The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, (NUCFAC) announces the posting of the U.S. Forest Service 2012 Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share grant program.

Proposals are due by December 1, 2011. For more information, click here.

A dangerous pest that is threat to Los Angeles’ many citrus trees has been spotted in Highland Park, according to the California Dept. of Food and Agriculture.

The pest is called the Asian citrus psyllid, and it is confirmed to be in Imperial, San Diego, Orange, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, which has sparked quarantines in those areas, according to a press release distributed by the Dept. of Food and Agriculture.

For the full article from the Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch, click here.

Yesterday, the Department of the Interior released a list of the top 101 conservation projects throughout the country. These projects were identified as a part of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. Two California projects made the list: San Joaquin River and Los Angeles River Trail & San Gabriel River Trail Improvements. For more information about these and other projects throughout the country, visit America’s Great Outdoors: A Promise to Future Generations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released a report last week stating that more than 1 million deaths from pneumonia, asthma, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases could be prevented worldwide each year if countries took measures to improve air quality.  This is the global body’s first large-scale survey of outdoor air pollution from around the world.

While U.S. air pollution does not compare to that found in such nations as Iran, India, and Pakistan, there is little to celebrate when looking at the statistics for California.

The survey relies on country-reported data over the past several years, and measures the levels of airborne particles smaller than 10 micrometers — so-called PM10s — for almost 1,100 cities.  WHO also released a shorter table comparing levels of even finer dust particles, known as PM2.5s.

WHO recommends an upper limit of 20 micrograms per cubic meter for PM10s (described as the “annual mean” in the WHO report), which can cause serious respiratory problems in humans.   More than 10 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5s is considered harmful to humans.

Topping the list of worst cities in the nation for increased exposure to both classifications of particle matter was Bakersfield, which receives an annual mean of 38ug/m3 for PM10s, and 22.5ug/m3 for PM2.5s.  Fresno isn’t far behind, taking 2nd place nationwide, with Riverside/San Bernardino claiming the 3rd spot on the U.S. list.  Overall , California cities claimed 11 of the top 20 worst offenders in both categories, all of which exceed the WHO safety threshold.

“We can prevent those deaths,” said Dr. Maria Neira, director of WHO’s department of public health and the environment, who notes investments for lower pollution levels quickly pay off due to lower disease rates and, therefore, lower healthcare costs.

For years, researchers worldwide have been linking reduced particulate matter levels to healthy urban forests. Studies conducted by the Natural Environments Research Council in 2007 suggest that PM10 reductions of 7%-20% could be achieved if a high number of trees were planted, depending on the availability of suitable planting areas.  In the United States, the Center for Urban Forestry Research published a paper in 2006 that notes Sacramento’s six million trees filter 748 tons of PM10 annually.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans to help an estimated 125 local, state, and tribal governments create more housing choices, make transportation more efficient and reliable and support vibrant and healthy neighborhoods that attract businesses. The move comes in response to the high demand for tools to foster environmentally and economically sustainable development coming from various communities around the nation.

“EPA is working to support communities in their efforts to protect health and the environment, and create more sustainable housing and transportation choices that are the foundation for a strong economy,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “EPA experts will work side by side with urban, suburban, and rural communities, and help them develop the necessary tools for fostering healthier environments for families and children, and attractive places for growing businesses.”

EPA’s commitment of more than $1.5 million will come through two separate programs – the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program (SGIA) and the Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program. Both programs will be accepting letters from interested communities from Sept. 28 to Oct. 28, 2011.

The SGIA program, which EPA has offered since 2005, employs contractor assistance to focus on complex and cutting-edge issues in sustainable development. The assistance allows communities to explore innovative ideas to overcome barriers that have prevented them from getting the kind of development they want. Potential topics include helping communities figure out how to develop in ways that make them more resilient to natural hazards, increase economic growth, and use locally generated energy. The Agency anticipates selecting three to four communities for assistance with the goal of creating models that can help other communities.

The Building Blocks program provides targeted technical assistance to communities that face common development problems. It employs a variety of tools such as improving pedestrian access and safety, zoning code reviews, and housing and transportation evaluations. Assistance will be provided in two ways in the coming year. First, EPA will select up to 50 communities and provide direct assistance by EPA staff and private sector experts. Second, EPA has awarded cooperative agreements to four non-government organizations with sustainable community expertise to deliver technical assistance. The organizations include the Cascade Land Conservancy, Global Green USA, Project for Public Spaces, and Smart Growth America.

The Building Blocks and the SGIA programs assist in the work of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. These agencies share a common goal of coordinating federal investments in infrastructure, facilities, and services to get better results for communities and use taxpayer money more efficiently.

More information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities: http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov

More information on the Building Blocks program and the request for letters of interest: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/buildingblocks.htm

More information on the SGIA program and the request for letters of interest: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/sgia.htm