THIS IS PRESCRIBED FIRE AWARENESS WEEK: JANUARY 23-29, 2022
Prescribed fire is a safe way to apply a natural process, ensure ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk. Prescribed fire is safely applied by a team of fire experts under specified weather conditions to maintain or restore ecosystems that depend on fire. Prescribed fire reduces the likelihood of wildfires and is a cost-effective tool that land managers use to manage natural plant and wildlife communities. This week we celebrate our natural resources and the role of fire in maintaining and enhancing them.
See the FDACS Florida Forest Service Prescribed Fire Awareness Week 2022 Highlight.
See our Prescribed Fire Awareness Week video and other information posted this week on our Florida Land Steward Facebook page. Like, follow and share to help get the word out.
Learn more and get information to share at https://whyprescribedfire.org/
CONGRATULATIONS BILL BLACK AND DENISE MATTHEWS, 2022 FLORIDA LAND STEWARDS OF THE YEAR!
We congratulate Bill Black and Denise Matthews for the outstanding stewardship of their Sparkleberry Farm property in Alachua County. As a result of their continuous planning and hard work the property is home to abundant wildlife, longleaf pine, naturally regenerated slash and loblolly pine stands, hardwood swamps, and a rich groundcover of unique and rare plants. Bill and Denise look forward to continuing their stewardship journey at Sparkleberry Farm and beyond by encouraging research and education, and taking opportunities to promote land stewardship to fellow landowners and the public. Read more about our 2022 Florida Land Stewards of the Year here.
TAX TIPS FOR FOREST LANDOWNERS FOR THE 2021 TAX YEAR
To help you understand the forestry specific tax provisions and how the general tax rules apply to your forestry activities, here are the Tax Tips for Forest Landowners for the 2021 Tax Year.
2022 FORESTRY TAX WEBINARS ARE UNDERWAY
A regional initiative of the Woodland Stewards Extension Program, this webinar series is helping private forest landowners understand timber tax rules, how timber expenses should be reported, and how we are taxed. Knowing timber tax rules will help you keep your records in line and save money. These webinars are taking place January 18, 25, and February 1, 8, and 15, 2022. Learn more and sign up to receive reminders about these webinars at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ForestryTaxWebinars. Recordings of these webinars can be accessed from our Florida Land Steward Events Calendar and News page
JUMPSTART YOUR OUTREACH EFFORTS IN 2022 WITH FLORIDA PROJECT LEARNING TREE
As a forest landowner and/or certified Tree Farmer, you play an essential role in educating the public about the importance of trees, forests, and sustainable forest management to our communities, economy, and the environment.
Florida Project Learning Tree (PLT) can help! PLT provides educators and forestry professionals with professional development, hands-on activities, and multi-disciplinary curriculum that can be easily integrated into lesson plans and outreach efforts to help teach youth about trees, forests, and the environment. Partner with Florida PLT to host an educator professional development on your property. This provides educators with a unique opportunity to see and experience a sustainable working forest firsthand while participating in hands-on activities and exploring ways to incorporate PLT activities into curriculum.
If you are interested in hosting a PLT training experience on your property, contact Elise Cassie, ecassie@ufl.edu. Learn more about Florida PLT at https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/plt/
PRESCRIBED BURN ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FROM ATTACK-ONE FIRE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, TALL TIMBERS RESEARCH STATION, AND ALACHUA CONSERVATION TRUST
These organizations are available to meet onsite with landowners to discuss their goals and assist with prescribed burn prescription and implementation.
Attack-One Fire Management Services is grant-funded to assist landowners with current NRCS contracts with prescribed fire planning and implementation throughout Florida and Georgia. We can also assist landowners who have former NRCS contracts with prescribed fire consultation, planning and implementation with active Gopher Tortoise habitat present. For more information email Kevin Carter, kevin@attack-one.com or call (850) 926-6534
Tall Timbers Research Station is funded by a Longleaf Legacy Landscape project to provide fire consultation, planning, and implementation to private landowners in the Florida Panhandle from Pensacola to Lake City and in west Georgia as far north as the Chattahoochee Fall Line (Columbus, GA). Contact Jeremiah Cates, jcates@talltimbers.org, (850) 381-8707. Also see their web page for more details: Private Lands Prescribed Fire Project – Tall Timbers
Alachua Conservation Trust has a prescribed fire specialist available to assist private landowners with burn planning and implementation in Alachua, Putnam, Marion, Levy, Bradford, Clay, Union, and portions of Columbia, Suwannee, Flagler, Volusia, Lake, Sumter, and Citrus Counties. Contact Barry Coulliette at barry@alachuaconservationtrust.org , 904-838-8591. Barry is also the Coordinator for the North Florida Prescribed Burn Association.
GET FLORIDA LAND STEWARD EMAIL UPDATES
Don’t miss out on news and events! Sign up for the regular email updates! Send an email to Chris at cdemers@ufl.edu to be added to the email listserv. Florida Land Steward email updates are sent once a week or every other week and include the latest calendar of workshops, tours and other events; a link to the current issue of this quarterly newsletter; updates on cost-share and other assistance programs, opportunities, and resources; and other stewardship related news and information.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND WEBINARS
See our Events Calendar and News page for upcoming events, webinars, webinar and event materials.
ACCESS THE QUARTERLY FLORIDA LAND STEWARD NEWSLETTER ONLINE
Access the current and back issues of the quarterly Florida Land Steward newsletter here.
HAVE AN EVENT OR RELATED NEWS TO SHARE?
Drop a line with the details and link(s) to Chris Demers at cdemers@ufl.edu.
CONSIDER A GIFT IN SUPPORT OF THE UF/IFAS FLORIDA LAND STEWARD PROGRAM
The mission of the UF/IFAS Florida Land Steward Program is to help and encourage private landowners to actively manage their land resources for long-term environmental, economic, and social benefits. This program is largely supported by partners and donors. If this program has made a difference in your land stewardship efforts please consider a gift. Support the UF/IFAS Florida Land Steward Program here. Thanks!
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