January 30, 2007
UW College of Forest Resources kicks off centennial with Gov. Gregoire Wednesday
In the same month that its faculty and staff members have been helping the state look to the future concerning working forests and the potential for biofuels from woody debris, the University of Washington’s College of Forest Resources kicks off a year-long celebration of its 100th anniversary. Half the state’s 43 million acres are covered with forestland. The state’s diversity of plants, animals and ecosystems are highly dependent on healthy forests, including those found in wildlands and urban parks. About 15 percent of our state’s manufacturing economy is based in forest products, representing 45,000 jobs.
WHAT:
Program featuring remarks by Gov. Chris Gregoire, UW provost Phyllis Wise and forest resources dean Bruce Bare, students showcasing research concerning the sustainability of Washington’s natural resources and a reception for invited guests.
WHEN:
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, 4:30-7 p.m.
Program 5 p.m.
WHERE:
Legislative Building, Rotunda, State Capitol, Olympia, Wash.
WHO:
Reporters are welcome at the door; other invitees were asked to RSVP
Established in 1907, the college is one of the oldest units on the UW campus and one of the original natural resources programs in the nation. So it is appropriate that in recent weeks, college faculty and staff have briefed legislators and their staffs about:
- November’s Northwest Environmental Forum, a think tank conducted by the college that involved representatives of forest companies, small landowners, environmental advocates, Native American tribes, the legislature and agencies considering Washington’s working forests. Such forests include areas managed for both forest commodities, such as timber, and environmental services such as fresh water and wildlife habitat. See http://uwnews.org/article.asp?Search=boyle&articleid=29435.
- Five UW studies commissioned by the Legislature that provide the latest information about the health of Eastside forests, pressures to convert some forests to other uses and the state of the forest products industry and rural communities. Look for the “Progress Reports” section at http://www.nwenvironmentalforum.org/.
- The potential for producing bioenergy from woody debris, something President Bush called for in his State of the Union address, in conjunction with thinning fire-prone forests. See http://uwnews.org/article.asp?articleID=28312.
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For more information about the college: http://www.cfr.washington.edu/About/cfrprofile.htm
