In an era when global warming has moved to the forefront of the public conversation, it's common for some people to worry about their carbon footprint and others to poke fun at such concerns. So when the University of Florida billed this year's grudge match with Florida State University as Carbon Neutral Football, the choice was to be skeptical or intrigued. Count us among the intrigued.

Today's game in Gainesville doesn't carry the usual national interest, because both teams are having off years as measured by their own high standards. Enter a new challenge: How to neutralize the impact the football game has on the climate.

After some elaborate calculations, UF's Office of Sustainability (available online at sustainability.ufl.edu/) came up with an estimate of the amount of carbon dioxide generated by the football game and the number of wooded acres it would take to absorb that much carbon. The answer: land about the size of 14 football fields (or 18 acres) planted with pine trees. So acting on the university's behalf, Environmental Defense will compensate a family for maintaining an existing pine forest of that size.

The game is expected to generate more than 1,750 metric tons of CO2, most of it by fans driving to the game. The university also figured in the utilities used by those staying at motels, though apparently not the exhalations of beefy linemen.

There is a publicity stunt quality to all of this, and cynical bloggers have responded accordingly. "This must be a joke, right? We are leaving a forest a forest and that makes a football game carbon neutral?" one skeptic wrote on the St. Petersburg Times' political blog, The Buzz.

Actually, it's no joke. Not only do trees store carbon in their wood (until they decay), but setting aside land for conservation is an important element of growth management. "Since Florida's climate provides optimal growing conditions, our forests can be very efficient scrubbers of greenhouse gases," explained Jeff Doran of the Florida Forestry Association, a partner of UF along with Environmental Defense.

So yes, it's only one game. And it won't take rabid 'Noles or Gators out of their SUVs. But it could raise everyone's consciousness about global warming by breaking down the complicated issue into terms we all can grasp. Florida, with its lengthy coastline and low-lying land, will be among the first to feel the effects of rising sea levels linked to climate change. We should be among the first to address the threat of global warming, and carbon-neutral football is one tangible way to demonstrate in clear terms how even broader goals can be accomplished.

Sometimes, even publicity stunts can serve a real public purpose.

UF says it will become the first U.S. university to try to counteract the greenhouse gases created by a single college football game.

The act doesn't involve any changes at the stadium. The school, in partnership with the Florida Forestry Association and Environmental Defense, a New York-based non-profit group that focuses on environmental causes, is arranging for about 18 acres in rural North Florida to be set aside as a pine plantation for 10 years.

That's an area about the size of 14 football fields, according to UF.

The trees over that period of time will absorb an amount of greenhouse gases equivalent to the amount the school estimates will be produced by the 88,000 fans heading to the game.

Dedee DeLongpre-Johnston, director of the school's Office of Sustainability, says the game will produce an estimated 1, 750 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Car emissions will be the major contributor.

The school wants to raise awareness of the greenhouse gases generated on college campuses and the challenges schools face when trying to deal with them.

Keep in mind that the acreage and timeframe involved is an attempt to deal with just one game's emissions.

DeLongpre-Johnston estimates it would take 126 acres of managed forest and 10 years to offset the football program for one year.

teamed up with forest landowners in north Florida to sequester 1,750 tons of carbon expected to fill the Gainesville air on game day.

To counter the emissions from the game, carbon offsets will be purchased in an amount equal to the GHG generated. A forested tract in north Florida, owned by Jim and Winston Bailey and managed by Natural Resource Planning Services, Inc., is the field of choice for the project. Environmental Defense will purchase sufficient offsets from the landowner and others as necessary to mitigate the carbon from the football event.

“Private forest landowners own more than 60 percent of Florida’s forests, and well-managed forests play a vital role in combating climate change,” says Jeff Doran, FFA executive vice president.   The faster a tree grows, the more carbon dioxide it removes.  Since Florida’s climate provides optimal growing conditions, our forests can be very efficient scrubbers of greenhouse gases,” Doran concluded.

The climate-friendly event is also a great public kick-off for UF’s plans to become a carbon-neutral campus. Dedee DeLongpré-Johnston, director of UF’s Office of Sustainability, is coordinating the effort on behalf of the university. "This is a way for us to highlight the fact that even routine college events like football games generate large amounts of greenhouse gasses," she said. "We also want to show that we can help to counteract these emissions, and that Florida's forests have value beyond their usefulness for paper products."

“Florida’s 1,300 miles of coastline mean we’re the state that is most vulnerable to climate change, so it’s especially fitting that this is the first NCAA game to help tackle the problem,” said Jerry Karnas, Florida Climate Project Director for Environmental Defense. “Only one team will emerge victorious from the UF v. FSU game next weekend, but either way this is a big win for Florida and our environment.”

In addition to forest products, like lumber and paper, that contribute $16.6 billion to Florida’s economy each year, Florida’s 16 million acres of forests also provide critical environmental services that benefit us all.  FFA hopes the Forest Bowl at Florida Field on November 24 will inspire Floridians and people throughout the world to choose low-carbon options in their own lives.

The project is designed to show the vital role that managed forests play as a solution to climate change. CBS will carry the game live from the Swamp at 5 pm Saturday, November 24. Updates for the climate-friendly event will be posted at http://www.sustainable.ufl.edu/.

Walton County resident honored as state’s outstanding tree farmer

While a homeowner plants a few trees, thinking, “Here’s something to improve the value of my property”; the Pridgen family planted hundreds of acres of trees to make the best use of the land.

Martha Pridgen, owner of 460 acres north of DeFuniak Springs on U.S. Highway 331, was selected Florida’s Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year by the Florida Forestry Association. Her son, Steve Pridgen, manages her tree farm.

“My mom still lives up there. We do it primarily to keep the land useful,” he said.

The farm was purchased from Jackson Lumber Company by Martha’s father-in-law, Charlie Pridgen, in the 1940s. Twenty years later, Steve’s parents, Max and Martha, purchased the timber and pasture land from him.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, the farm was busy with 200 acres in soybean and peanut crops in the spring, and oats or wheat in the winter. Other than a small amount of pasture for cattle, the rest of the land remained in timber.

Max died in 1983, but the family continued to farm the land. A government program gave them the incentive to plant 140 acres of crop land with slash pines. The Conservation Reserve Program offered a cost-sharing plan to landowners to plant pine trees on land that was in cultivation.

By 1987, the farm had pine trees on more than 200 acres.

Steve, who was managing the farm, said he knew little about pine trees. He believed all he had to do was plant them and forget about them for about 20 to 30 years when they would be ready for harvest.

“As with many people who own or operate small farms, I work at a job off the farm during the week, but I spend a lot of time on the weekends doing work around the farm,” Steve said.

In 2000, he was notified by the agriculture department the trees planted in 1987 needed to be thinned.

“Thinned, I had no idea what they were talking about,” he said.

Steve soon discovered there was much to learn about the concept of managing timber. He hired a timber manager, Southern Forestry Consultants, to help him develop a plan.

“We discussed prescribed burning, wild life areas and the overall future plans for the property. We looked at the various natural springs that are on the property and made sure they were identified so the natural water flow would not be disturbed,” he said.

With a timetable to thin the trees, replant and schedule controlled burns, Steve created a Stewardship Management Plan to help grow a saleable crop.

To keep the trees healthy, Steve created a regular burning schedule every two to three years to reduce the underbrush.

“The less fuel on the ground, the safer your trees are,” Steve said. “Having controlled burns lessens the chances of a wildfire burning out of control and helps with food sources for wildlife,” he said. “Wildlife areas have been set up and we have seen an increase in deer activity, turkeys and quail.”

Steve partnered with the University of Florida and the chemical manufacturer BASF to test herbicide treatments on cogangrass, an invasive, destructive plant. Four acres are used for this educational project to attempt control the plant that grows quickly and kills pine seedlings.

One of the key issues for the award as an outstanding tree farmer is to be a good steward of the land.

“Tree farmers provide a renewable supply of essential timber and wood products,” Florida Forestry Association’s Jeff Doran said. “Their forests help clean the air we breathe, protect the watersheds we depend on and provide homes for wildlife. By constantly seeking expert advice on sustainable forestry practices, tree farmers like Martha Pridgen make good decisions for their land that will sustain their forests for generations to come.”

At the Association’s annual meeting at Ponte Verde Beach on Sept. 6, Steve accepted the Florida’s Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year award for 2007 for his mother’s dedication to forest stewardship.

“As for making money, there’s not a great return,” Steve said. “In today’s society, the buzz is, ‘What is the return on my investment?’ With a tree farm, you must think long term. In 25 to 30 years, the trees will be sizable and we can sell them.”

Steven plans to continue to manage the land for his family.

Although there is financial gain in growing trees, Steve gets a different kind of return every time he walks through the trees.

“There’s a relaxation and enjoyment when I am there. I see the birds and wildlife,” he said.

The Florida Forestry Association honored two area men, including one with the association’s highest accolade, at its 84th annual September meeting for their extended service and contributions to the state’s forestry industry.

FFA spokesperson Erin Glover said Clay Smallwood, a Port St. Joe resident and St. Joe Co. employee, and Panama City resident Jim Cottingham received top awards at the annual event, held in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Smallwood earned the FFA’s Distinguished Service Award for his efforts, and is the 36th recipient of the award.

Glover said the award is considered the association’s highest honor and based on years of dedicated service to Florida forestry.

“We don’t give that every year,” Glover said.

Among his achievements, Smallwood helped develop the commercial driver’s license program for log truck drivers in the early 1990s and oversaw the development of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration program for the state’s logging industry.

He also helped to develop Florida’s Master Logger program.

Glover said the program provides Florida loggers educational training in safety, timber harvesting and environmental regulations.

There are 540 master loggers who have completed the program, Glover said.

She added that quite a few manufacturers statewide require that timber harvesting be done by master loggers, because of their completion of the intensive program.

Cottingham, a Smurfit-Stone Container employee, received the FFA’s Above and Beyond award.

Glover said Cottingham recently had served as the Florida Tree Farm Committee chairman and had been instrumental in the Florida Log a Load for Kids fundraising program.

He is the eighth recipient of that FFA award, she said.

The Florida Forestry Association’s Distinguished Service Award is the organization’s highest honor. It is based on many years of accumulated and dedicated service to Florida’s forests.

A graduate of the University of Florida, Smallwood is a forester by occupation.  He has shared his forestry expertise while serving on numerous Association committees and task forces.

Smallwood was elected to the Florida Forestry Association Board of Directors in 1991.  Even before that time he had been a key force in of many of the Association’s transportation and safety efforts.  He helped develop the Commercial Drivers License program for log truck drivers in the early 1990’s, and in 1994 he oversaw the development of an OSHA safety program for the logging sector.

As the logging industry focused on safer and more environmentally-sound harvesting practices in the mid-1990’s, Smallwood helped to develop Florida’s Master Logger program—an educational program that provides Florida loggers training in safety, timber harvesting and environmental regulations.               

As chairman of the Association’s Forest Business Committee, Smallwood was instrumental in helping develop security measures to help reduce the risk of timber theft.  In 1997, his steady and  confident leadership was recognized by his peers when he was elected president of the Florida Forestry Association.

“Clay is one of the most loyal and supportive members I have ever known,” affirms Jeff Doran, executive vice president of the Association.  “This award is a small token of our appreciation for what Clay has done and continues to do to keep the Association flourishing despite all the challenges and changes to the forestry business.”

The Florida Forestry Association is the only statewide non-profit trade organization representing the interests of landowners, loggers, foresters and the forest products industry in Florida. With total sales exceeding $16.6 billion, Florida’s highest valued agricultural product is trees. The Florida forest economy generates over 133,000 jobs and contributes significantly to the recreation and tourism businesses. For more information, please visit www.floridaforest.org.

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Cottingham takes on numerous leadership roles in the Florida Forestry Association.  He takes an active role in recruiting new members and helps the Association raise funds through its annual Forestry Trade Show and Silent Auction. 

He also recently served as the Florida Tree Farm Committee chairman, leading the charge to inspect and certify a record number of Tree Farms across the state.

Cottingham has been instrumental in the Florida Log a Load for Kids, the forest industry’s Children’s Miracle Network fundraising program, since it began twelve years ago. He has organized and led fundraising efforts for Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital every year.

The Florida Forestry Association is the only statewide non-profit trade organization representing the interests of landowners, loggers, foresters and the forest products industry in Florida. With total sales exceeding $16.6 billion, Florida’s highest valued agricultural product is trees. The Florida forest economy generates over 133,000 jobs and contributes significantly to the recreation and tourism businesses. For more information, please visit www.floridaforest.org.

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Pridgen owns 316 acres of forest land in Walton County. The property has been in the Pridgen family since the early 1940’s, when it was purchased by Martha’s father-in-law from the Jackson Lumber Company.  The land was first certified as a Tree Farm in 1986, and is now managed by Pridgen’s son, Steve.

The Pridgens recently agreed to partner with the University of Florida and chemical manufacturer BASF in a valuable educational project in which the landowners will establish test plots to demonstrate the management of cogongrass, a destructive invasive plant, through herbicide treatment.  

Some time ago, the Pridgens recognized the value of timber management, harvest planning and professional forestry assistance.  The tree farm is on a regular prescribed burning schedule of every two years.  Wildlife areas have been established and they have seen an increase in deer, turkey and quail populations.       

The Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year award recognizes private landowners for outstanding achievements in managing forestlands. To be a certified Tree Farmer, a landowner must manage his or her forest in an environmentally sound manner, in accordance with the American Forest Foundation’s standards and guidelines.     

“Tree Farmers provide a renewable supply of essential timber and wood products,” said Jeff Doran, Executive Vice President of the Florida Forestry Association.  “Their forests help clean the air we breathe, protect the watersheds we depend on and provide homes for wildlife.  By constantly seeking expert advice on sustainable forestry practices, Tree Farmers like Martha Pridgen make good decisions for their land that will sustain their forests for generations to come.”

The American Tree Farm System is a national program of the American Forest Foundation. The program promotes the sustainable management of forests through education and outreach to private forest landowners.  Florida Forestry Association sponsors the Tree Farm Program in Florida.  For more information on Tree Farming in Florida, visit www.floridaforest.org.

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A consistent supporter of Florida PLT in its region, SJRWMD assists in promoting PLT to the other water management districts. While the District offers its own environmental education program, Project WET, they encourage partnership with PLT to for joint educator and facilitator workshops. The education staff offers to share exhibit space at state science conferences that PLT is not able to attend in order for the program to be promoted to participants. In-kind support for conferences, retreats and workshops is made available without hesitation. The district encourages its employees to be involved in PLT as active facilitators and leaders on the Steering Committee.

Project Learning Tree is an award-winning, internationally recognized environmental education program. PLT provides a balanced approach to current issues, and as a result, has won recognition from conservation and education groups throughout the world.  The program provides multidisciplinary activities that help teach science, math, art, language arts, physical education and social studies.  

The Florida Forestry Association is the only statewide non-profit trade organization representing the interests of landowners, loggers, foresters and the forest products industry in Florida. With total sales exceeding $16.6 billion, Florida’s highest valued agricultural product is trees. The Florida forest economy generates over 133,000 jobs and contributes significantly to the recreation and tourism businesses. For more information, please visit www.floridaforest.org.

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As a Senior Forest Ranger in Suwannee County, Raulerson serves county residents through burning assistance, fireline plowing, wildfire suppression and technical assistance for forest management practices.  John is very involved in each of these areas.

Raulerson is known and respected as an excellent firefighter, and is comfortable operating a tractor during initial attack or directing multiple crews on large fires.  He has managed tractor-plow units from all over the state while fighting the fires that burned in southeast Georgia and northeast Florida earlier this year, and he maintains an excellent performance record.  Raulerson has received multiple compliments from the Georgia Forestry Commission and other cooperators, praising both his professionalism and firefighting knowledge.

Raulerson has also been involved in many fire and forestry educational activities.  He assisted in the construction of a Smokey Cabin intended to serve as an effective fire prevention tool.  He has assisted the Suwannee County Forester with forest education presentations, and he encourages landowners to participate in formal prescribed fire training in order to increase the number of certified burners and to provide landowners with more opportunities to conduct their own prescribed burning.

The Florida Forestry Association is the only statewide non-profit trade organization representing the interests of landowners, loggers, foresters and the forest products industry in Florida. With total sales exceeding $16.6 billion, Florida’s highest valued agricultural product is trees. The Florida forest economy generates over 133,000 jobs and contributes significantly to the recreation and tourism businesses. For more information, please visit www.floridaforest.org.        

# # #

Karen Weigelt, forester at the Florida Division of Forestry’s Bear Creek Educational Forest in Quincy, is the 2007 Project Learning Tree Educator of the Year; David Moody, environmental educator at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, is the 2007 Project Learning Tree Facilitator of the Year.

As a forester, Karen Weigelt took on the role as Education Director of Bear Creek Educational Forest.  Armed with a stack of activity books left by her predecessor, she had a limited background in educating visitors. Since her arrival in 2005, Weigelt has created a stellar outreach program at Bear Creek with a full schedule of school groups, scouting groups, 4-H youth, summer camps and civic groups arriving daily to explore the outdoors.  In 2006, nearly 2,000 youth participated in a variety of PLT activities.

A facilitator since 2004, David Moody has led 13 educator workshops in Leon County, he led an exploratory field trip for University of Florida Extension agents during an environmental education institute, and he organized a GPS and map-reading training session for fellow facilitators. No matter the audience, Moody’s enthusiasm for the topic and his love for the environment are contagious.

Teachers who attend a PLT workshop receive background information on natural resources, free resource material and a comprehensive activity guide with 96 ready-made lesson plans which have been correlated to the state's educational standards. They can then incorporate this information into their classroom teachings to reinforce curriculum and make learning fun through hands-on discovery. 

Project Learning Tree is an award-winning, internationally recognized environmental education program. PLT provides a balanced approach to current issues, and has won recognition from conservation and education groups throughout the world.  The program provides multidisciplinary activities that help teach science, math, art, language arts, physical education and social studies. 

The Florida Forestry Association is the only statewide non-profit trade organization representing the interests of landowners, loggers, foresters and the forest products industry in Florida. With total sales exceeding $16.6 billion, Florida’s highest-valued agricultural product is trees. The Florida forest economy generates over 133,000 jobs and contributes significantly to the recreation and tourism businesses. For more information, please visit www.floridaforest.org.

# # #

A native Floridian from Lake County, Senator Baker has a long history of public service to his country, with 26 years in the Army National Guard and now entering his eighth year in the legislature.

Senator Baker was elected to the Florida House in 2000, and in 2004 he was elected to the Florida Senate, where he now chairs the Senate Transportation Committee. During his time in the Senate, First Sergeant Baker was called into active duty to serve his country for 14 months during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Florida Forestry Association is the only statewide non-profit trade organization representing the interests of landowners, loggers, foresters and the forest products industry in Florida. With total sales exceeding $16.6 billion, Florida’s highest valued agricultural product is trees. The Florida forest economy generates over 133,000 jobs and contributes significantly to the recreation and tourism businesses. For more information, please visit www.floridaforest.org.

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Glen Harris has been a Tree Farm inspector since 1983 and continues to be a valued member of the Florida Tree Farm Committee, serving as a Florida Tree Farm District Chairman.  Harris is widely known and respected for his support and devotion to Tree Farm and gives much credit to his employer, Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprise, for allowing him the time and resources to be so active in a program he values so highly.  He is among the most tireless and energetic proponents of the Tree Farm program in Florida.

So far this year, Harris has conducted 47 Tree Farm inspections. In the period from June 1, 2006, to June 1, 2007, he accomplished and impressive 86 inspections.  On top of that, Glen has taken a lead role in distributing and erecting new Tree Farm signs, including special commemorative anniversary signs as well as or super-sized high visibility signs all to ensure that motorists know when they are passing a working Tree Farm.   

The Tree Farm Inspector of the Year honor awards inspectors based on the number of Tree Farm inspections completed in the year as well as additional Tree Farm involvement, including management plan development and other related promotions and support.       

Florida’s Tree Farm program is a part of the American Tree Farm System, a national program of the American Forest Foundation. It promotes the sustainable management of forests through education and outreach to private forest landowners.

The Florida Forestry Association sponsors the Tree Farm Program in Florida.  For more information on Tree Farming in Florida, visit www.floridaforest.org.

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A senior member in the Florida House, Representative Kendrick serves as chairman of the Conservation and State Lands Committee.  Representing the largest timber district in the House, he has been a staunch supporter of private property rights. Though sometimes outnumbered, he has made his strong support for the future of forestry in Florida abundantly clear.     

The Florida Forestry Association is the only statewide non-profit trade organization representing the interests of landowners, loggers, foresters and the forest products industry in Florida. With total sales exceeding $16.6 billion, Florida’s highest valued agricultural product is trees. The Florida forest economy generates over 133,000 jobs and contributes significantly to the recreation and tourism businesses. For more information, please visit www.floridaforest.org.

# # #

Weston has consistently answered the call for landowner assistance, actively participating in virtually every assistance program available to landowners in his work area.  He accomplishes his goals by developing meaningful projects that reach his community in unique and positive ways. 

Many projects Weston has developed, such as a Web site posting important local forest management information, a community forest urban stewardship program and a forest education video series, are far beyond his annual requirements.  He has administered and managed more than a dozen emergency hurricane recovery grant projects, which have directly led to the reforestation of urban forest resources for several local communities.

Weston has a special talent for organizing resources to address large-scale issues.  For example, he developed the South West Florida Urban Forestry Group, bringing together local planners and urban forest resource managers to discuss important challenges facing urban forest management in the region.

The Service Forester of the Year Award is presented to Florida government foresters who work beyond the call of duty to promote forestry and to serve forest landowners through their activities.

The Florida Forestry Association is the only statewide non-profit trade organization representing the interests of landowners, loggers, foresters and the forest products industry in Florida.  For more information, please visit www.floridaforest.org.               

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Twenty-seven students and three teachers, including Summer Zephyr, 2006 Florida Project Learning Tree Educator of the Year, toured the Gould Tree Farm, where they learned about longleaf pine trees, visited historical sites and even caught a glimpse of a gopher tortoise and a swallow-tailed kite. The students also had a rare opportunity to see a pyramid magnolia, a tree that is listed as Endangered in Florida. In addition to these rare sights, they were able to test their tree identification skills, as the Goulds’ property is home to six different species of pine trees.

“A lot of these kids have probably never been out in forestry like this,” says Jon Gould. “They are raised in the city, and we thought this would be a great opportunity to show them things they wouldn’t otherwise get to see.”

The American Tree Farm System is a national program of the American Forest Foundation. The program promotes the sustainable management of forests through education and outreach to private forest landowners. The Florida Forestry Association sponsors the Tree Farm Program in Florida.

The workshop, one of eight Florida Master Logger continuing education courses offered during the year, was sponsored by the Florida Forestry Association. The one-day course is required for each Florida Master Logger to maintain his/her designation. A Master Logger is a logging professional who is trained in safe, efficient and environmentally sound logging practices.

Forestry contributes nearly $204 million to the Columbia County economy, where the industry employs over 1,400 people. The Florida Master Logger educational program provides Florida loggers training in safety, timber harvesting and environmental regulations. The Master Logger program is sponsored by the Florida Forestry Association and the Florida Sustainable Forestry Initiative State Implementation Committee. Please visit www.floridaforest.org for more information on the Florida Master Logger program and other initiatives aimed at sustaining forestry in Florida.