| News & Info Brief WILDLIFE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES UPDATE
The Best Management Practices Technical Advisory Committee (BMP TAC) of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services agreed last week to move ahead with the formal rule-making process for a new set of wildlife BMPs for forestry. This process could include a public hearing, if requested by an interested party.
The sole purpose of the wildlife BMPs will be to serve as an alternative to the need to obtain an incidental take permit for a specified set of state imperiled species. These BMPs will only be used as voluntary measures at a landowner’s discretion. They are practical and easily understood and applied.
The wildlife BMPs will exist as a completely separate document from the current silviculture BMP manual for maintaining water quality. Upon adoption, any future revisions to these new wildlife BMPs for forestry will be developed through the Forestry BMP TAC . A sub-group of the TAC met twice during the summer and fall of this year to develop the draft set of BMPs that were approved by the TAC this week. We will keep you posted as the BMPs progress through the state rule making/adoption process.
APPLICATIONS FOR USDA NRCS CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM DUE JANUARY 17
The USDA Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is opening the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for new enrollments for federal fiscal year 2014. Starting today through January 17, 2014, producers interested in participating in the program can submit applications to NRCS.
“Through the Conservation Stewardship Program, farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners are going the extra mile to conserve our nation’s resources,” NRCS Chief Jason Weller said. “Through their conservation actions, they are ensuring that their operations are more productive and sustainable over the long run.”
Some popular enhancements used by farmers and ranchers include:
·Using new nozzles that reduce the drift of pesticides, lowering input costs and making sure pesticides are used where they are most needed;
·Modifying water facilities to prevent bats and bird species from being trapped;
·Burning patches of land, mimicking prairie fires to enhance wildlife habitat; and
·Rotating feeding areas and monitoring key grazing areas to improve grazing management.
Eligible landowners and operators in all states and territories can enroll in CSP through January 17th to be eligible during the 2014 federal fiscal year. While local NRCS offices accept CSP applications year round, NRCS evaluates applications during announced ranking periods.
To be eligible for this year’s enrollment, producers must have their applications submitted to NRCS by the closing date. A CSP self-screening checklist is available to help producers determine if the program is suitable for their operation. The checklist highlights basic information about CSP eligibility requirements, stewardship threshold requirements and payment types.
Learn more about CSP by visiting the NRCS website: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/national/home/
or a local NRCS field office: http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?agency=nrcs More news and info at the Florida Land Steward Blog | *** | EAST FLORIDA (Madison County, east and south) | | January
14-15, 2014 | 2014 Green Infrastructure and Water Management in Growing Metropolitan Areas Conference (link), University of South Florida, Patel College of Global Sustainability, Tampa, FL. See link for details. | | January 30 | Forest Certification Workshop, UF/IFAS Madison County Extension Office, Madison, FL. Topics include certification systems and process, product chain of custody and more. For details, contact Rose Godfrey, rosa23@ufl.edu, (352) 219-8717. Registration at:
http://fcp-workshopmadison.eventbrite.com/?aff=eorg | | February 6 | Forest Certification Workshop, UF/IFAS Marion County Extension Office, Ocala, FL. Topics include certification systems and process, product chain of custody and more. For details, contact Rose Godfrey, rosa23@ufl.edu, (352) 219-8717. Registration at: http://fc-workshopocala.eventbrite.com/?aff=eorg | | February
8-13 | The Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management (link) , Caribe Royale in Orlando, FL. See link for details. | | February 13 | Forest Stewardship Tour at Horse Creek Farm, property of Charles and Mary Farr, St. Johns County. Forest Stewardship in the wildland-urban interface. Details to be posted soon. | | February 13 | Forest Certification Workshop, UF/IFAS Suwannee County Extension Office, Live Oak, FL. Topics include certification systems and process, product chain of custody and more. For details, contact Rose Godfrey, rosa23@ufl.edu, (352) 219-8717. | | February 20 | Forest Certification Workshop, UF/IFAS Putnam County Extension Office, East Palatka, FL. Topics include certification systems and process, product chain of custody and more. For details, contact Rose Godfrey, rosa23@ufl.edu, (352) 219-8717. Registration at:
http://fcp-workshopepalatka.eventbrite.com/?aff=eorg | | WEST FLORIDA (Jefferson County and west) | | January 9 | Forest Certification Workshop, UF/IFAS Jackson County Extension Office, Marianna, FL. Topics include certification systems and process, product chain of custody and more. Registration at
http://fcp-workshopmarianna3.eventbrite.com | | January 14 | Cogongrass Workshop, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, UF/IFAS North FL Research and Education Center, 155 Research Road, Quincy, FL 32351. To be broadcast via Polycom to 6 other Florida locations. Details to come. | | January 23 | Forest Certification Workshop, UF/IFAS Walton County Extension Office, DeFuniak Springs, FL. Topics include certification systems and process, product chain of custody and more. Registration at
http://forestcertificationdefuniaksprings.eventbrite.com/?aff=eorg | | January
26-28 | Southeastern Society of American Foresters Annual Meeting: "12 Tons/ac/yr: The Science of Sustainably Enhancing Southern Pine Productivity", Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort - 11212 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, FL. Landowners and foresters are encouraged to attend and learn the latest on all the different factors that help maximize forest productivity in the South, as well as new insights in harvesting and wood quality. $245 members, $300 nonmembers. Info at http://www.sesaf.org/ | | WEBINARS, REGIONAL OR NATIONAL EVENTS, OTHER | | December 18 | Webinar: Online mapping tools for the natural resource professional - Part 2: Important spatial data sources (link), 12 pm ET. See link for details. | | January 15 | Webinar: Online mapping tools for the natural resource professional - Part 3: Google Earth (GE) Part 1, Basics (link), 12 pm ET. See link for details. | | January 29 | Webinar: Addressing Resource Concerns: Evaluating, Documenting, and Reporting Progress using NRCS' New Land Use Planning Criteria (link), 2 pm ET. See link for details. | | | | |
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