and developmentally challenging learning opportunities. There are more than 2,400 ACA-accredited camps that meet up to 300 health and safety standards nationwide. For more information, visit www.acacamps.org.

Learning + Serving = Success!

Posted on April 6, 2011 by jkpacifi

NCSU student teaches elementary school students how to measure using forestry techniques.

When you mix meaningful service in the community with experiences related to course curriculum, a powerful learning tool is created! Service-learning offers students a variety of opportunities to grow in their community involvement while examining their experiences, related to specific learning outcomes. Several faculty members in the NC State Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources have led their students through these service-learning experiences with significant positive outcomes from the perspectives of the community, faculty and students involved.

Last fall, numerous service-learning projects were incorporated into courses in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources. Some of these projects include:

Natural Resources 100 Introduction to Natural Resources —Led by Dr. Barry Goldfarb and Dr. Gary Blank, students divided into four group of 25 students to work at four different project sites. These students removed invasive species and plant native species. Through this experience, the students began to identify invasive species while learning the benefits of having native species while serving the community by improving the plant conditions at sites, including Centennial Campus and county-owned areas.

Forestry 784 The Practice of Environmental Impact Assessment—Led by Dr. Gary Blank, students created a general management plan for Lake Raleigh Woods on the Centennial Campus. Students assembled and evaluated information available about the preserve, surveyed faculty members about actual and potential use of the preserve, and investigated several questions and critical issues. Information gaps were filled and current conditions analyzed. The general management plan identifies priorities that need attention to protect values for which the preserve has been designated. NC State University administrators, the clients, subsequently named an advisory panel that will use this draft as a basis for moving forward.

NCSU students remove invasive species and plant native species.

Natural Resources 300 Natural Resources Measurements —Led by Dr. George Hess, students are developing a natural resource inventory of the Rust Property in collaboration with Wake County Parks, Recreation, & Open Space. The property is along Swift Creek and was purchased as protected open space by Wake County. The class’ inventory will provide baseline data, so the County can develop a management plan for the land. Students are developing information about soils, wildlife, plants, water, and the history of human use of the property.

Forestry 172 Forest System Mapping and Mensuration I —Led by Dr. Bronson Bullock, students worked with elementary and middle school students to teach them about forestry measurements and environmental education. These students took skills that they recently learned in this course and taught them to elementary and middle school students, so the younger srudents would have a practical application for the measuring skills they were learning in their classes. Dr. Bullock’s students lead this hands-on, fun activity giving the younger students the opportunity to get outside, enjoy their surroundings and grow in their appreciation for the environment.

Natural Resources 484 Environmental Impact Assessment – Led by Dr. Gary Blank, students spent a lab period collecting debris and flotsam from the riparian zone in Schenck Forest along Richlands Creek. The class accumulated a pick-up truck load of trash, recyclables, tires and other materials washed downstream from sources farther up in the watershed and tossed or blown off the Wade Avenue right of way. The NC State Sustainability Office assisted by providing collection bags, protective gloves, and the truck for hauling collected material for campus disposal.

NCSU student plants a native tree species.

Through all of these service-learning activities, students in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources are fulfilling NC State University’s founding principles as aland grant institution —providing extension and outreach to the community while growing in personal education. Faculty and students enjoy the opportunity to move outside of the classroom to learn in a variety of hands-on, meaningful experiences, and service-learning provides the perfect mix.

Service-Learning is an importnat academic component of the College of Natural Resources’ commitment to Learning Beyond the Classroom, and can be found in all three departments in the College.