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The Tahoe-Central Sierra Initiative (TCSI) Blueprint for Resilience (hereafter TCSI Blueprint) is a set of strategy maps that identify opportunities for forest protection and adaptation across a 978 381-ha (2.4 million-ac) region of the central Sierra Nevada. The TCSI partners, along with scientists and forest managers versed in the concept of resilience, defined resilience based on 10 ecological and social pillars. The TCSI Blueprint includes evaluations of 30 unique metrics, such as large tree density and probability of high-severity fire, that describe conditions across five of the pillars of resilience: forest resilience, fire-adapted communities, fire dynamics, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration. The TCSI Blueprint uses a novel application of the Ecosystem Management Decision Support tool and fuzzy logic modeling to evaluate the degree to which current conditions are indicative of resilient landscapes. The TCSI Blueprint integrates assessments of both current (2019) and future (2020-2060) conditions under climate change (based on dynamic forest modeling) to reflect where management can likely make the most impact toward achieving functions on the landscape now and into the future. The model outputs spatial maps of condition scores ranging from -1 (out of target conditions) to +1 (within target conditions) for current and future conditions separately. These metric scores are then mapped onto a two-dimensional space, with current conditions on the x-axis and the potential to achieve target conditions in the future on the y-axis. Within that space, scores for each of four climate-informed management strategies are calculated and mapped: monitor, protect, adapt, and transform. The full suite of data used to generate the TCSI Blueprint offers a robust foundation for large landscape management and project planning, from strategic to tactical to operational. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The limited availability of resources for wildfire management necessitates prioritizing forest areas for protection. For this purpose, criteria such as fire risk are used to generate thematic maps intended to support decision-making. However, prior to this, the information must be validated under a statistically robust process. Unfortunately, no such process currently exists, so it must be formulated from the most basic aspect, which is the definition of the sampling unit. This was the objective of this study, where different-sized reference sites (RSs) were tested under four sampling intensities randomly distributed throughout the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Within each RS, the number of fires was determined for the period 2005-2013. It was found that variability in the number of fires decreased as the size of the RS increased, until reaching an asymptotic behavior (around 100 km2). In this way it was determined that a RS of 100 km2 captures the variability in the number of fires, which was termed Risk Factor (RF). Finally, the use of this parameter will support the definition of the risk validation process. In addition, the standardization of the RS will generate information, in different regions, that is not only comparable but also compatible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at the economic policy of Chile in 2007. It states that government spending increased by 10.1% year on year in January to July 2007 which was caused by a 14.7% rise in subsidies and grants. The minimum wage was also raised by 6.6% by Congress and a law to protect native forests was approved by the Senate. Chile's trade agreements with Japan and India are discussed as well.

The article discusses the importance of forest protection on drinking water. Natural forests when managed well provide high quality drinking water to urban population with less sediment, pollutants and other catchments. Many cities in the world depend on protected areas for their drinking water supply including Melbourne in Victoria, Istanbul in Turkey, and Singapore. It is suggested that rural populations in watersheds should not be hampered during the protection of water quality. INSETS: Belgrad Forest;Achieving clean water.

The article focuses on protection of the world's forests. It says that deforestation rate has fallen by 70 per cent in Brazilian Amazon since 2004. It states that the idea of compensating communities and countries to protect their forests under the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) program could provide a stream of finance that could contribute to stop global emissions and protect forests.

The article reports that the chocolate maker Lindt & Sprüngli has responded to criticism by campaign groups over the company's commitments to deforestation with respect to cocoa sourcing ahead of its annual sustainability report. It mentions that Lindt's website article listed the key parameters of its cocoa sustainability activities which involves topics like cocoa cultivation, agroforestry, and forest protection.

In 1996 the Forest Act (Decree 101-96) was approved, giving life to the National Forest Institute (INAB) as the autonomous and decentralized public entity responsible for forest administration outside protected areas. Together with the Forest Act, the State of Guatemala, through INAB, created the Forest Incentives Program (PNFOR) to promote the establishment of plantations and sustainable forest management. Given the experiences with PINFOR, and the demands of small holders and community groups, in 2007 the Forest Incentives Program for Smallholders (PINPEP) was created through the cooperation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to promote reforestation, agroforestry systems and natural forest management. This program was institutionalized in 2010 through Law 51-2010. These programs, with the implementation of more than 29,000 thousand projects, have contributed to the management and conservation of more than 430,000 ha of forest and plantations, representing a public investment of more than $290 million. Economically, these projects have created community employment and improved the economy for more than 900,000 people. They have also contributed to the provision of timber products and ecosystem services such as water regulation, biological connectivity, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, among others. These incentive programs are a clear example of a payment for results, where the evaluation instrument is compliance with the forest management plan which includes forest protection activities. Approximately 25% of the incentive payment budget is allocated to wildfire protection activities to comply with forest protection activities. These investments in forest protection have made a direct contribution to the reduction in fires within the areas under management. INAB statistics indicate that less than 1% of projects have been affected by fires thanks to the establishment and maintenance of more than 50,000 km of firebreaks and the commitment of program users to wildfire control activities, thus creating a culture of responsibility in the use and management of fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the signing by governmental organisations as well as food companies of the New York Declaration on Forests at the 2014 United Nations (UN) Climate Summit, which calls for cutting the loss of forests in half by 2020 and ending it by 2030. Topics covered include the comment of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the initiative, the details of the agreement, and the aim of the summit to discuss the contribution of agricultural production to carbon dioxide emissions.

The article discusses the political, economic and business risks to Guatemala. Guatemala is backed up by the U.S. in the race to win a non-permanent seat on the United Nation Security Council against Venezuela. The U.S. is to forgive Guatemala's outstanding debt which will be channeled into the protection of plants and wildlife. Guatemala is vying for the investment contract for a new oil refinery to process Mexican crude in Central America against Panama and Honduras.

Legal immigration to the United States has increased sharply in recent years, and shows no signs of slowing down. The question of why immigration has grown so rapidly and the implications of this growth for the future are expected to be issues in the 105th Congress. Primarily because of legislation enacted in 1980 and 1986, the numerical restrictions of the basic family and employment-based immigration preference system became less significant. The growth in legal immigration during the past 15 years came in three groups admitted outside these numerical limits -- legalized aliens, refugees, and numerically exempt immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. For example, about 2.8 million illegal or undocumented aliens were "legalized" between 1981 and 1995. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legal immigration to the United States has increased sharply in recent years, and shows no signs of slowing down. The question of why immigration has grown so rapidly and the implications of this growth for the future are expected to be issues in the 105th Congress. Primarily because of legislation enacted in 1980 and 1986, the numerical restrictions of the basic family and employment-based immigration preference system became less significant. The growth in legal immigration during the past 15 years came in three groups admitted outside these numerical limits -- legalized aliens, refugees, and numerically exempt immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. For example, about 2.8 million illegal or undocumented aliens were "legalized" between 1981 and 1995. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]