Dear Forest Resources Committee Members,
I am excited to kick off the 2012-2013 American Bar Association year and to begin my term as Chair of the Forest Resources Committee. Many thanks to Neil Johnston for his service as Committee Chair from 2010-2012. The Committee saw great accomplishments under his leadership and I hope to continue the Committee’s progress. The Committee looks forward to supporting him in his role as SEER’s Chair of the Special Committee on Public Service.
This year, the Committee intends to foster a dialogue between member attorneys on key issues concerning forest resources. The Committee welcomes scientific research to help guide and augment this dialogue. Be on the lookout for topic discussions in our electronic communications, newsletters, and Committee programming.
None of these goals can be accomplished without the aid of the 2012-2013 Forest Resources Vice Chairs and I’d like to thank them for their willingness to serve.
Feel free to send comments or ideas for the Committee to me. You can access my contact information at my ABA Profile. I hope to meet some of you through both the Section and Committee programming.
Warm regards,
Ashley D. Chester
Forest Resources Committee Chair, 2012-2013
Committee Description
The Forest Resources committee addresses virtually every issue that touches both private and public forest lands. We focus on all legal, policy and practical issues relevant to owners, lenders, trade associations, managers, users, non-profits and others who are interested in forest lands. Through newsletters and programs, we strive to provide information to our committee members that are not available from any other organization.
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December 2012- Updates
On December 3, 2012, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments for Decker v. NEDC. That transcript can be found here: http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/11-338.pdf
On November 30, 2012, the EPA issued its final rule regarding stormwater regulation of logging and forest roads. That rule can be found here: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/forestroads.cfm
Committee Newsletter Announcement
Our next newsletter will be a joint venture between the Forest Resources Committee and the Smart Growth and Green Buildings Committee. This issue will focus on the intersection of these two areas, and how they influence each other. Potential topic areas include, but are not limited to:
- how do smart growth or growth management practices affect timber owners and practices?
- do land use regulations affecting timberlands lead to better or worse environmental outcomes?
- the current drive to get the USGBC to recognize forestry certification programs other than that of the Forest Stewardship Council (more)
- Georgia's recent executive order requiring state buildings to use green building practices, and to allow for certifications beyond that of the Forest Stewardship Council (more)
We look forward to exploring these types of issues! This is a great opportunity to get some exposure to an audience in another committee that you might not normally work with. This issue is slated to go out to members by the end of the year, so please send us your suggestions!
Please send submissions to the following
- Jake Cremer
- Keith Johnston
- Sarah Payne-Jarboe
If you have any questions, please call Keith Johnston at 205-745-3060.
Public Service
The Forest Resources Committee has created a high-school level educational product about forest issues. The kit encourages students to discuss the issues involved in developing a land use plan by participating in a mock public hearing concerning a proposed gift of a 100,000 acre tract of land to be used for a forest or park. Students are given roles to play at the hearing while an ABA member acts as a facilitator prior to the hearing to draw out the various issues involved in the planning process.
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Endangered Species Act: Law, Policy and Perspectives, Second Edition
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) provides a comprehensive approach to the complex problem of species extinction. The act was born in the heyda... more
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View the full roster of Forest Resources Committee
Leadership.
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| | Committee Events |
'Likes for a Cause” Campaign
April 1, 2013
- April 30, 2013 | It’s April and that means it is Earth Month! SEER has brought back the "Likes for a Cause” Campaign to mark Earth Month. For each new, unique "Like" on it's Facebook page during April, http://www.facebook.com/ABAEnvLaw, SEER will donate $0.50, up to $1,000, towards purchasing trees for SEER’s One Million Trees Project.
For official rules visit this link. To learn about the One Million Trees Project, please visit: http://ambar.org/EnvironTrees Help SEER make the planet a little greener by "liking" SEER on Facebook!
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| Section Events |
May 29, 2013 - May 31, 2013
Location: TBD
Format: Live/In-Person
June 5, 2013 - June 7, 2013 Red Rock Casino Resort Spa
Las Vegas,
NV
Format: Live/In-Person
June 13, 2013
Location: N/A
Format: Webinar/Teleconference |
Committee newsletters provide current information on topics of interest to practitioners and news of committee activities. View the latest committee newsletter.
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