tax

Extension On Tax Filing Deadlines For Georgia Wildfire Victims

The Georgia Department of Revenue and the Internal Revenue Service have recently announced the deadline extension for some returns and payments for taxpayers impacted by the Georgia Highway 82 wildfire, Pineland Road Wildfires in Clinch as well as Echols and Brantley counties. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issued a statement where he highlighted the current efforts in helping Georgians experiencing loss …

wildfire

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Highlights Steps to be Wildfire Ready

During a recent press conference, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson commented on the state’s current wildfire conditions and what can be expected in the coming months. Commissioner Simpson said, “Florida is already nearing our annual wildfire totals, and we are only entering the peak of wildfire season. With drought conditions affecting the entire state, the wildfire threat across Florida …

Florida’s forest

UF/IFAS Study Notes Florida’s Forest Industry Impact

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has released results of a study of the Forest Industry in Florida. The findings show that Florida’s forest industry supports more than 103,000 jobs and generated nearly $29 billion in total economic input. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, “Florida is home to approximately 16.76 million …

drought conditions

Lack of Rain Continues To Impact Growers

If you call up a farmer today and ask him what’s happening, he would probably respond, waiting on the rain. Some isolated showers have come across the southeast Georgia area and the southwest area, but not enough to solve the water shortage. Some peanut producers have started irrigating to try to get enough peanuts to come up along when most of the corn is gone and …

wildfires

Wildfires Creating Major Problems in Georgia and Florida

Wildfires, the major problems in the southeast corner of Georgia and along the Georgia Florida line. One of the largest fires, the Pineland Road wildfire, has grown to consume 31,000 acres near Fargo, Georgia, about 120 miles northeast of Tallahassee, Florida. It’s only 10 percent contained as of early this week. The Highway 82 fire is in Atkinson County, Georgia and they said that …

wildfires

Drought and Wildfires Impacting Southeastern States

Drought impacts have escalated in recent weeks across the southeast impacting crop planting and pasture availability. Now, wildfires have become a threat in both Georgia and Florida, with disaster declarations and burn bans put in place. Earlier this month, USDA designated 30 Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas and 12 contiguous disaster counties due to drought impacts and this …

woldfire

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Urges Action Ahead of Wildfire Season

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, in collaboration with the Florida Forest Service is urging Floridians to take action ahead of this year’s Wildfire season. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, “Florida’s peak wildfire season usually encompasses April, May, and June, and the National Interagency Fire Center has predicted an “above normal significant wildfire potential” across the state …

Forest Service

Deputy Secretary Vaden Shares Details on Forest Service Relocation Efforts

With the recent announcement of the relocation of the US Forest Service Headquarters to Salt Lake City and operational service centers in various locations across the country, we caught up with USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden to learn what forestry professionals can expect from this reorganization. Deputy Secretary Vaden said, “Well, what they can expect is a lot more focus …

Hurricane Helene Relief

Commissioner Simpson Announces Hurricane Disaster Relief Applications Now Open

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson has announced that agricultural producers can now apply for hurricane disaster relief for 2023 and 2024. The Florida Block Grant Disaster Relief Program will provide over $600 million in grant funding in which the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says can, “assist with infrastructure damage, market loss, citrus loss, and timber damage …

producers

Southeast Cattle Associations Pass Directive Aimed At Addressing EU Deforestation Rule

Several of the Southeastern State Cattlemen’s Associations came together to pass a resolution during the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CattleCon in Nashville last week. The resolution aimed to address the European Union’s Deforestation Rule that was passed in 2025 and according to the resolution this rule “imposes unnecessary restrictions that infringe upon American private property rights, a foundational freedom for …