• HANDHELD SYSTEMS, INC.  - providing rugged handheld computers and data collection software to the forest products industry. Many field crews currently use our products to electronically record tree inventory, cruising, log scale, and wildlife data. To find out more about our products and services, visit our web site at www.handheldsystems.com, or email us at sales@handheldsystems.com

• Anne Vince - Country Conferences Pty. Ltd. www.countryconferences.com.au
• David E. Busch - , USGS Biological Resources Division, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Research and Monitoring Group. dbusch@or.blm.gov
• David P. Fournier - Penn State University.  dpf141@psu.edu
• Fiona Hamilton - Responsible for  forest inventory analysis and modelling for the Department of NaturalResources and Environment, Victoria, Australia. fiona.hamilton@nre.vic.gov.au.
• Pablo Pacheco - Graduate School of Geography, Clark University. ppacheco@gis.net
• Peter E. Linehan - Assistant Professor of Forestry, Penn State Mont Alto.  http://www.personal.psu.edu/pel2
• Vivian Vera - Diversity Intern, US Geological Survey - Biological Resources Division. Vivian_Vera@usgs.gov

FREE SOFTWARE -  My dear friend Harry Wiant writes, "Some free forestry programs for Palm computers are available at: http://homestead.juno.com/hwiant/index.html.   Programs include those which can be used to implement volume estimates using importance sampling or the centroid method."

AFRICA ENVIRONMENT DISCUSSION GROUP - From Julianna Laura via Forestry Forum - It is our pleasure to invite you to join the ConserveAfrica  e-mail interactive discussion list on environment and development in Africa. To join the group, simply send a blank e-mail to: ConserveAfrica-subscribe@egroups.com. Please visit our website at: http://www.conserveafrica.org

NEW US FOREST COVER MAP - From John A. Hutchinson via Doug Powell via Brad Smith "A unified image of forest cover for all 50 states in Lambert Azimuthal equal-area centered at -100,45 is downloadable from the map layers warehouse.  From http://nationalatlas.gov/natlas/natlasstart.asp, click on the download button at upper right. This is all the forest data in one large image (GEOTIFF format)  with no relief shading or map collar, and it's the data portrayed on the online map browser. This would work for further analysis. There is also a GIF file in the printed maps info of the Atlas web site at http://www.nationalatlas.gov/atlasmap.html. This would be suitable if you needed an overhead or PowerPoint insert, but not for analysis. It has the map collar and everything."

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE - Note: If you can help with any of the requests below, please take the time to do so.  Do not assume others will respond - they are assuming the same. Your kind assistance will be appreciated and rewarded. Thanks, Gyde

• INFORMATION TECHNIQUES AND PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT -Etienne Delattre, writes, "I am a professional officer for FAO in Cambodia (Siem Reap), working for a project so-called "Participatory Natural Resource Management in the Tonle Sap Region". Our project's main objective is to empower the local communities to adequately, sustainably, protect, manage and use their natural resources ; to achieve this, we implement a full scale facilitation, participatory process in order to set up numerous community forestry throughout the area. This last approach is still new in this country. FAO Siem Reap is considered by many as the leading organization implementing this process in Cambodia . My main task has consisted in introducing and adapting the resource information techniques (GPS, GIS, RS) for the benefit of the project's field activities (community forestry, fisheries...). In this regard, we hope to have achieved a full integration of these tools into the participatory process."  Etienne wishes to gain more ideas on using resource information techniques in participatory management. Contact Etienne at faofish@rep.forum.org.kh (attn. Etienne DELATTRE)

• "DEGRAPHING" SOFTWARE SOUGHT- Hi! Does anyone know of any software that will accept a scanned or downloaded graph or bar chart and convert the information into a table?  Sort of a reverse of what Powerpoint does. If so, please send me the information. Thanks, Gyde (gklund@att.net).

• USE OF REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGY TO DETERMINE PLANTING DENSITY AND TREE HEIGHT - Nico Hattingh writes, "We (South African Forestry Industry) are considering a project using LIDAR mounted on a helicopter to determine planting density and tree height in even aged monoculture plantation forestry. We would like to establish if there is any alternative technology one could employ. From literature it appears that a number of experiments have been conducted with LIDAR to obtain the type of information I've referred to however my impression is that interpreting the data and transforming it to useable information is currently the biggest stumbling block. The newer satellites (e.g. Ikonos) have much improved resolution but more work must be done to obtain the type of information that we are looking for.  Dense canopy cover and steep terrain also create problems. Our requirements are as follows: Cost effective!  Ability to acquire large amounts of data within a small time frame (say 10,000 hectare in less than 5 days). Measure planting density (to 100 stems per hectare) and tree height (less than 0,5 meter variance from actual).  Data required in digital format Automation of algorithms and transformations of data a high priority Must be able to integrate with GIS system (Arc Info). Any help will be appreciated." Contact Nico at Nico.Hattingh@za.sappi.com

• FEEDBACK SOUGHT - Madhav Gadgil writes "We are now making available the paper 'Global Environment Facility's (GEF) strategy for achieving sustained benefits in biodiversity conservation' on our forum. The Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP), in providing strategic advice to the GEF, is particularly keen to ensure that each intervention is clearly defined. This challenge is especially in relation to proposed support for the "enabling environment" as this presents new challenges for the GEF. At this point, we would very much like to have your feedback on this paper, on how to move forward and act on the interventions suggested in it. We would like to solicit your inputs and suggestions on additional elements for support as part of the enabling environment; as well as specific tools and methodologies which could be supported in general, and more specifically by the GEF. Particular illustrations or case studies would be extremely valuable. The forum will be run initially between January 15 and February 15, 2001. CIFOR is planning to hold a workshop in the first week of March to develop the tools and methodologies on the enabling environment. We would consolidate your views and feed them into this workshop. You can download the background paper from http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/hpg/cesmg/susfor/GEFStrategy.html. If you have any queries, please email me at madhav@ces.iisc.ernet.in."

• EARLY ALERT – POST DOC. RESEARCH SILVICULTURIST -  From Bill Oliver via the Forest Net - The USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station is planning to fill a post-doctoral position in Silviculture. The position will be located at the Silviculture Laboratory in Redding, California. The tentative starting date is September 2001. The anticipated open period for applicants will be in July 2001. A completed Ph.D. with an emphasis in silviculture is required. Quantitative skills and a familiarity with western interior pine forests are desired. Duties will include conducting silvicultural research in interior ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of northern California. The successful candidate will also maintain a number of established long-term growth and yield projects. The successful candidate must be able to work within an existing interdisciplinary research team. Contacts: Bill Oliver boliver@c-zone.net.

• FORESTRY POSITIONS TO OPEN - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Forestry anticipates hiring approximately 12 foresters for various locations throughout the state (location of permanent station assignments will not be known at the time of hire). Completed application materials must be received in the Wisconsin DNR Bureau of Human Resources Office by Monday, February 26, 2001. Date of appointment is tentatively scheduled for July, 2001. Starting annual pay is $29,491 with periodic increases over the first three years up to $37,125. An 18-month probationary period is required. Appointees will be provided with specialized classroom and field training in DNR programs, policies and procedures.  Details about the duties and application procedure available at: http://jobs.der.state.wi.us/static/WEBANN2783.HTM

• Alderette, Monica et al. 1996. Cambria Regional Landscape Assessment. http://www.calpoly.edu/~baviles/visual.html
• Ayad, Yasser;  Guenet, Michel. 1997. The use of Remote Sensing and GIS in the assessment of visual attributes: Case study of the northwestern coastal zone of Egypt.  http://www.esri.com/library/userconf/proc97/proc97/to450/pap433/p433.htm
• B.C. Ministry of Forests. 1997. Visual Landscape Inventory: Procedures and Standards Manual -  http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/ric/Pubs/Culture/visual/
• Brown, Lester R et al. 2001. State of the World 2001. Worldwatch Inst  ISBN: 0-393-32082-0. 275 p. Single Copy: US$15.95. http://secure.worldwatch.org/cgi-bin/wwinst/SOW01P
• Brown, N.D., et al.  2000. An improved method for the rapid assessment of forest understorey light environments. Journal of Applied Ecology. 37(6): 1044-1053. http://www.blackwell-science.com/~cgilib/jnlpage.bin?Journal=jappl&File=jappl&Page=aims
• Havstad, Kris. 1999.  Melding Rangeland Ecology and Livestock Grazing Management. The Quivira Coalition. 3(1). http://www.quiviracoalition.org/documents/newsletter9.html
• Laitat E., et al.  2000. Introduction: Towards an integrated scientific approach for carbon accounting in forestry. Biotechnol. Agron. Soc. Environ. 4 (4):241-251. http://www.bib.fsagx.ac.be/base/pdf/v4n4/lai-ful.pdf
• Lake, Ron. 2001. The Hitchhiker's guide to new web mapping technologies. GEOWorld 13(12):38-41. http://www.geoplace.com
• LeCouteur, Brian M. 1996. Urban Forest Management of Community-Owned Open Spaces. The Metropolitan Washington Community Forestry Network, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Washington, DC. http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/watershed/Proceed/lecoute1.html
• Leitão, André Botequilha. 1997.  Landscape capacity evaluation and visual impacts simulation - a GIS approach.  http://www.esri.com/library/userconf/europroc97/7planning/P2/p2.htm
• Mayall, Kevin; Hall, G. Brent. 1994. Information systems and 3-D modeling in landscape visualization . URISA:796-804 http://www.odyssey.maine.edu/gisweb/spatdb/urisa/ur94071.html
• Ojha, H.R., et al. 2001. Assessment and Sustainable Harvesting of Non-Timber Forest Products: Some Initiatives in Community Forestry in the Hills of Nepal. Mountain Forum on-line library document. http://www.mtnforum.org/resources/library/ojhax01a.htm
• Smith, Charles R. 1990. Handbook for Atlasing North American Breeding Birds.  http://www.americanbirding.org/norac/atlasintro.htm
• Wherrett, JoAnna Ruth. 1996. Visualization Techniques for Landscape Evaluation Literature Review.  Land Use Division, MLURI. - http://bamboo.mluri.sari.ac.uk/~jo/litrev/chapters.html

8 February 2001. Migratory Waterbird Conservation and Human Pressures on the Western Boreal Forest: Can Nature Coexist with Industry? Seminar. 1200-1300. USDA Forest Service, 1099 14th St., NW, 5th Floor Conference Room, Washington, DC. Contact:  Allie Hoover -+1-202-273-4738 - achoover@fs.fed.us

8 February 2001. IDB Business Seminar on Environment, Agriculture, and Water & Sanitation. Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Washington, D.C. See  http://www.iadb.org  or contact marcosl@iadb.org

8 February 2001. Conserve the Chesapeake Bay Forests - Environmental Law Institute Policy Seminar. 1200-1400. 7th Floor conference room, 1616 P Street NW, Washington, DC. RSVP:+1-202-939-3858 or e-mail lee@eli.org.

12-16 February 2001. UN Forum on Forests - Organisational Session. New York, USA. Contact e-mail:
vahanen@un.org

1-2 March 2001. North Carolina GIS Conference. Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. Contact: tom@asheville.cgia.state.nc.us. URL: http://cgia.cgia.state.nc.us.

6-7 March 2001. Hands-On GPS/GIS Mapping. Chesapeake College, Maryland, USA. Cost:  $395 (two-day course) For information: Contact:  Richard Ash @ Global Mapping Technology. Tel:+1-541-754-3488   email: gmtgps@peak.org

8-9 March 2001. 2nd Australasian Forestry Law & Policy Conference. Perth, Western Australia. This is Australasia's only conference to examine (and recommend changes to) the environment legislation which impacts on forestry.  Details on the conference including conference themes and keynote speakers may be accessed at www.countryconferences.com.au

20-21 March 2001. Conserving Future Forest Productivity. University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.  Conference. $175. Contact: Forest Resources Issues Conference, Pennsylvania State Univ., 306 Ag. Administration Bldg., University Park, PA 16802-2601 USA. Tel: +1-814-865-8301. Fax: +1-814-865-7050. Email: shortcourse@psu.edu. URL: http://conferences.cas.psu.edu.

26-30 March 2001. What's It Worth? - An Intensive Course on Forest Appraisal. Durham, North Carolina, USA. $795. Contact: Center for Environmental Education, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708-0328 USA. Tel: +1-919-613-8082. Fax: +1-919-684-8741. Email: ee@env.duke.edu. URL: www.env.duke.edu/cee.html.

28 March -1 April 2001.  Making Environmental History Relevant in the 21st Century.  A Joint Meeting of the American Society for Environmental History and the Forest History Society. Durham, North Carolina, USA. Conference will include 180 technical papers; a Distinguished Lectureship by Dr. Stephen Pyne, noted fire historian; and a special lecture by David Lowenthal, George Perkins Marsh biographer.  See  http://www.lib.duke.edu/forest/  . Contact Steven Anderson, President, Forest History Society, 701 Vickers Ave., Durham, NC 27701 USA. Phone: +1-919-682-9319; FAX: 919-682-2349. Email: stevena@duke.edu

30 April - 3 May 2001. Joint Symposium for Tropical Silviculture and Tree Seed Technology. Los Banos, Philippines. Contact: Ike Tolentino, Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, University of the Philippines, Los Banos, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines; Email: eltj@mudspring.uplb.edu.ph

14-18 May 2001. North American Forest Insect Work Conference. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Contact: Jan Volney, Canadian Forest Service. Tel: +1-780-435-7329; Email: jvolney@nrcan.gc.ca

15-17 May 2001. Ontario Professional Foresters Association (OPFA), Annual Meeting and Conference. North Bay, Ontario Canada. Contact: Rick Monzon, Executive Director, OPFA: Email: opfa@interlog.com

20-25 May 2001. Wetland Delineation with Emphasis on Soils & Hydrology. Frederick, Maryland, USA. (6 days, $1100) Contact: Wetland Training Institute, PO Box 31, Glenwood, NM 88039 USA. getinfo@wetlandtraining.com, URL: http://www.wetlandtraining.com

27 May - 1 June 2001. Twenty-second Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists -Urban Wetlands: Protecting and Enhancing the Resource. Chicago, Illinois, USA. URL:  http://www.sws.org/chicago

5 June – 16 July 2001. Agroforestry for Sustainable Development (AGFOR). Training course. Los Baños, Philippines.  (6 weeks) US $3,600.Operationalizes the concepts of sustainable development through the art, science, and practice of agroforestry; demonstrates the approaches, methods and techniques in designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating agroforestry projects; addresses the issues of food security, woodfuel productivity, livelihood, and rehabilitation of degraded lands; designed for agroforestry officers, social foresters, extension and rural and upland development workers. The Director, Training Center for Tropical Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability (TREES), University of the Philippines Los Baños, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, College, Laguna  PHILIPPINES; Tel. No.: +(63 49)  536-2268 or 536-2736; Fax: +(63 49) 536-3340; Email: trees@laguna.net

6-8 June 2001. 3rd International Conference on Ecosystems and Sustainable Development. Alicante, Spain. Contact: Conference Secretariat: Fax: 44-23-80-292-583; Email: shanley@wessex.ac.uk; URL: www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2001/ecosud01/

11-13 June 2001. International Conference on ex situ and in situ Conservation of Commercial Tropical Trees. Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Contact: Ms Soetitah S. Soedojo; Fax: +62-274-902 220; Email: itto-gmu@yogya.wasantara.net.id

11-16 June 2001. XV Latin American Congress of Soil Science. Cuba. Contact: Dr. R. Villegas Delgado, Ave Van Troi No 17203, Boyeros, Havana, CP 19210, Cuba. Fax: 53-7-666 036; Email: XV@inica.edu.cu

12 -16 June  2001. 3rd  International Symposium on Experiences with New Forest and Environmental Laws in European Countries with Economies in Transition.  Jundola (Bulgaria).  Contact Peter HERBST, Wulfenstr. 15, A-9500 VILLACH, Austria. Fax: +43/4242 - 2640 48; Email:   HP@net4you.at  URL:  http://iufro.boku.ac.at/iufro/iufronet/d6/hp61300.htm

11-17 June 2001. Lichens and Lichen Ecology - Course. Humboldt Field Research Institute, Dyer Bay Rd, PO Box 9, Steuben, ME 04680-0009, USA. Tel: +1-207-546-2821, Email: humboldt@nemaine.com, URL: http://maine.maine.edu/~eaglhill

12-15 June 2001. Plant Identification. Chicago, Illinois, USA. (4 days, $675) Contact: Wetland Training Institute, PO Box 31, Glenwood, NM 88039 USA. getinfo@wetlandtraining.com, URL: http://www.wetlandtraining.com

16-24 June 2001. Foliage shoot and stem diseases of trees. Korkeakoski, Finland. Contact: Antti Uotila, Fax: +358-31-335-5555; Email: auotila@hyytiala.helsinki.fi

18-19 June 2001. Precision Forestry Cooperative International Symposium. Seattle, Washington, USA. Contact: Ms. Megan O'Shea - tel: +1-206-543-9744. Email: moshea@u.washington.edu. URL: www.dfr.washington.edu/cfrweb/pfc.

3-6 July 2001. 2nd International Workshop on the Ecology, Physiology, and Cultivation of Edible Ectomycorrhizal Mushrooms. Christchurch, New Zealand. Contact: Ian Hall (HallI@crop.cri.nz), New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food Research Limited, Invermay Agricultural Centre,  Private Bag 50034,   Mosgiel, New Zealand. Tel: +64 (3) 489 0763, Fax: +64  (3) 489 0674 URL: http://www.crop.cri.nz/informat/mushconf/

22 September - 6 October 2001.  Forest Roading Course. Gympie, Australia .  Cost  $AUD7,700  This course takes roading, a key element of Reduced Impact Logging  activities, and provides a detailed 'hands on' approach to the planning, building, maintenance and decommissioning of roads in a forest environment.  Participants will be based at the Gympie Training Centre and will be  exposed to a mix of practical theory and forest based activities using  appropriate heavy machinery and roading materials.  The course is aimed at  managers of unsurfaced roads in a forest environment and will provide a complete overview of the best practices in road construction with basic  machinery and materials. Contact: Maria Geppert at URS Forestry, Tel +61 2 6248 6900, Fax +61 2 6248  6999, Email maria_geppert@urscorp.com

10-12 July 2002. 5th International Symposium on Spatial Accuracy Assessment in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. Melbourne, Australia.  Sponsored by IUFRO 4.20.  For more information contact: Dr. Gary J. Hunter (Co-Chair), Department of Geomatics, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia. Tel. +61-3-8344-6806, Fax. +61-3-9347-2916. E-mail. garyh@unimelb.edu.au. URL:
http://www.geom.unimelb.edu.au/hunter/conferences/accuracy2002.html

Woodland NOTES - http://www.ets.uidaho.edu/extforest/WNArchiveIndex.htm

How To Measure and Mark Timber - http://www.forestry-sales.com/measure.htm

Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology (forestry section) - http://www.harcourt.com/dictionary/browse/97/

Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names - http://shiva.pub.getty.edu/tgn_browser/

USA Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators, 2000 -http://www.ers.usda.gov/Emphases/Harmony/issues/arei2000/

Seventh Symposium on Systems Analysis in Forest Resources Abstracts -  http://econ.usfs.msu.edu/ssafr/abstracts.htm

Range Management Publications - http://www.agweb.okstate.edu/pearl/range/

Range Management Journals and Newsletters Online - http://ag.arizona.edu/OALS/agnic/journals.html

ESRI Species, Systematics & Museums - Sites of interest for mapping/GIS -  http://www.esri.com/conservation/links/species.html

Links to (Botanical) Software - http://www.gottohaveit.com/links/botsoft.html