Still reeling from the widespread damage ice and wind storms have taken on both shade trees and forests this year, area residents may be able to claim casualty losses for the tree damage.

A seminar to explain the programs available - and the documentation needed to claim tax deductions - will be held Tuesday at John A. Logan College in Carterville and Thursday at the Baymont Inn & Suites Theater, formerly Players Theater) in Metropolis.

Each program will be split into two 1.5-hour sessions, with the morning session from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.devoted to shade tree losses and the later session from 1 to 3 p.m. dealing with loss of timber trees.

The speaker will be Dr. Deborah A. Gaddis, associate extension professor in the Department of Forestry at Mississippi State University. She is a specialist on forest taxation; casualty loss of both timber and shade trees has become one of her specialties ever since Hurricane Katrina hit her home state. Her goal is making timber tax understandable and accessible to those who have timber or shade trees.

The workshops are being sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Forest Resources, the Shawnee Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc., the Illinois Forestry Association, John A. Logan College, and the Baymont Inn & Suites in Metropolis.

For more information contact Stephanie Brown at Shawnee RC & D, 618-993-5396 ext. 6, or e-mail her at steph.brown@il.usda.gov