USDA announces CRP general sign-up
Posted on Monday, February 6, 2012USDA will conduct a four-week Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general signup, beginning on March 12 and ending on April 6. CRP is a voluntary program available to agricultural producers to help them use environmentally sensitive land for conservation benefits.
FIA symposium planned for October in Baltimore, MD
Posted on Monday, January 30, 2012October 2012 will mark the 20th anniversary of the Report of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA). This report expanded the focus of the national forest inventory in the United States to include monitoring of the forest resource trends on a more frequent time interval. In recognition of this milestone, the theme of the 2012 FIA Science Symposium is "Moving from Status to Trends." For more information about the symposium and the call for papers, visit http://fia.fs.fed.us/symposium.
Southern state foresters release forest certification report
Posted on Monday, January 30, 2012The Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF) has released a new report about forest certification in the South. Forest Certification Programs: Status and Recommendations in the South provides detailed information regarding forest certification, a comparison of the major certification systems and recommended strategies for southern state forestry agencies to consider as the issue develops.
SFI launches continuing education unit for architects and builders
Posted on Friday, January 27, 2012The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) has partnered with McGraw Hill to launch a continuing education unit for architects and builders to promote the benefits of using certified wood in green building projects. "Certified Wood Branches Out: Forest Certification's Evolving Role in Green Building Rating Systems" reinforces the growing acceptance of all certification standards by the green building community and government agencies.
Maryland DNR advances recommendations for no net loss of forests
Posted on Friday, January 27, 2012The Sustainable Forestry Council has provided the Maryland Department of Natural Resources with recommendations (PDF) on timely forest conservation issues and appropriate actions to help Maryland implement a no-net-loss of forest policy.
Good forest management much more than certification
Posted on Friday, January 27, 2012"The main purpose is responsible forestry. I don't think you do certification for the market. You do certification because you care about responsible forestry. From that, you get marketplace benefits." Kathy Abusow, president of Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Inc.
Incredibly detailed map reveals forest biomass in the United States
Posted on Tuesday, January 24, 2012By working with colleagues at the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey, researchers Josef Kellndorf and Wayne Walker spent six years assembling a national forest map, using space-based radar, satellite sensors, computer models, and enormous quantities of ground-based data. The end result, according to NASA, is the most detailed view of forest structure and carbon storage assembled for any country in history.
Defense Department looks to forest conservation to enhance training capabilities
Posted on Tuesday, January 24, 2012The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced the availability of a special $5 million fund for land conservation to benefit select military bases in Georgia and Florida. Through the "Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative" (REPI), DoD actively seeks to protect buffer areas around bases using conservation easements and fee-title acquisitions to secure core lands for training purposes. The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities will administer the request for proposals (PDF) process on behalf of DoD.
Forest Service grants $52.2M to protect working forests
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2012The U.S. Forest Service is granting $52.2 million for conservation and working lands projects across seventeen states in 2012 thought the Forest Legacy Program.
BLM to use state, regional data for wildlife and land management planning
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2012The Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management will use state and regional data and maps to help it identify wildlife corridors and crucial habitat in future land-use planning and management efforts. The maps will be available for the BLM to use as a result of the Western Wildlife Crucial Habitat Assessment Tool, known as "CHAT", an initiative of the Western Governors' Association.
