by Gary Cooper The series of public meetings about Lake Okeechobee water levels and related issues continues this week in South Florida, hosted by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. According to last-minute media announcements this morning, Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL 18th District), is expected to attend the first of two public meetings today at 1:00 p.m. at Indian …
NRCS Chief Promotes EQIP and CSP
While Matt Lohr has only been on the job a few weeks as Chief of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), he is very familiar with the programs NRCS offers. And he looks at two of those, the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which many call their flagship program. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Production ResearchMay …
Celebration High School Wins Envirothon
Students from Celebration High School in Osceola County have placed first for the third year-in-a-row in the annual Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Regional Envirothon competition held February 7, 2019 at Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando. The 5-member winning team was made up of seniors Julian Landin, Matthew Eynan, Andrew Hiesinger, Spencer Schmidt, and Mason Theurer. Envirothon is a hands-on, …
DeSantis, Senators Seek Everglades Money
Gov. Ron DeSantis has joined U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott in urging President Donald Trump to include $200 million a year in the federal budget for the Everglades. In a letter released this week, the three Florida Republican leaders requested a commitment for construction funding. “The federal-state partnership to restore the Everglades is critical to protecting …
EPA Acting Administrator Wheeler Promotes President Trump’s State of the Union Address In GA
Administrator Wheeler met with members of GA and SC Farm Bureaus, as well as local and state officials to discuss WOTUS and our new nutrient reduction policy U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler visited Georgia to promote President Trump’s successful State of the Union address. While meeting with local and state officials at McCorkle Nursery in Dearing, Georgia, Acting …
Farm Bureau to USDA: New Regulations Must Protect Both Farmland and Wetland
As the Agriculture Department moves forward with Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation regulations, the department must ensure its new Interim Rule balances the benefits for both farmland and wetland, as Congress intended, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. As it was written, the Interim Rule makes program participation much more difficult and fails to give famers the opportunity …
Glades Residents, Businesses, Rise Up Against Water Issues Misinformation
by Gary Cooper With reference to the growing brouhaha, and continuing conflicting and heated rhetoric and misinformation swirling about south Florida algae and other related Lake Okeechobee water issues, the following letter was sent today to Congressman Brian Mast (R-FL 18th District). Mast has been extremely vocal and incendiary in his rhetoric and stated opinions on these issues, and is …
USDA Seeking Public Input on Wetland Determination Guidance
Public comment period for wetland conservation compliance rule open through February 5 Farmers are reminded that updated guidelines for wetland determinations are posted and available for public input. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to remind the public that the 60-day comment period for the updated guidance is open through February 5. This opportunity to comment is not impacted …
Next Steps Eyed in Fight Against Water Woes
Local governments have spent $17.3 million the state provided to combat outbreaks of red tide and toxic blue-green algae, which have caused massive fish kills and fouled waters in coastal areas for more than a year. And as red tide lingers in some Southwest Florida areas, and just $1.7 million of $19 million in state funding remains unspent by the …
Alabama Signup Batching Deadline Nearing for Conservation Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama wants to remind producers that Jan. 25 is the signup batching deadline for fiscal year 2019 funding for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program. Through RCPP, Sustainable Forestry and Landowner Retention (U.S. Endowment) will assist historically underserved forest landowners in select counties …