The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office of Energy has just announced funding availability for a new Farm Renewable and Efficiency Demonstration (FRED) program. FRED provides free energy evaluations to Florida farmers. Farmers who complete an audit through the FRED program are eligible for reimbursement of up to 80 percent of the cost to implement the recommendations, up to $25,000 from the free energy evaluation. Examples of eligible project for reimbursement include energy efficient lighting and water pumps, fuel efficient tractors and generators, and small scale renewable energy generation such as solar or biomass. Funding is limited and provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
More details and the FRED application can be found at http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Energy/Incentives-for-Farmers
If you have any questions contact Reo Morris, FDACS Office of Energy, (850) 617-7490
YOUR LEGACY, YOUR LAND WEBINAR SERIES RECORDED
This year the American Forest Foundation partnered with Oregon State University and their Ties to the Land program to connect landowners across the country with experts as they work through the succession planning process. Topics associated with your legacy plan, from setting goals to communicating with your family to understanding the different estate planning tools, were discussed during these sessions. These webinars were all recorded and are available for viewing at the Your Legacy, Your Land website.
The last 2 webinars in the series are coming up on November 17 and December 15. Register for those at the Your Legacy, Your Land website.
OSU's Ties to the Land program here: http://tiestotheland.org/
2016 TAX TIPS FOR FOREST LANDOWNERS
Dr. Linda Wang, National Timber Tax Specialist, USDA Forest Service, has prepared her annual Timber Tax Tips publication. It and other related resources are available at the National Timber Tax website: http://www.timbertax.org/.
FUNDING HELPS FLORIDA AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS IMPROVE WORKING LANDS
Application Deadline February 3 for Conservation Stewardship Program
Agricultural producers can sign up for funding now until February 3 available through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).
Agricultural producers and forest landowners can earn incentive payments from CSP for expanding conservation activities on their land, such as cover crops, ecologically-based pest management, buffer strips, and pollinator and beneficial insect habitat. CSP encourages the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and new approaches such as precision agriculture applications, on-site carbon storage and planting for high carbon sequestration rate, and new soil amendments to improve water quality. The program also offers bundles, where a producer can select a suite of enhancements to implement and receive an even higher payment rate. All CSP contracts will have a minimum annual payment of $1,500.
New methods and software for evaluating applications will help producers see how they are meeting stewardship thresholds and allow them to pick practices and enhancements that work for their conservation objectives. Producers can expect to see nearly double the enhancements and conservation practices offered and better reporting tools projecting the results of their conservation efforts. These new tools also allow producers to see potential payment scenarios for conservation early in the process.
Information about CSP, including national and state ranking questions and enhancement descriptions, is available on the national website or visit your local NRCS field office.
CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE IN DEER - FWC REQUESTS SAMPLES FROM HARVESTS
By Larry Perrin, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
The FL Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) requests your assistance with increased monitoring for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). CWD is a fatal disease of white-tailed deer, and other ungulates (elk, moose, mule deer). It is not contagious to humans. CWD was originally discovered in Colorado in 1980 and now occurs in 24 other states; the closest to FL being TX and AR to the west and VA and WV to the north. Early detection is critical as this disease is extremely difficult to control, thus continuous monitoring is important.
FWC has been conducting CWD monitoring since 2001 with many of our samples coming from public wildlife management areas. We would now like to focus on obtaining samples from other public and private lands. It would be most beneficial if you would report any sick, injured, or dead deer (typically road-killed deer) to our CWD "hotline" at 866-293-9282. FWC will then make every effort to collect the necessary brain tissue and lymph nodes from these animals.
Also, if you, or any of your acquaintances, are deer hunters we would like to obtain samples from these animals as well. For hunter-killed bucks, the antlers and/or cape can be removed as normal without affecting the desired samples. If you are likely to harvest several deer (bucks or does) over the hunting season deer heads can be stored for 2 to 3 weeks if refrigerated and for an extended period if frozen.
The storage of heads from the same tract of land is beneficial as we can schedule a pickup that will be much more efficient than picking up individual deer heads. Again, you can call our hotline no. (866-293-9282) to arrange for pickups. If you harvest deer from more than one area specific location information is needed for each deer since if a sample tests positive for CWD it will be essential that its location be known so that appropriate measures can be taken.
Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
ONGOING SERVICES, INITIATIVES, PROGRAMS:
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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?
FWC REQUESTS REPORTS OF WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS:
- Report chipmunk sightings here: https://public.myfwc.com/hsc/chipmunk/getlatlong.aspx
- Report panther sightings here: https://public.myfwc.com/hsc/PantherSightings/getlatlong.aspx
- Report mink sightings here: https://public.myfwc.com/hsc/mink/getlatlong.aspx
- Report black bear sightings here: https://public.myfwc.com/fwri/blackbear/getlatlong.aspx
- Report southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus), short-tailed snake (Lampropeltis extenuata), and Florida pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus) here:
https://public.myfwc.com/fwri/raresnakes/UserHome.aspx?id=
UF/IFAS SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION EXTENSION PROGRAMS
See http://sfrc.ufl.edu/extension
FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES WEBINARS
For a calendar of upcoming webinars in a variety of land management topics see:
http://www.forestrywebinars.net/webinar-calendar/month#.T-zLkBhgZys.blogger
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA CONTINUING FORESTRY EDUCATION CLASSES
See http://conted.warnell.uga.edu/ for the latest offerings.
ALABAMA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION FORESTRY WEBINARS
See http://www.aces.edu/natural-resources/forestry/
