(USDA/FS) — The USDA Forest Service announced the publication of a final rule implementing key changes to its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. The changes include new tools and flexibilities to tackle critical land management challenges as part of a broader agency effort to better serve the American people through timely, high-quality management decisions affecting infrastructure, permitting and restoration …
Registration Deadline Approaches for Hurricane Michael Timber and Irrigation Recovery Block Grant Programs
(FDACS) — The registration deadline for the Florida Timber Recovery Block Grant Program and the Florida Irrigation Recovery Block Grant Program is Friday, November 20. Since the program launched in August, more than 1,500 registrations have been received and nearly $10 million in crop loss payments have been issued to agricultural producers and forest landowners who suffered damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018. “I am incredibly proud of our …
USDA Updates RCPP Announcement to Clarify Forestry Eligibility
Proposal deadline for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program extended to November 30 WASHINGTON, October 14, 2020 – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) today re-posted a revised Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) funding announcement, inviting potential conservation partners to submit project proposals for federal funding. NRCS will award up to $360 million to locally driven, public-private partnerships that improve the …
USDA Announces Deadline to Submit Wildfire, Hurricane Disaster Assistance Applications
Final Opportunity for 2018 and 2019 Disaster Recovery Assistance (USDA/FSA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, as the deadline to submit applications for the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program – Plus (WHIP+) for 2018 and 2019 losses. USDA did not originally specify a deadline when the program was announced. “The physical and financial loss experienced …
Florida Forest Service Deploys Incident Management Team to Support Hurricane Sally Emergency Response
Tallahassee, Fla. – Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announced that the Florida Forest Service has deployed a Type 2 Incident Management Team (IMT) to the Florida Panhandle for Hurricane Sally, which includes 36 Florida Forest Service personnel. “With historic flooding in Florida’s Panhandle from Hurricane Sally, we have deployed our Incident Management Team and hardworking Florida Forest Service personnel to support …
CARES Funding to Help Alabama Forest Owners
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Farmers Federation and Alabama TREASURE Forest Association (AFTA) welcomed news today of $10 million in state coronavirus relief to help forest owners impacted by the pandemic. Federation President Jimmy Parnell thanked Gov. Kay Ivey and State Forester Rick Oates for working to provide relief for landowners who sold timber at reduced prices due to market disruption. …
Support for Florida Timber Producers Recovering from Hurricane Michael
(NSF) – Timber growers in Florida who sustained damage from Hurricane Michael in October 2018 can start applying for federal recovery grants. State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announced registration has opened for the Florida Timber Recovery Block Grant Program and the Florida Irrigation Recovery Block Grant Program. Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm, caused about $1.3 billion in losses to …
Registration Open for $380 Million for Hurricane Michael Timber and Irrigation Recovery Block Grant Programs
Tallahassee, Fla. – Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Forest Service announced that registration for the Florida Timber Recovery Block Grant Program and the Florida Irrigation Recovery Block Grant Program is now available to agricultural producers and forest landowners who suffered damage from Hurricane Michael in October 2018. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the program is managed …
Florida Forest Service Accepting Applications to Help Landowners Combat Southern Pine Beetle Outbreaks
Tallahassee, Fla. — The Florida Forest Service is announcing that applications are now being accepted for the 2020 Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program. The program is limited to 44 northern Florida counties, the known range of the southern pine beetle, and open to non-industrial, private forest landowners through August 6, 2020. “Pine forests are an essential part of …
Secretary Perdue Announces Modernization Blueprint for the USDA Forest Service
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued a memorandum to Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen providing direction that will serve as a blueprint to help modernize the agency’s systems and approaches to ensure national forests and grasslands continue to meet the needs of the American people. “Under this administration, the Forest Service has sold more timber than …