| News & Info Brief
SIGN UP FOR USDA NRCS AGRICULTURAL LAND CONSERVATION EASEMENTS
Application Deadline is May 11
Applications are being accepted until May 11 for Agricultural Land Easement applications from Indian tribes, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations that have farmland or grassland protection programs. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides financial assistance to partners for purchasing agricultural land easements that protect the agricultural use of cropland, rangeland, grassland, pastureland and nonindustrial private forestland. Applications are available online. Contact Nina Bhattacharyya, 352-338-9554 for questions and submissions.
STATE LOOKING FOR FARMERS, RANCHERS, FORESTERS WANTING TO PERMANENTLY PRESERVE WORKING AGRICULTURAL LANDS
Application Deadline is May 16
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will invest $35 million toward the protection and preservation of working agricultural lands in Florida and invites agricultural land owners to apply to the conservation program. The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which is administered by the department, partners with Florida's agricultural landowners to develop perpetual conservation easements that protect important natural resources while allowing landowners to maintain ownership and use of the land. The program is accepting applications through May 16, 2016.
The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program focuses on maintaining the agricultural land base in Florida and recognizes that a thriving rural economy with a strong agricultural base and viable rural communities is essential to Florida's future. Since the program's inception, more than 14,500 acres of Florida ranches and farms threatened by development have been approved for conservation. These lands will be forever protected from conversion to other uses such as residential and commercial development. To learn more about the program and to obtain application form, please visit the program page at FreshFromFlorida.com.
U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL'S LEED STANDARDS NOW INCLUDE TREE FARM AND SFI CERTIFIED WOOD
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the governing body for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system, recently announced that it will now begin encouraging responsibly sourced building materials through a new compliance path that includes wood from family forests certified by the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).
The new LEED credit path will encourage builders to use wood from all credible certification systems operating in the U.S. including ATFS, SFI, Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). More details about this and how forest landowners can show support for this breakthrough are at the American Forest Foundation site.
TAX TIPS FOR FOREST LANDOWNERS FOR THE 2015 TAX YEAR
For the die-hard procrastinators - the USDA Forest Service National Timber Tax Specialist, explains the federal income tax laws on timber. The information is not legal or accounting advice. This has been updated and includes recent tax law changes. This publication and other related resources are available at http://www.timbertax.org.
Linda Wang's Timber Tax Filing for the 2015 Tax Year webinar was recorded. The presentation and materials are available at:
http://www.conservationwebinars.net/webinars/timber-tax-filing-for-the-2015-tax-year
FOREST STEWARDSHIP VIDEOS - VIEW AND SHARE!
Enjoy and share these videos about a variety of stewardship topics: the Forest Stewardship Program, forests and water, thinning your pine stand, invasive species, greenbelt property tax assessment. All these videos are on the Florida Forest Stewardship Program home page – check them out: http://sfrc.ufl.edu/forest_stewardship
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 at the University of Florida IFAS on the EDIS publication site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ Wow, there's a publication about that?
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 28 | Forest Stewardship Workshop: Use Prescribed Fire Safely and Effectively (link), 8:30 am to 4 pm, Austin Cary Forest Learning Center. This program will provide an overview of the uses of fire in natural resource management and the proper planning necessary for a successful prescribed burn. A burn demonstration will be planned and executed if conditions allow. $10 fee covers lunch and materials. Register on-line at https://fsp-workshop042816.eventbrite.com/, or reserve a space by contacting Chris Demers at (352) 846-2375, cdemers@ufl.edu. | | May 2-5 | 2016 Aquatic Weed Control Short Course (link), Coral Springs, FL. Join us for the largest and most inclusive training for Florida Pesticide Licensing and CEUs. Become a more qualified professional, engage with your industry, and network with your peers! See link above for details and registration. | | May 4-6 | 65th Annual Florida Beef Cattle Short Course (link), UF/IFAS Straughn Professional Development Center, Gainesville, FL 32611. See link above for details and registration. | | May 13 | Aquatic Invasives Workshop (link), 8:30 am to 2:30 pm ET, UF/IFAS Orange County Extension Office, Orlando, FL. Presented by the Central Florida Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA), East Central Florida CISMA and the Florida Forest Stewardship Program. FDACS Pesticide CEUs pending approval. Register online here. You can also reserve a space by contacting Lizette Reyes at Orange County Extension (407) 254-9218. | | May 17 | Commercial Citrus for North Florida (link) , 8:30 am to 2:00 pm ET, UF/IFAS Taylor County Extension Office, Perry, FL. See link above for details and registration. | | May 18-19 | 44th Annual Spring Symposium: Advances in Southern Pine Silviculture (link), UF Austin Cary Forest Learning Center. Sponsored by UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation and Florida Society of American Foresters. Register online | | May 19-22 | Florida Native Plant Society Annual Conference (link), Daytona Beach Resort and Conference Center, Daytona Beach, FL. See link above for details. | | WEST FLORIDA (Jefferson County and west) | | | | | WEBINARS | | Apr 28, May 26, June 23, July 28, Aug 25, Sep 22, Oct 27, Nov 17, Dec 15 | Your Legacy, Your Land Monthly Webinar Series, provided by American Forest Foundation. See link for details. | | April 20 | Webinar: Emerald ash borer biology, ecology, management, and implications for natural and urban forest areas in the Southeast (link), 1 pm ET, See link for details. | | April 26 | Webinar: Soil Erosion: A Historical Perspective (link), 2 pm ET, See link for details. | | May 5 | Webinar: Strategies to Mitigate the Impacts of Sea Level Rise and Salt Water Intrusion on Cropland (link), 11 am ET, See link for details. | | May 10 | Webinar: Integrating Warm Season Annuals into Cool Season Perennial Grazing Systems (link), 2 pm ET, See link for details. | | | | *** |
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