| News & Info Brief
NEW EVENTS ADDED THIS WEEK -->
FLORIDA LAND STEWARD PARTNERSHIP RECEIVES USDA TWO-CHEIF AWARD
Started in 2012 to better coordinate outreach and land management planning efforts for Florida’s private landowners, the Florida Land Steward Partnership recently received the USDA Joint Forestry Team’s Two-Chief Award. Receiving the award are Chris Demers and Michael Andreu, University of Florida School of Forest Resources and Conservation; Anthony Grossman, Florida Forest Service; Joe Prenger, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; and Michael Bush, Natural Resources Conservation Service Florida State Office. This coalition created a first-of-its-kind, one-stop private forest landowner center to enhance natural resource management capabilities. The center utilizes multiple communication tools to deliver information and technical assistance to landowners, including a website, email listserv, Facebook page, and blog, to distribute land stewardship information and publicize upcoming events. Outreach programs organized and coordinated by Florida Land Steward partners are attended by diverse audiences. The partners also created multi-agency teams to develop whole-property management plans and provide technical assistance to landowners. The Partnership's resources serve as a timely, centralized source of information on forestry, agriculture, and natural resource management. Outreach efforts allow attendees to receive information and services in a unified package, which helps prevent duplication of effort, contradictory messages, or missed opportunities. Partners' outreach efforts resulted in over 54,000 website hits in 2014, email updates sent to over 1,700 landowners and professionals, and over 7,000 calendars distributed annually.
The USDA Joint Forestry Team is a national partnership of the USDA Forest Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Association of State Foresters representing state forestry agency executives, and the National Association of Conservation Districts. The Team’s purpose is to make recommendations that result in coordinated interagency delivery of forestry and conservation assistance for working forests, farms, and ranches. More info at http://jointforestryteam.org
IT'S BUG WEEK AT UF, MAY 18-23
The Good. The Bad. The Bugly: http://bugs.ufl.edu/
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/.
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
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.
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
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) | | May 29 | Timber Sale Basics Workshop (pdf link), 9:00 am – 12:15 pm Eastern Daylight Time, Madison County Extension Office, 184 College Loop, Madison, Florida 32340. Provided by Florida Forest Service. To register contact Justin Kania, Madison County Forester, Florida Forest Service, (850) 973-5115, or at Justin.Kania@freshfromflorida.com | | May 30 | Introductory Bee Keeping Class, 4 week course, North Fort Myers Recreation Center, 2000 North Recreation Park Way, North Fort Myers, FL. $200 fee. For more Information contact Celeste Fournier at (239) 284-4078 or celeste@swfbees.com. UF/IFAS Lee County Extension calendar: lee.ifas.ufl.edu | | June 2, 9, 11, 16, 23, 30 | Annie's Project: Risk Management Education for Farm and Ranch Women, 4:30 to 7:30 pm, Alachua or Marion County Extension Offices. $50 fee due May 22. See link for details. To register & for more information call: UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County at 352-955-2402 or UF/IFAS Extension Marion County at 352-671-8400. | | 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 | | August 20 | Forest Stewardship / Lake County CISMA Workshop: Invasive Exotic Species and Management (pdf link), 9 am to 3 pm ET, UF/IFAS Lake County Extension Auditorium, 1951 Woodlea Rd, Tavares, FL 32778. Provided by Florida Forest Stewardship Program and Lake County Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area. FDACS Pesticide CEUs and SAF CFEs pending. $15 fee includes lunch and materials. Register on-line at https://fsp-workshop082015.eventbrite.com/. You can also reserve a space by contacting Lake County Extension (352) 343-4101 ext. 2. | | WEST FLORIDA (Jefferson County and west) | | May 29 | Gulf Coast Small Farms Spring Field Day, 9 am to 12 pm. UF/IFAS West Florida Research and Education Center, 4253 Experiment Rd, Jay, FL 32565. Free registration at http://spring-field-day.eventbrite.com/ | | June 2 | Longleaf Pine Restoration and Management Workshop (pdf link), 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 | Perennial Peanut Field Day, 9:30 am CT, UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center, Marianna, FL. $10 fee. See link above for information. | | 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. | | June 11 | On-Farm Workshop at Coldwater Gardens (link), 10 am to 3 pm, Coldwater Gardens, Milton, FL. Provided by Florida Organic Growers. Will include topics on increasing farm diversity, mushroom cultivation, season extension with high tunnels, and the programs that can help you build your own farm. $10 fee includes lunch. See link above for info and registration. | | WEBINARS, ONLINE TRAINING | | May 21 | Webinar: Environmental Benefits of Organic Agriculture: Energy and Climate Change (link), 1 pm ET, see link for details. | | May 21 | Webinar: Achieving Sustainability Goals with Biomass (link), 2 pm ET, see link for details. | | May 27 | Webinar: Introduction to Agroforestry Systems (link), 2 pm ET, See link for details. | | May 28 | Webinar: Planning in the Face of Change, an Urban Forestry Webinar Series: Tree Management (link). 2 pm ET, See link for details. | | June 9 | Webinar: Improving Soil Health in Orchards, Vineyards, and Groves (link), 2 pm ET, See link for details. | | June 17 | Webinar: Environmental Benefits of Organic Agriculture: Biodiversity (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. | | | |
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