SIGN UP FOR 2025 REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (RCPP) CONSERVATION EASEMENTS
Apply by November 30, 2024
Florida landowners can now apply for Entity Held Conservation Easements in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and their partners: Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT), North Florida Land Trust (NFLT), and Tall Timbers, Inc. (TT). Applications for the NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) fiscal year 2025 will be accepted and evaluated by NRCS, ACT, NFLT, and TT through November 30, 2024. See the map to the right to see where these opportunities are available.
For details on all the available RCPP easement opportunities see this USDA NRCS 2025 RCPP Conservation Easements news page.
HURRICANE RECOVERY
This season Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton have ravaged coastal communities, agricultural operations, and forests from the Big Bend region down to South Florida. We are sharing recovery information as it is available in these updates. Natural disaster recovery assistance resources are below:
Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has established the FDACS Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program to provide low-interest or interest-free loans to producers impacted by a declared natural disaster. Assistance is available to those impacted by Hurricanes Debby and Helene. For details and an application see the FDACS Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program web page.
USDA offers a variety of programs to help farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, communities, and businesses that have been impacted by natural disaster events. Visit farmers.gov for all available USDA disaster recovery programs. Also see the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Emergency Assistance Updates for Florida.
See our on-demand webinar about USDA Disaster Recovery Programs.
FEMA has recovery assistance websites dedicated to Hurricanes Debby (https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4806), Helene (https://www.fema.gov/disaster/current/hurricane-helene), and Milton (https://www.fema.gov/disaster/current/hurricane-milton)
UF/IFAS Resources: Find hurricane preparation and recovery tips and resources in our publication: Prepare your Forest Property for Hurricane Season. Review key assistance contacts and strategies to recover value and minimize economic losses to timber within a week and months after a hurricane. See our on-demand series of webinars on Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in our Florida Land Steward Events Calendar.
Hurricane season continues through November 30. Keep an eye on the tropics at the NOAA Hurricane Center.
COMMON WILDLIFE FOOD PLOT MISTAKES
Getting ready to put in your cool-season wildlife food plots? Jennifer Bearden, Agriculture Agent with UF/IFAS Okaloosa County Extension, provides some helpful guidance on common mistakes made by hunters and landowners when installing supplemental plantings. See Common Wildlife Food Plot Mistakes on Panhandle Outdoors.
SIGN UP OPEN FOR USDA NRCS AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROGRAM (ACEP)
Apply by December 20, 2024
Florida landowners and eligible entities may apply at any time, but to be considered for the FY 2025 funding opportunities, applications must be received by December 20, 2024 for both Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) and Agricultural Land Easements (ALE).
ACEP protects the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting non-agricultural uses which negatively affect agricultural uses and conservation values. ACEP protects grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving grazing land, as well as protecting, restoring, and enhancing wetlands. See this USDA NRCS ACEP news release for more details about these easement opportunities.
Applications are available at your local USDA Service Center or online on the Get Started with NRCS web page.
GULF COASTAL PLAIN ECOSYSTEM PARTNERSHIP (GCPEP) LONGLEAF PINE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The GCPEP Longleaf Assistance Program includes incentives for longleaf establishment, stand improvement, and prescribed fire. It is available to landowners within the GCPEP project area. This includes Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Holmes Counties west of the Choctawhatchee River in Florida; and Baldwin, Escambia, Covington, Conecuh, Coffee, Geneva, and Dale Counties west of the Choctawhatchee River in Alabama. Habitat improvements must be within existing longleaf stands, mixed stands, or to establish new longleaf forests. Incentives can cover up to $100/ac. for establishment, up to $50/ac. for stand improvement, or $15/ac. for prescribed fire, not to exceed 50% of landowner costs. For more information contact the Program Coordinator: Jacob Barrett, jacob@longleafalliance.org, (478) 230-4761.
ENROLL IN THE ONLINE FOREST LANDOWNER ACADEMY
Need a good self-paced primer on forestry and forest stewardship? Don’t have time to attend workshops and other events? The UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Science’s online Forest Landowner Academy is for you. The direct link to enroll is https://ifas-sfrc-for.catalog.instructure.com/courses/for-fla.
Questions about the course can be directed to Chris Demers, cdemers@ufl.edu, (352) 846-2375; or Michael Andreu, mandreu@ufl.edu.
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 the quarterly Florida Land Steward newsletter; updates on cost-share and other assistance programs, opportunities, and resources; and other stewardship related news and information.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
See our Events Calendar and News page for upcoming events and ongoing programs, initiatives, and opportunities.
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 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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