OPERATION SPRINGBOARD 2008: Restoring the American Chestnut on Mined Land in the Appalachians

The Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI) and The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) are looking for volunteer surface mine operators and abandoned mine lands (AML) project planners in each of the seven Appalachian Region coal states willing to participate in the first year of out-plantings to test American chestnut suitability as a forest reclamation species on mine sites.

• PDF Flyer

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Demonstration of a Mechanical System for Reconstructing Soil without Vehicle Compaction

• Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER)
• Dates of demonstration: November 02, 2007
• Location: Coldstream Research Farm - Lexington, KY
• PDF Flyer

A mechanical system for reconstructing severely disturbed soil without vehicle compaction will be explained and demonstrated. A 1.5 ac site was reconstructed during 2007 at an approximate rate of 430 cu.yd. per hr. Soil was transported to the mechanism by a 12 cu.yd. scraper and placed in a strip or ‘windrow’ approximately 24 in. deep and 8 ft wide. The mechanism then created an uncompacted berm 3 ft deep and 6 ft wide in 2 passes. The system could process soil deposited by such scrapers dumping at 1.7 min. intervals.

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MASRC (Mid-Atlantic Stream Restoration Conference)

• Mid-Atlantic Stream Restoration Conference 2007: Science, Engineering & Policy
• Dates of conference: November 7-8, 2007
• Location: Rocky Gap Resort near Cumberland, Maryland
• http://www.canaanvi.org/ca naanvi_web/events_ed.aspx?collection=calendar_of_events&id=645
• "Forests for Kentucky's Future" - Land, Air & Water: Summer 2007.

The 2007 conference will focus on the science, engineering, and policy aspects of stream restoration in several topical areas of interests. This conference is a combined technical and educational event for presenting, discussing, and exchanging information related to stream restoration in high interest areas such as:

• Regional Scale Initiatives and Headwater Stream Restoration
• Mountain Top Removal, Valley Fill
• Dam Removal
• Natural Stream Design’s Lessons: Insights from On-the-Ground Practitioners
• Sediment Transport: Application to Natural Channel Design
• Engineering Standards

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SAF (Society of American Foresters)

• Society of American Foresters 2007 National Convention
• Dates of conference: October 23-27, 2007
• Location: Portland, Oregon
• http://www.safconvention.org/natcon-07/

The 2007 conference offers a wide variety of topics such as:

• Forest Recreation
• Forest Certification and Auditing
• Urban and Community Forestry
• Changing Private Forest Management
• Tree Improvement and Forest Genetics
• Healthy Forests and Watersheds
• Bio-Energy Development
• Education and Communication
• Measurement Technologies for Management and Planning
• Forest Ecology and Conservation Biology
• The Business of Consulting Forestry
• Silviculture for Multiple Years
• Reforestation, Reclamation, and Watershed Improvement on Mine Lands
• Sustainable Forestry
• Students and Young Professionals

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SME (Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.)

• 2008 SME Annual Meeting and Exhibit
• Dates of conference: February 24-27, 2008
• Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
• http://www.smenet.org/meetings/annualMeeting2008/index.cfm

The 2008 conference offers a wide variety of topics such as:

• Coal and Energy
• Construction Materials and Aggregates
• Environmental
• Industrial Minerals
• Mining and Exploration
• Mineral and Metallurgical Processing