According to recent figures from the Florida Forest Service, the 2017 Florida Silviculture Best Management Practices (BMPs) implementation survey shows a 99.6% implementation rate among forestry operations. This indicates that water quality protection remains a high priority for Florida’s foresters, land managers, loggers, and silviculture contractors. (See below News Release from Florida Forest Service) Florida’s Silviculture Best Management Practices (BMPs) …
What the Budget Bill Means for Farmers and Ranchers
The disaster assistance spending measure has been watched carefully by producers who were hit hard by natural disasters. Producers in California, Florida, Texas, and even Puerto Rico lost crops and livestock because of wildfires and hurricanes last year. Politico says America’s dairy and cotton producers also have been looking for subsidy increases because of a serious economic downturn. The bill …
USDA Investing Millions in Wildfire Mitigation and Water Quality Projects Through Joint Chiefs’ Partnership
Projects will restore healthy forests on private and public lands in 24 states The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest nearly $32 million this year to mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality and restore healthy forest ecosystems in 24 states and Puerto Rico. Since 2014, USDA has invested $176 million in 56 Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership Projects, which …
Oh Christmas Tree, What to do with that Christmas Tree
Oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas Tree, in this series, Cathy Isom reviews what to do with your tree now that Christmas is over. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. What to do with that Christmas Tree In the days following Christmas, many folks will choose to take all of the decorations down and put them away. Others wait …
Financial Assistance Available to West Alabama Landowners Interested in Forestry Initiative
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Alabama State Conservationist Ben Malone announced a collaborative effort to reach forestry landowners will continue in West Alabama. NRCS Alabama will partner with the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Federation of Southern Cooperatives (FSC), the Limited Resource Landowners Educational and Assistance Network (LRLEAN), and the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) to provide assistance to …
Capitol Christmas Tree Arrives
A nearly 80-foot tall Christmas tree arrived Monday at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service provides a tree each year from a different state for the Capitol. This year’s tree, an Engelmann Spruce, is 79 feet tall and comes from northwest Montana. The 15,000 lbs., the 76-year-old tree made a two-week, 3,400-mile journey to …
Perdue Statement on House Passage of Resilient Federal Forests Act
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017 (H.R. 2936) as an important step toward better management of national forests. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04), seeks to implement proactive management standards for forests and paves the way for a solution to the problem of U.S. …
NACD Supports Farm Bill Coalition Recommendations
The Forests in the Farm Bill Coalition (FIFB) released its 2018 Farm Bill recommendations. The National Association of Conservation Districts has been an active participant in the creation of the recommendations, serving on two of the coalition’s working groups to ensure that NACD’s policies and principles were included. “The public expects clean air and water, healthy soils, and abundant wildlife habitat …
USDA Working with Landowners to Restore Longleaf Pine Forests
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to help private landowners across the Southeast restore and protect 400,000 acres of longleaf pine forests through their new two-year implementation strategy. NRCS Acting Chief Leonard Jordan wants landowners to know they are furthering ongoing efforts to use existing Farm Bill programs and other resources to increase the abundance and improve the health …
New UF Center Updating Research on Southeastern Agricultural Health and Safety
by Ricky Telg, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Data about the safety and health of agricultural, forestry and fisheries workers in Florida is severely outdated, according to the director of a newly formed agricultural health and safety center, and is a major reason the new Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (SCCAHS) was established. SCCAHS …