Applications are being accepted for the 2020 Environmental Stewardship Award. Deadline for applications is March 6, 2020. Established in 1991 by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the award recognizes the nation’s best cattle and livestock operations and their stewardship and conservation efforts. Winner of the 2019 National Environmental Stewardship Award will be named next month during the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention …
Lawmakers Seek to Scuttle Conservation Appeal
(NSF) — The House, Senate and two state agencies asked the Florida Supreme Court this week to reject an appeal in a fight about how lawmakers carried out a 2014 constitutional amendment aimed at boosting land and water conservation. Attorneys for the Legislature, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services filed briefs Monday asking …
Nearly 170,000 Giant African Land Snails Eradicated in Eight Years
(FDACS) — For more than eight years, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been working cooperatively to eradicate the giant African land snail from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. During that time, over 168,500 snails have been collected in 32 core areas of Miami-Dade County, and in one area of …
USDA to Open Signup for Conservation Reserve Program December 9
(USDA/FSA) — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is opening signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on December 9, 2019. The deadline for agricultural producers to sign up for general CRP is February 28, 2020, while signup for continuous CRP is ongoing. Farmers and ranchers who enroll in CRP receive a yearly rental payment for …
Accepting Applications for NCBA 2020 Environmental Stewardship Award
Applications are currently being accepted for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA’s) 2020 Environmental Stewardship Award. The award recognizes the nation’s best cattle and livestock operations and their stewardship and conservation efforts. Winner of the 2019 Award will be named during the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in San Antonio in early February. Any individual, group or …
Cabinet Signs Off on DeSoto, Dixie Land Deals
(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet agreed Tuesday to spend $8.5 million to help conserve nearly 10,000 acres in DeSoto and Dixie counties. DeSantis and Cabinet members approved spending $6.5 million for a conservation easement on 3,891 acres of ranch land in DeSoto County, with the state hoping to recoup about 42 percent of the money through …
Thanks to Farmers for Voluntary Conservation
In this season of giving thanks, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is grateful to their most important partners in implementing conservation, our farmers. And they are promoting this through #OurFarmers. NRCS is about supporting America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest land managers, both helping them better manage their operations while conserving natural resources. Throughout the year, NRCS highlights stories of …
DeSantis Praised, Criticized on Environmental Spending
(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis drew praise as “a true environmental leader” but was also criticized for not putting more money toward the Florida Forever program and failing to adequately prepare the state for climate change as he released a proposed $91.4 billion budget on Monday. DeSantis received the mixed reviews from environmental groups for his spending plan, which included …
DeSantis Touts to Continue “Momentum” on Environmental Issues
(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday proposed a $91.4 billion state budget for next year, touting plans to funnel more money to public-school teachers and continue “momentum” on environmental issues. The proposal is an initial step as lawmakers prepare for the January start of the annual legislative session, which will include negotiating a budget for the fiscal year that …
Conservation Funding Fight Goes to Supreme Court
(NSF) — Environmental groups are going to the Florida Supreme Court in a long-running legal battle about whether state lawmakers have properly carried out a 2014 constitutional amendment designed to boost land and water conservation. The groups filed a notice Friday that is a first step in asking the Supreme Court to decide the case. As is common, the notice does not …