The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced 21 grants totaling $7.6 million for research to help manage pests and beneficial species that affect agricultural crops. The funding is made possible through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. “There continues to be a critical need to …
Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee Highlights Importance of Watershed Maintenance in Rural America
The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry held a hearing to examine efforts to address small watershed infrastructure. Subcommittee Chairman Frank Lucas (OK-3) and members heard from two panels of witnesses who underscored the importance of technical and financial assistance to maintain these watershed structures. “For nearly 70 years, rural communities have benefited from federal investments in watershed projects …
Secretaries Perdue and Zinke Stress Inter-Departmental Collaboration as Wildfire Season Approaches
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Interior Secretary Ryan K. Zinke joined forces in Boise, Idaho at the National Incident Fire Command Center (NIFC) for a tour and briefing on the upcoming wildfire season. Following the events, the secretaries sent a memorandum to wildland fire leadership highlighting the importance of inter-departmental collaboration in protecting communities and managing public lands. In the …
Growing Communities through Forestry in Alabama
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Alabama is partnering with the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities and the Alabama Forestry Commission to improve access to funding that assists minority forest landowners. The success of this endeavor relies on the local influence of community groups, The Limited Resource Landowner Education and Assistance Network (LRLEAN) and the Federation of Southern …
USDA Seeks Nominees for Christmas Tree Promotion Board
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominations for the Christmas Tree Promotion Board to fill six seats for members and an importer whose terms expire on Dec. 31, 2017. The 12-member board is composed of 11 producer members from three regions and one importer. Five producer members are from the Western region, four are from the Eastern region …
Ag Subcommittee Evaluates Effectiveness of Forestry Initiatives
Rep. Frank Lucas (OK-03), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry, held a hearing to evaluate the effectiveness of the forestry initiatives in the 2014 Farm Bill. This hearing is a continuation of the committee’s hearing series to set the stage for the next farm bill. The subcommittee heard from a broad panel of experts who …
UF/IFAS Study: Voters Want to Preserve Forests, Water
by Brad Buck, UF/IFAS Sources: Melissa Kreye, Damian Adams, UF/IFAS Voters are likely to approve referenda for forest and water conservation in the eastern United States, including Florida, because demand for ecosystem protection is increasing, according to a new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences study. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober …
Southeast Landowners Reminded of Longleaf Initiative
Through the Longleaf Initiative, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and their partners are working with forestland owners across the Southeast to restore longleaf pine forests. NRCS Regional Conservationist for the Southeast, James Tillman, says they are hoping more landowners will get involved. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in …
Protecting Natural Resources Through Joint Chiefs’ Partnership
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new investment of $32 million to improve the health and resiliency of forest ecosystems where public forests and grasslands connect to privately-owned lands. Through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership, USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Forest Service will invest the new funds in fiscal year 2017 to add ten …