| News & Info Brief
Check calendar for new events listed this week ->
NEW FOREST STEWARDSHIP VIDEO - FORESTS AND WATER
What do forests have to do with water? Check out our new forests and water video.
APPLY FOR AGRICULTURAL LAND, WETLAND CONSERVATION EASEMENTS BY MAY 15
Applications are due May 15 for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Agricultural Conservation Easements Program (ACEP), which provides financial assistance for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to establish conservation easements. Indian tribes, state and local governments, non-governmental organizations and private landowners can contact their local NRCS office to find out how to apply.
The program is comprised of two types of easements: agricultural and wetlands. Agricultural easements prevent productive working lands from being converted to non-agricultural uses and 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. Applications are available at local NRCS office and at www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted. Agreements will be evaluated starting in late August. For more information about agricultural easements contact Nina Bhattacharyya, 352-338-9554. Contact Crenel Francis, 352-338-9508 about wetland reserve easements.
APPLY FOR RURAL AND FAMILY LANDS PROTECTION PROGRAM BY MAY 30
The goal of the Florida Forest Service's Rural and Family Land's Protection Program is to ensure lands will be maintained in agricultural use while providing for the protection of natural resources through agricultural conservation easements. The program seeks to protect valuable agricultural lands, create conservation easements that ensure sustainable agricultural practices, prevent conversion to non-agricultural land uses in the rural base of Florida, and help to protect natural resources in conjunction with these agricultural operations. For more information about the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, see:
http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/For-Landowners/Programs/Rural-and-Family-Lands-Protection-Program
USDA CONSERVATION COMPLIANCE FORMS DUE JUNE 1
Agricultural producers must complete a Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification Form AD-1026 and turn it into a Farm Service Agency office by June 1 to be eligible for federal crop insurance subsidies. Learn more on the FSA website.
SOMETHING BUGGING YOUR TREES?
Do you have pests or a disease in your trees? Leaves or needles wilting, and you don’t know why? Sawdust falling out of your trees, and you don’t know how to save them? There is help: ask your question at the free Forest Health Diagnostic Forum: http://sfrc.ufl.edu/treehealth/forum/.
FOREST STEWARDSHIP VIDEOS - VIEW AND SHARE!
All the latest videos are on the Florida Forest Stewardship Program home page:
http://sfrc.ufl.edu/forest_stewardship
GOT AN INVASIVE SPECIES PROBLEM?
Go to floridainvasives.org for information, assistance and partnership opportunities.
LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON A PARTICULAR TOPIC?
Check the vast array of extension publications available through UF/IFAS on the EDIS publication site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ Wow, there’s a publication about that?
2015 FLORIDA LAND STEWARD CALENDARS STILL AVAILABLE
About half a box left. Send an email to cdemers@ufl.edu with your mailing address if you’d like to a copy sent. First come first serve while supplies last. They will also be available at upcoming Forest Stewardship and some other events.
HAVE AN EVENT OR RELATED NEWS TO SHARE?
Drop a line to Chris Demers, cdemers@ufl.edu
More news and info at the Florida Land Steward Blog
| *** | EAST FLORIDA (Madison County, east and south) | | April 23 | Florida Landowner Field Day: Solutions for Private Land Longleaf Pine Management and Restoration in the Osceola Region, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Florida Gateway College, Lake City, FL. Topics include longleaf pine, funding opportunities, strategies to reduce wildfires, wildlife and more. Free, lunch included. Register at http://fllandownerfieldday.eventbrite.com/. For information: contactus@southernfireexchange.org or Alan Doziar 478-251-4015. | | May 4-7 | 2015 Aquatic Weed Control Short Course, Fort Lauderdale Coral Springs Marriott Hotel Coral Springs, FL. Get a comprehensive update and earn 20+ CEUs! See link above for details. | | May 13-14 | 43rd Annual Spring Symposium: "Innovations in Timber Harvesting and Utilization". UF Austin Cary Forest Learning Center, Gainesville, FL. Presented by the UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Society of American Foresters, Association of Consulting Foresters, and Southern Regional Council on Forest Engineering. Appropriate for forest resource managers, loggers, engineers and forest utilization professionals and will contain technical to applied content. Sessions include "International Wood Marketing", "Forest Inventory and GIS", "Harvesting", and "Wood Energy". Separate registration may be made for a tour of the Gainesville Renewable Energy Center. To register and for details: https://eventbrite.com/event/15880282352/ | | May 13-15 | 64th Annual Florida Beef Cattle Short Course: "Building on Success" (link), Alto and Patricia Straughn IFAS Extension Professional Development Center, Gainesville, FL. See link for details or contact Rebecca Matta, UF/IFAS Department of Animal Sciences, (352)-392-1916, rmatta@ufl.edu | | June 16-18 | Conference on Laurel Wilt Disease and Natural Ecosystems: Impacts, Mitigation and the Future (link), Coral Springs Marriott, 11775 Heron Bay Blvd. Coral Springs, FL. A timely opportunity to learn the most recent state of knowledge regarding laurel wilt, its biology, impacts in native ecosystems and efforts to mitigate for its devastating effects. Foresters, SAF CFEs pending approval. See link above for details. For a brief introduction to laurel wilt, see this video to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x7vgFWLHkY | | WEST FLORIDA (Jefferson County and west) | | April 23 | Forest Stewardship Tour / Hike at Spring Canyon, property of Helen and Tom Roth, Gadsden County, FL (pdf link). 9 am to 2 pm ET. $10 fee, lunch included. This will be a moderately strenuous hike on steep terrain but well worth the trip and effort. Tour will feature several stages of longleaf pine forest restoration, steephead ravines and the unique plant community therein. Almost full – last call! Register now at
https://fsp-tour042315.eventbrite.com | | May 1-2
May 15-16 | FAMU Master Goat and Sheep Certification Program, FAMU Farm in Quincy, FL. Provided by FAMU Cooperative Extension Program. For information contact Angela Jakes, (850) 875-8552. | | May 14 | Forest Stewardship Tour at Spencer Family Property, Santa Rosa County, FL (pdf link). 9 am to 2 pm CT. $10 fee, lunch included. Join us to learn about pine timber management and wildlife habitat improvements for species such as bobwhite quail and white-tailed deer; Best Management Practices, available assistance and more. Register at https://fsp-tour051415.eventbrite.com/ or contact UF/IFAS Santa Rosa County Extension at (850) 623-3868. | | June 2 | Longleaf Pine Restoration and Management Workshop, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm ET, St. Marks Wildlife Refuge, Visitor and Environmental Education Center, 1255 Lighthouse Road, St. Marks, FL 32355. Provided by Apalachicola Regional Stewardship Alliance and Florida Forest Stewardship Program, with support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Southern Company. $5 fee, lunch included. To register contact Wakulla County Extension at (850) 926-3931. | | June 6 | FAMU Spring Agri-Showcase, FAMU Farm in Quincy, FL. Provided by FAMU Cooperative Extension Program. For information contact Angela Jakes, (850) 875-8552. | | WEBINARS, ONLINE TRAINING | | April 23 | Webinar: Pine Straw Harvesting in Longleaf Pine Forests: Best Management Guidelines to Sustain Wildlife Resources (link), 2 pm ET, see link for details. | | April 30 | Webinar: Planning in the Face of Change, an Urban Forestry Webinar Series: Emergency Planning (link), 12 pm ET, see link for details. | | May 7 | Webinar: Precision Nutrient Application Technology (link) , 2 pm ET, see link for details. | | May 20 | Webinar: Building a Better Wetland: Reference Data and Tools for Enhancing Wetland Projects (link) , 2 pm ET, see link for details. | | August 3-14
August 18-21 | S130/190 Basic Wildland Firefighter Training, Presented in a hybrid format, online and in person in Gainesville and Ordway Swisher Biological Station. See link above for details and registration. | *** |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Tell us what you think! Please use common sense and good judgement. Comments will be moderated if necessary.