National Urban & Community Forestry Advisory Council Announces Public Forum on Catastrophic Storms and Urban Forests
The National Urban & Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) announces a groundbreaking public forum in Biloxi, Mississippi on June 6, 2007 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center. "We want to hear directly from people and communities where urban forests have been hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf region, ice storms in the Midwest, tornados, and other devastating storm events," said Joe Wilson, Council Chair. NUCFAC is using this public input to develop a recommendation to the Secretary of Agriculture to help address this national issue.
NUCFAC is actively recruiting people to give testimony at the public forum from all regions of the country. "Its very important that the forum be a national voice on storms and urban forests," said Neil Letson, Council Member. "It doesnt matter what part of the country a person is from, we want to encourage participation by citizens, community leaders, tree professionals and corporations - people from every walk of life - if they have a story or lesson to share, then we want to hear it."
NUCFAC is providing several ways for the public to offer their testimony by simply registering on the NUCFAC website. On-site presentations the day of the forum ranging from five to fifteen minutes, can be in person or broadcasted from a remote site via webcasting. For those unable to make live or recorded presentations, they can submit their comments in written form, Fax, or by email until August 1, 2007. All testimony will be recorded, compiled, and tabulated into a final report as part of NUCFACs formal recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture.
For more information on the public forum or how to give testimony, visit the NUCFAC website at www.treelink.org/nucfac.
