(NSF) — Nearly 6,500 acres of land, with the vast majority in the Devil’s Garden area south of Lake Okeechobee, are in line to be the state’s next Florida Forever conservation deals. Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet — Attorney General Ashley Moody, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis — will be asked Tuesday to …
USDA Updates National Conservation Handbook
We told you a couple of days ago U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) had completed and published updates to its set of National Conservation Practice Standards. The national handbook is reviewed every five years and contains some 170 standards for states to use. Kevin Norton, NRCS Acting Chief explains. Norton says USDA will continue to review its conservation practices …
USDA Updates Conservation Standards
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently completed and published updates to its set of National Conservation Practice Standards, which include 58 standards that have been updated or revised since August. According to Acting NRCS Chief, Kevin Norton, those standards cover a wide range of practices including irrigation water management. He notes that USDA’s conservation efforts include a …
Ducks and Gators Forge New Partnership at the DeLuca Preserve
Ducks Unlimited and the University of Florida working together for conservation at the DeLuca Preserve Thanks to the tremendous generosity of Elisabeth DeLuca, more than 27,000 acres of iconic Florida prairie and wetlands habitat have been permanently protected through a unique partnership between Ducks Unlimited (DU) and the University of Florida. The land was donated to the University of Florida …
Coalition Releases Farmers’ Guide to the CSP
(NAFB) — As farmers begin to sign up for the Conservation Stewardship Program across the country, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition released its updated “Farmers’ Guide to the CSP.” As interest grows in farming practices that protect natural resources and reduce the impact of climate change, it’s a good time for producers to explore the CSP. The coalition says this …
What’s Happening on America’s Lands, Soils, and Waters?
(USDA/NRCS) — NRCS You may be curious about what’s happening on the lands across the United States over time. If we didn’t have the data collection of the National Resources Inventory (NRI), we could only guess. NRI collects data on natural resources, soil and water conservation practices, irrigation, and many other farming practices so we can not only know what …
Determining How Effective NRCS Conservation Practices are at Protecting Wetlands
(NRCS) — If you were to travel back in time to colonial America, you would see a much different landscape. Wetlands, those areas where water covers or is close to the soil surface all or most of the year, were much more prevalent on the landscape than they are today. Back then, wetlands were viewed as a barrier to agriculture …
Open Signup for the Conservation Reserve Program and CRP Grasslands in Early 2021
(USDA/FSA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the signup periods for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the CRP Grasslands in 2021. Signup for general CRP will be open from Jan. 4, 2021, to Feb. 12, 2021, and signup for CRP Grasslands runs from March 15, 2021 to April 23, 2021. Both programs are competitive and provide annual …
Florida NRCS Offers Help for Severe Erosion
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida is providing Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) funds to help agricultural producers address severe erosion and irrigation retrofit. Applications for financial assistance are being accepted through Dec. 4. Florida State Conservationist Juan Hernandez told Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman, that this is a two-state effort. Agricultural producers are eligible to apply in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, …
USDA Announces Updated Conservation Practice Standards
(USDA/NRCS) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has completed and published updates to its set of National Conservation Practice Standards, which include 58 standards that have been updated or revised since August. The 2018 Farm Bill required USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to review all 169 of its national conservation practices to seek opportunities …