| News & Info Brief LONGLEAF PINE LANDOWNER INCENTIVE PROGRAM NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Applications from Private Forest Landowners Will Be Accepted May 19-June 27
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Florida Forest Service is now accepting applications for the Longleaf Pine Landowner Incentive Program. The sign-up period will run from May 19-June 27 and is available for non-industrial private forest landowners. The program provides incentive payments for the following: · Improving timber stand · Controlling invasive species · Conducting prescribed burning operations · Planting Longleaf pine · Establishing native plant understory · Conducting mechanical underbrush treatments More info at: http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/For-Landowners/Programs/Longleaf-Pine-Private-Landowner-Incentive-Program To obtain an application form, contact a local Florida Forest Service office or visit http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/For-Landowners/County-Foresters. All qualifying applications will be evaluated and ranked for funding approval. This program is supported through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation with funding from the Southern Company, the U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS TO INSTALL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS
Apply by July 18, 2014 for Gulf of Mexico Initiative
Farmers and ranchers in the Escambia River or Middle Suwannee River Area watersheds may be eligible for financial assistance to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat on cropland, pastureland and forestland. The deadline is July 18 to sign up for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Gulf of Mexico Initiative. In Florida, the initiative will make available more than $1.4 million in Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) financial assistance funds in those two priority watersheds during fiscal year 2014. The initiative helps agricultural producers in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas improve water quality and ensure sustainable production of food and fiber. It was developed by NRCS and conservation partners in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and President Obama's call to restore the waters, shores and wildlife populations along the Gulf Coast. This effort incorporates what the public and communities have requested through their input into the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Strategy to restore the Gulf Coast. For more information about signing up for the initiative, contact your local NRCS office. NEW FARM BILL PROGRAM PAYS FOR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS
Sign up for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program by June 6
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is now accepting applications for its new Agricultural Conservation Easements Program (ACEP) that provides financial assistance for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to establish conservation easements. The deadline for applications is June 6. Two components comprise the program. Agricultural easements protect land devoted to food production. Cropland, rangeland, grassland, pastureland and nonindustrial private forestland are eligible. Wetland reserve easements restore and enhance wetlands and improve habitat. Eligible lands include farmed or converted wetlands that can be successfully and cost-effectively restored. The ACEP combines NRCS’ former Farm and Ranch Lands Protection, Grassland Reserve and Wetlands Reserve programs. Applications are available at local USDA Service Centers and at www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted. Agreements will be evaluated starting in late August. For more information on agricultural easements contact Nina Bhattacharyya, 352-338-9554. Contact Crenel Francis, 352-338-3508 for information about wetland easements. More at the Florida Land Steward Blog | *** | EAST FLORIDA (Madison County, east and south) | | June 4 | Invasive Species Monitoring and Osceola Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) Meeting, 8:30 am to noon, The Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve, 2700 Scrub Jay Trail, Kissimmee, FL 34759. Register and pay online at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/invasive-species-monitoring-and-osceola-cisma-meeting-june-4-2014-tickets-11680281035?aff=eorg
For more information, contact: Eleanor Foerste, efoerste@ufl.edu or Ashley Fluke, ashley.fluke@osceola.org ph:321-697-3000 | | June 8-10 | Trees Florida 2014 Conference (link), Innsbrook Resort and Golf Club, Palm Harbor, FL. Presented by Florida Chapter International Society of Arboriculture. CFEs approved for the event. See link for details and registration. | | June 18 | 2014 Farm Bill Meeting, 9 a.m.-12 noon, UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research & Education Ctr Auditorium, 2725 South Binion Road, Apopka, FL 32703. Public meeting for local farmers and ranchers about new Farm Bill changes. Contact: Chuck O'Rourke, 407-847-4465 x 3. | | June 19-20 | Small Farms Dairy Conference, 10:00am—4:00pm, Frank Stronach Conference Center, 2556 Highway 318, Citra, FL 32113. Cost: $75 per person, $90 after June 13. Details and registration at:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/small-farms-dairy-conference-registration-11670180825 | | July 2 | Certified Pile Burner Course, 8am to 5pm ET, West Central FL Ag Center (Sumter County Fairgrounds). Direct link to the registration form on the Sumter County webpage:
http://sumter.ifas.ufl.edu/Commercial-Horticulture/documents/SumterCountyPileBurnerUpdated.pdf | | August 1-2 | 2014 Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference (link), Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, FL. See link for details and registration. | | August 11-15 | Natural Areas Training Academy S130/190 Basic Wildland Firefighter Training, Waccasassa Forestry Center, Gainesville FL& Ordway-Swisher Biological Station, Melrose FL. Tuition: $125 - General Registration; $100 - Student Registration. Registration closes July 25. Details and registration at
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2014-basic-wildland-firefighter-training-s130190-tickets-11331772637?ct=t%28S130_190_20144_16_2014%29 | | August 13-30 | FL Master Naturalist Program – Environmental Interpretation Special Topic Course, Palm Beach County, Details and Registration at http://www.masternaturalist.ifas.ufl.edu/ | | September 4 | Forest Stewardship / Heartland CISMA Workshop: Invasive Exotic Species and Management, 8:30 am to 3 pm ET, UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Office, 458 Highway 98 North, Okeechobee, FL 34972. Pesticide applicator CEUs and SAF CFEs pending. More details to come. | | WEST FLORIDA (Jefferson County and west) | | June 23-26 | Tall Timbers GIS Workshop: Python Scripting and GIS Programming (link). Tall Timbers Research Station. See link for details. | | WEBINARS | | June 4 | Biomass Harvesting Sustainability Webinar Series: Bird and invertebrate response to woody biomass harvest: Preliminary findings and future directions (link), 12 pm ET. See link for details. | | June 5 | Webinar: Commonly Used Organic Inputs (link) , 3 pm ET. See link for details. | | June 5 | Webinar: The Climate Change Resource Center: Information and Tools for Land Managers (link) , 1 pm ET. See link for details. | | June 18 | Webinar: Managing Troublesome Invasive Grasses in Eastern Forests (link) , 2 pm ET. See link for details. |
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