NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES AWARENESS WEEK (NISAW), FEBRUARY 24-28, 2025
NISAW is a nation-wide event to raise awareness about invasive species, the threat that they pose, and what can be done to prevent their spread. There are many events and workdays happening this week and in the coming weeks and months. A great way to learn more about these activities and get involved in local and regional efforts to combat invasive species (like the Old world climbing fern shown in the banner above) is to connect with your regional invasive species management area (CISMA). Find your CISMA here.
The upcoming 2025 Florida Invasive Species Council Annual Conference. Seas to Trees, on March 18-21 will be a great opportunity to learn from and connect with natural resource professionals, invasive species researchers, students, and others involved with invasive species across Florida.
APPLY FOR USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS
Apply by March 7, 2025
If you are interested in protecting the integrity of your property, consider a conservation easement through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida. NRCS accepts agricultural conservation easement applications year-round but applications for Fiscal Year 2025 funding are being accepted through March 7, 2025.
Find details about USDA NRCS Conservation Easements here.
APPLY FOR FLORIDA’S FUTURE FORESTS PROGRAM
Apply by March 21, 2025
Florida’s Future Forests Program is designed to help increase the acreage of healthy forests in Florida by assisting Florida landowners to establish and/or maintain forest stands on their property. The program offers landowners cost-share payments for conducting certain approved forest management practices that establish new forest stands. This program is administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Florida Forest Service (FFS) and is funded by the state of Florida. Apply by March 21, 2025.
Watch “Will the State Pay me to Plant my Forest?” on My Florida Forest Land.
More details, program contacts, and application information are available at the FFS’s Florida’s Future Forests Program web page.
TAX TIPS FOR FOREST LANDOWNERS FOR THE 2024 TAX YEAR
Many forestry activities conducted on your property can have tax implications. Generally, all income received is taxable unless explicitly excluded by tax law, and nothing is deductible unless a provision allows it. Understanding the forest-related provisions and integrating tax planning into your forest management can help lower your tax.
The tax tips publication; prepared by Yanshu Li, Tamara Cushing, and Gregory Frey; is intended to be an informational and educational resource for you and your tax advisor. It is not intended as financial, tax, or legal advice. Please consult with your tax advisor concerning your tax situation. The information is current as of December 15, 2024. See Tax Tips for Forest Landowners for the 2024 Tax Year here.
Watch Dr. Tamara Cushing’s “Forest Tax Basics” on My Florida Forest Land.
2025 SPRING SYMPOSIUM: LANDSCAPE AND WORKING LANDS CONSERVATION, APRIL 15-16, 2025 AT THE UF STERN LEARNING CENTER AT AUSTIN CARY FOREST
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Spring Symposium. Join us for a round-up of the various working-lands conservation initiatives and partnerships going on around Florida. 8.0 SAF Continuing Forestry Education Credits are approved. Foresters, natural resource professionals, and private landowners are invited to join us for this fun continuing education and networking event. Register by March 14 to take advantage of early bird pricing! 2025 Spring Symposium details and registration here.
2025 FLORIDA LAND STEWARD LANDOWNERS OF THE YEAR TOUR APRIL 25, 2025
Rebecca and Manny Mendoza are recognized this year for their outstanding land stewardship efforts and accomplishments at their beautiful and historic, 120-acre Jolly Palms at Mohawk property located in Lake County, on the north end of what is known geologically as the Lake Wales Ridge. Learn more about these remarkable land stewards here.
Join us for a tour at Mendoza’s Jolly Palms at Mohawk property on April 25, 2025. Tour details and registration are here.
2025 FLORIDA LAND STEWARD WALL CALENDARS STILL AVAILABLE
We got a few left. The Florida Land Steward calendar features beautiful photography, our Florida Land Steward Landowner of the Year, habitat management tips, partnership opportunities, resource contacts, and more. Request your calendar by sending an email to cdemers@ufl.edu with your mailing address. These are first-come-first serve to interested landowners, while supplies last. Requested calendars to date have been sent.
Did you enjoy and use the 2024 Florida Land Steward wall calendar? Please share your feedback with us. Your feedback is important! In order to continue this annual tradition, we need to know if and how the Florida Land Steward Calendar is being used. Please share your feedback on the 2024 edition here.
Want to contribute to future editions? If you would like to contribute to the production of future editions of the Florida Land Steward Calendar, you can donate at https://wildlifeflorida.org/wildlife/. Click the “Donate” button on the top right. In the field where you can write a note, please indicate “Private Lands Fund”. Thank you!
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 Ad Platt, ad@longleafalliance.org, (850) 982-8480.
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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