CHECK OUT THE NEW FAMILY FOREST VIRTUAL COMMUNITY
Family forest owners are invited to join the American Forest Foundation’s (AFF) brand new virtual community, The Family Forest, a home for family forest owners and the people who support them. The Family Forest is a dedicated online space where people who care for family forest land can connect with others who share the same goals and aspirations. Learn more at AFF’s Family Forest blog post.
SIGN UP FOR SOUTHERN PINE BEETLE ASSISTANCE AND PREVENTION PROGRAM
Sign up by July 1, 2022
The Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program is offered to eligible non-industrial private forest landowners by the Florida Forest Service through temporary grants from the USDA Forest Service.
Periodic southern pine beetle outbreaks in Florida have resulted in millions of cubic feet of pine timber killed on thousands of acres. The goal of this program is to minimize southern pine beetle damage in Florida by helping forest landowners conduct management practices that can make their pine stands less susceptible to this potentially destructive insect.
Forest management practices such as thinning, prescribed burning, other competition control, and use of less-susceptible pine species can improve the health of pine stands and decrease their likelihood of developing southern pine beetle infestations. The program offers partial cost reimbursement or incentive payments for first pulpwood thinning, prescribed burning, planting longleaf and/or slash pine, and mechanical underbrush treatments.
This program will accept new applications from May 23, through July 1, 2022. See the Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program web page for details and the application, or contact your Florida Forest Service County Forester to apply for assistance.
HURRICANE SEASON IS UPON US
Hurricane season began on June 1. Time to make sure you, your family, and your property are ready for the next storm headed our way. Our recorded webinar series on Hurricane Preparation and Recovery, as well as links to all the materials, are still available at our Florida Land Steward events and webinars page – see 2021 Hurricane Preparation & Recovery Webinars.
Don’t wait until after a disaster to get your farm records filled out with USDA Farm Service Agency. You’ll be ahead in the queue for assistance and will receive E-notifications about recovery programs from FSA after the storm. If you already have farm records in, review them and make sure they are complete and up-to date. Find your USDA Service Center here to get started.
NATIONAL WOODLAND OWNERS QUARTERLY ESSENTIALS
Get the latest news and tips from National Woodland Owners Association on their quarterly National Woodlands Essentials.
USDA FARM SERVICE AGENCY ACCEPTING NEW OR MODIFIED PROPOSALS FOR STATE ACRES WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is welcoming new and modified proposals from conservation partners for the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative, a part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) focused on effectively managing wildlife habitat. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has expanded available practices under this initiative in response to feedback from partners.
Through SAFE, producers and landowners restore vital habitat in alignment with high-priority state wildlife conservation goals. Specifically, landowners establish wetlands, grasses, and trees. These practices are designed to enhance important wildlife populations by creating critical habitat and food sources. They also protect soil and water health by working as a barrier to sediment and nutrient run-off before they reach waterways.
FSA is adding two new practices with the assistance of its sister agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS conservationists will provide CRP participants with conservation planning assistance, which will now include managing for early successional habitat cover establishment or management, and wildlife habitat planting. These additional eligible practices will enable SAFE partners to better target a wide variety of wildlife species, such as the Northern bobwhite quail and other species.
New or modified proposals for SAFE projects are to be submitted to USDA FSA State Offices in June 2022. More information on developing proposals is available at the FSA Conservation Reserve Program website. Find contacts at your USDA Service Center.
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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