In 2008, the COST Action FP0703 “ECHOES” started: kick-off meeting in Brussels on May 27th, Steering Committee meeting in Basel on June 30th, launching of the Website on October 31th, preparation of the first general workshop to be held in Florence in January 2009. Another important element was needed: a newsletter in order to exchange information among scientists and managers dealing currently with climate change and forestry in different countries.This newsletter will release some information about Echoes but will mainly share news, sent to the Secretariat by the recipients of the newsletter, on any matters of interest (current research projects, strategic or political processes in different countries, etc.). That means that this newsletter will be live as long as you let the Secretariat aware about what is going on in your country. Examples of such kinds of information are given in this letter under the headline “From the participants”.Thus, let’s know what is happening around you on climate change and forestry with small articles of 100 to 300 words.The Echoes Team wishes you a happy new year 2009!
About Echoes
· PartiesCurrently, 23 countries have confirmed their participation in this Cost Action: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. Moreover, Czech Republic and Greece are on their way to participate in this Action.
Non COST Institutions are expected to join Echoes: e.g. European Forests Institute (EFI), University of St Petersburg (Russia), University of Kiev (Ukraine), the USDA Forest Service (USA), the Canadian Forest Service, the International Association of Mediterranean Forests.
· Florence workshop in January
The 2009 January 22nd to 24th, the first Echoes general workshop will be held in Florence (Italy). The objectives of this workshop are to introduce to ECHOES for all participants, to focus the background of the Action (climate, impacts, adaptation, mitigation), to enable each party to give an overview of its country report and to discuss, in Working Group parallel meetings, the major key issues to be discussed during the Action in order to help in the definition of recommendations for forest managers and policy makers.
The meeting will also give the opportunity to gather the Management Committee members, to complete the composition of the Steering Committee and to draw future activities.
More information about program, venue, registration, etc. on the specific Echoes webpage.
Contact: Natacha Massu
· Echoes website is on-line!
Since the end of October, the Echoes website is on-line!
You will find all about the action and information on other events, publications, etc. transmitted by the participants to the secretariat.
Contacts: Natacha Massu (Echoes Secretariat) and, Jean-Luc Peyron (Action Chair)
From the participantsFollowing the suggestion of a ministerial report on forest adaptation to climate change, a joint R&D Network has been created.
Objectives
To produce tools for decision support
To structure and forward information to forest managers
To coordinate initiatives that contribute to gather and test available scientific knowledge,
To identify the needs on future R&D projects.
Topics
Site-mapping, Vulnerability, Genetics, Silviculture, Economics
Members
Eleven Institutions from research, extension, forest management, and educational sectors.
Governance
The activities are discussed by a balanced panel of scientists and extension specialists.
Contacts: Olivier Picard and Guy Landmann
The International Conference “The European Forest-Based Sector: Bio-Responses to Address New Climate and Energy Challenges?” took place from 6 to 8 November 2008, in Nancy (France). It was held under the auspices of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. It has been organised by Ecofor, France. Among many other partners, the COST Office and the Echoes were represented and highly concerned.
The Conference brought together around 250 representatives of the forest-based sector, European member States and the EC, non-governmental organizations and academia. Participants addressed the role of the forest-based sector in light of two of the most pressing issues: climate change and the energy crisis. These two crises are closely linked, and the forest-based sector has a potential to play a mitigating role in this regard.
The Conference aimed to provide policy makers with objective information regarding the role of the forest-based sector in relation to the physical processes of the carbon cycle, the competition between wood and other materials, and the energy market. Three themes were addressed: forests as carbon sinks; wood-based products: carbon storage and energy conservation; and the forest-based sector: source of renewable energy.
The summary report is available on the International Conference website.
Contacts: Olivier Bouyer and Jean-Luc Peyron
Natacha Massu, Echoes secretariat Jean-Luc Peyron, Chairman
Please, forward any relevant information about Echoes topics (facts, studies, strategic processes...)
To subscribe for the Echoes newsletter, please contact Ecofor