Sponsored by the Michigan Forest Association and Michigan State University Extension

Due to the number of requests for newsletters, inserts, and general information in a newspaper-style format, the following series is posted for review and use.   If one of these articles matches the venue in which you work, feel free to use it.   Please keep in  mind that the original target audience resides in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  The text can simply be copy-n-pasted from the webpage into a word processor.  Please cite the author and acknowledge Michigan State University Extension for articles prior to June 2020, or Bill Cook for later articles.   Each article also includes a suggested trailer.  Byline images are posted at the bottom of this page. And lastly, please let Bill Cook know which articles that you use, the name of the publication, and the expected printing date.  He tracks article use for feedback purposes. The articles are arranged by year and month (numbers 1 - 12), the most recent years first, going back to July, 1997.   I'll try to keep these pages current.

2024

  1.  Tale of Three Planters
  2.  Warm and Cold
  3.  Diversity Worship
  4.  Stale Sustainability
  5.  Room to Grow
  6.  A Disturbing Truth
  7.  Gone to the Birds
  8.  Forest Controversies
  9.  Forestry and the English Language
10.  Big Picture Forests
11.  Scary Trees
12.  

2023

  1.  Natural Cycles
  2.  Mis-Malignment
  3.  All Things Warm and Small
  4.  Likin' Lichens
  5.  A Tale of Two Trails
  6.  Reckless Endangerment
  7.  Six Shooters
  8.  Carbon Conundrum
  9.  The Wild in Wilderness
10.  The Color Season
11.  A Burning Urge
12.  Leafless Tree ID

2022

  1.  A Wildlife Aesthetic
  2.  Goals, Hopes, and Aims
  3.  Mysteries Down Under
  4.  Fire!
  5.  Tadpoles and Timber
  6.  Flowers and Fruits
  7.  Time and Space
  8.  Wild Times
  9.  Terra Forming
10.  Thinking Like A Spruce
11.  Taking A Stand
12.  Riding the Heirship

2021

  1.  Cords and Boards
  2.  Conservation
  3.  On Planting Trees
  4.  Acquiring Forestland
  5.  Finding Forester?
  6.  Building A Forest Future
  7.  The End of the World! (not)
  8.  Trees and Taxes
  9.  To Tend A Forest
10.  Fall Colors
11.  Forest Health
12.  Forest Bounty

2020

  1.  Forests For the Birds
       The Painted Forest
  2.  Concerning Red Pine
  3.  Forest Standard Time
       Signature Tree Species
  4.  Northern Hardwoods Study - Wildlife (Gary Roloff)
       Standing Dead Trees
  5.  What's Eating My Tree?
  6.  Night Crawlers
       Spruce Budworm
  7.  BeLEAF It or Not!
  8.  A Forest Plan? What?
  9.  Basal Area - What?
10.  Fall Color Season
11.  Wood We All Use
12.  The Back Forty

2019

  1.  Emperor's New Clothes
  2.  Tree Pruning
       Eat, Drink, and Protect a Forest
  3.  What to Watch For (pests)
  4.  BeLeaf It or Not! (video shorts)
  5.  On Tapping Maple
  6.  Exploring Northern Hardwoods
       A French Connection
  7.  Doing the Right Thing
       Getting the Wood Out
  8.  Facing the Facts
  9.  Expanding the Gaps
10.  Cool Tools Music Video
       Using Paper Towels
11.  Wood Chip Heat   
       Beauty of Commercial Forest Lands
12.  Progress on the Big Northern Hardwoods Study

2018

  1.  Finding Seedlings
       Low-grade Wood
  2.  Wildlife Habitat
       Sustainable Forestry Conference
  3.  Tattle Tales
       Fast Money
  4.  Ten Forest Myths
  5.  Oak Wilt
       Songs of Spring
  6.  Knowing Trees
  7.  Home Heating Thoughts
       Michigan Forest Association
  8.  Wildlife Comebacks
       Wildlife By Populations
  9.  Oak Wilt Treatment Success
       Forestry Assistance
10.  Timber Salvage
11.  What's That Growing on My Tree?
       Wood Is Good!
12.  Wonder of Wood
       Wood Is Heating Up!

2017

  1.  Michigan Boilers
  2.  Paperless Project
  3.  Misperceptions About Wood-based Energy
       Planting Choices:  Natives and Exotics
  4.  Estimating Timber Volume
       Forestry Teacher Workshop
  5.  Logging Heroism
  6.  Forest Exotics
       Oak Wilt
  7.  Summer Bugs
       Logging Slash
  8.  Forest Programs
       MFA Annual Meeting
  9.  Autumn Leaf Discoloration
       Heating and Wood
10.  Home Heating Appliances
11.  Managing Riparian Forests 
       Oak Wilt and Other Wonders
12.  Creating a Bulk Pellet Delivery System
       Counting Trees

2016

  1.  How Dense Can You Get?
  2.  Seeking Foresters
  3.  Uphill Battles
  4.  Forest Sustainability
  5.  Harvest Readiness
  6.  Heating the Midwest
       Hauger Forest Products
  7.  Let 'Em Grow?
  8.  Logging and the English Language
  9.  Persistence of Oak Wilt
10.  Why Cut Down a Tree?
11.  Autumn Inspections
       Tree Identification
12.  Heat and Boilers
       Forestry Assistance

2015

  1.  Logs, Sticks, Bolts, and Chips
  2.  Tracking Forests
  3.  Forest Evolution
  4.  Wood Energy
  5.  Riparian Forests
  6.  Meet the Maple Nemesis
  7.  What's Up With the Trees?
  8.  Does It Get Any Cleaner?
  9.  Honeydew
10.  Wood Heat
11.  Dormant Forests
12.  Wood Is Warm

2014

  1.  Tolerating Winter
       Feeding Deer
  2.  North American Wildlife Model
  3.  The Big Picture
  4.  Regeneration
  5.  Value of Log Hauling in Michigan
  6.  Conservation in Question
  7.  Forestry Assistance
  8.  Exotic Forest Diseases
       Exotic Forest Insects
  9.  Exotic Forest Plants
10.  Oak Wilt Treatment
11.  Re-thinking Northern Hardwoods
12.  Alien Observations

2013

  1.  In the Aftermath of Oak Wilt
  2.  What Is Good Habitat?
  3.  Timber Sale Income Taxes
  4.  Photosynthesis
  5.  Of Woods and Woodcock
  6.  Industry Values
  7.  Burning On Purpose
  8.  Changing Forests
  9.  Degrees of Alienation
10.  Northern Hardwoods
11.  Among the Trees
12.  Environmental Effects of Christmas Trees

2012

  1.  Winter Opportunities
  2.  Forest Composition
  3.  Forest Growth & Harvest
  4.  Know Your Forest Numbers
  5.  Forest Carbon
  6.  Wildfire Hazards in Michigan
  7.  Selecting a Logger
       FBIC Field Day
  8.  Summer Forest Pests
  9.  Forestry Consultants
10.  Drought & Wildlife
11.  Asian Long-horned Beetle
12.  Advance of the Adelgids

2011

  1.  Winter Adaptations
  2.  Timber Sale Income Taxes
  3.  Private Forest Lands
  4.  MSAF Auto Tour
  5.  Pest Watch
       Wood Biomass Inventories
  6.  In the Wake of Tree Planting
  7.  Forests & Carbon
  8.  Forest Renewal
  9.  Firewood
10.  Public Forest Ownership
11.  Woody Biomass Harvesting Guidance
12.  Forest Change

2010

  1.  Ten Biomass Myths    
  2.  Buckthorn
  3.  Timber Sale Income Taxes
  4.  Forest Identification
  5.  Family Forest Succession
       Oak Wilt in the UP
  6.  Wood Energy Challenges
  7.  What Is Woody Biomass?
       Frontier Renewable Resources
  8.  Wood Energy Technologies
  9.  Wood Energy Users
10.  Wood Energy Plantations
11.  Michigan Forest & Forestry Information  
12.  Timber Sale Success

2009

  1.  Forest Invasives     
  2.  It's OK to Cut Trees    
  3.  Using Wood for Energy in the U.P.   
  4.  Forest Pests
  5.  Wood-based Biofuels   
  6.  Keeping Forests     
  7.  Life's A Birch
  8.  Visual Quality
  9.  Oak Wilt in the U.P.   
10.  Forest Programs You Might Not Know About
11.  Forest Inventory
12.  Passing On the Land 

2008

  1.  What You Can Do With Wood    
  2.  Energy From Wood!
  3.  Tree Planting
  4.  Estimating Timber Volume    
  5.  Tree Identification    
  6.  Deer Impacts
       Drought Stress     
  7.  Energy From Woody Biomass
  8.  Timber Harvest Methods
  9.  District Heating & Cooling
10.  Why Forest Management?
11.  Logging Slash   
12.  Ownership Makes A Difference    

2007

  1.  Taxation & Forest Land
  2.  Benign Neglect
  3.  Forestry Assistance
  4.  Woody Biomass Technologies
  5.  Carol Linnaeus
  6.  Forestry Programs
  7.  Reasons Why Harvesting Can Be Bad
  8.  Tree Cutting
  9.  Fall Colors
10.  Forest Ownership
11.  Public Forestry Assistance
12.  Michigan Energy

2006

  1.  Timber Taxation
  2.  Management - Aspen
  3.  Management - Jack Pine
  4.  Management - Northern Hardwoods
  5.  Management - Cedar
  6.  Management - Mixed Hardwoods
       Oak Wilt
  7.  Management - Red Pine
  8.  Management - Upland Conifers
  9.  Management - Difficult Species
10.  Management Is A Solution
11.  New Forestry Legislative Package
12.  Deforestation

2005

  1.  Small Sawmills
  2.  Timber Taxation
  3.  Emerald Ash Borer
       Special - Oak Wilt
  4.  Carrying Capacity
  5.  Planning, Sustainability, & Certification
  6.  Select Cutting
  7.  Beyond Stumpage
  8.  Trees & Drought
  9.  Forest Future?
10.  Forest Invasives
11.  Firewood as Fuel
12.  Harvesting Is A Helping Hand

2004

  1.  Forest Planning
  2.  FLEP Cost-share Program
  3.  Timber Taxes
  4.  Tree Planting
  5.  Top 10 Environmental Benefits
       Special - Oak Wilt
  6.  Family Forests 
  7.  So, What's So Good About Cutting Trees?
  8.  Forest Education
  9.  Color Season
10.  Mighty Oaks
11.  Season of Harvest (timber harvest)
12.  Got Timber?

2003

  1.  Tree Families
  2.  Pines or Not
  3.  A Rose By Another Name?
  4.  Many Michigan Maples 
  5.  Aspens and Willows 
  6.  Beautiful Birches
  7.  Elegant Elms
  8.  Mighty Oaks 
       Special - Gypsy Moth 2003
  9.  Sustainable Forests
10.  Forest Certification
11.  Healthy Forests Initiative
       Special - Beech Bark Disease
12.  Food Chains

2002

  1.   Early Successional Forest Types
  2.   Old Growth
  3.   Forest Facts
  4.   Public Land Survey
  5.   Red Pine and Diversity
  6.   Insects and Diseases
  7.   Exotic Invasions!
  8.  Too Much Harvest?
  9.  The Color Season
10.  Forest Legacy Program 
11.  Careful With That Firewood! (EABr & other hitch-hikers)
12.  Michigan Christmas Trees

2001

  1.  Federal Taxes and Timber Sale Income
  2.  Timber Harvest and Tree Health
  3.  A Forest Management Imperative
  4.  Lessons to Learn
  5.  Here Come the Caterpillars!
  6.  Forest Quiz
  7.  To See the Light
  8.  Natural Regeneration
  9.  The Color Season
10.  Michigan Wildlife
11.  Forest Industry
12.  Selling Your Trees

2000

  1.  Sustainable Forestry Education
  2.  Natural Resource Assistance
  3.  Taxes and Timber
  4.  Forestry? Think Again!
  5.  Forest Management Is For People
  6.  Forest Ownership
  7.  Forest Types
  8.  Timber Management
  9.  The Color Season
10.  Is That Good Logging? (SFI Hotline)
11.  Selecting Loggers
12.  Michigan Christmas Trees

1999

  1.  Forests and Foresters
  2.  What's Bugging You?
  3.  U.P. Tree Identification
  4.  Ten Easy Ways to Kill a Seedling
  5.  Wildfire and Homes
  6.  Signs of Forestry (U.P. Auto Tour)
  7.  Habitat for Wildlife
  8.  Soil, The Unsung Resource
  9.  The Color Season
10.  Forestry Is a Success Story
11.  Wood If You Could?
12.  Pine Trees

1998

  1.  Tree Planting
  2.  A Good Forest This Way Comes
  3.  Questions Fourth Graders Ask About Trees
  4.  Ten Easy Ways to Kill a Seedling
  5.  Our State Forests
  6.  Forest Sustainability?
  7.  Who Are Those Guys? (NIPF owners)
  8.  Forest Regeneration
  9.  Leaf Peepers!
10.  The Intolerant Need Help
11.  Different Strokes (silvicultural systems)
12.  Forest Plans

1997

  7.  Timber Production Is A Good Thing
  8.  Selling Your Timber At The First Offer
  9.  It's Happening Again (Fall Color Season)
10.  It's That Amazing U.P.!
11.  Where Do You Go? (for forestry assistance)
12.  'Tis The Season (chimney maintenance)

Byline Images. Higher resolution available upon request.

TRAILER- This website was created by a consortium of forestry groups to help streamline information about forestry and coordinate forestry activities designed to benefit the family forestowner and various publics that make up our Michigan citizenry. This website is maintained by Bill Cook, Retired Michigan State Extension Forester/Biologist. Direct comments to cookwi@msu.edu.