For Immediate Release April 1, 2003                          
Contact:    Jane Elder
               Biodiversity Project
               (608) 250-9876 
               jelder@biodiverse.org

(Madison, WI) Jane Elder, Executive Director of the Biodiversity Project announced today the release of its new resource kit on Eastern Forests and biodiversity.  The kit provides a handy compilation of background information, statistics and resources related to the threats and trends surrounding the ecological health of the “forgotten” forests in the United States.   

“When Americans think of “forests” they often think of the celebrated forests of the West, or tropical rain forests” Jane Elder said.  “Yet the forests of the eastern U.S. contain some of the most important and threatened ecosystems on the planet.  This kit is designed to help those who communicate with the public about forests put some of these issues on the map.” 

The kit contains succinct overviews on Eastern forests and biodiversity, land ownership patterns in the East, and other factual information. The kit also includes a wide array of fully annotated fact sheets that detail the benefits Eastern Forests provide to communities and the latest threats to the forests’ ecological survival. 

In addition, the kit outlines strategies that forest advocates and educators can implement in order to communicate the value of the Eastern Forests, the threats to Eastern forests, and rebuttals to the most common myths about forests and forest management.  

“From the Prairies to the Atlantic coast, and from the great northern forests to the Gulf Coast mangrove swamps, America’s biological riches and human communities depend on healthy forest ecosystems.  We hope this kit will help journalists and advocates alike to stimulate a public dialogue on the role these vital ecosystems play in our lives, and what Americans can do to protect the forests close to home.”

The Biodiversity Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Americans make the connection between their lives and the need to protect biodiversity. To access an online version of the kit go to Getting on Message: Eastern Forests and Biodiversity.  Print copies are also available by following the ordering information on the same web page.