Friday, April 13, 2018

FLORIDA LAND STEWARD UPDATE 4/13/18


FLORIDA LAND STEWARD PARTNERS INTRODUCE NEW WEB MAP TOOL
We in the Florida Land Steward Partnership continuously strive to provide better outreach and information on programs that can help landowners achieve their goals while improving the many environmental benefits they provide to society. To that end, the Partnership, in conjunction with the Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative (PFLCC), have launched a web-based map that allows landowners to identify specific programs available at the local level. The PFLCC website provides access to natural resource information, including an on-line, web tool that can be used to identify resources at a local watershed scale. The map is at this link: http://viewer.apps.pflcc.databasin.org/v1/index.html. More about this effort and how to use the tool here.

Sponsored by the UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation and Florida Division Society of American Foresters, this year’s Symposium will explore the range of disturbances that are affecting forest health and management, and some of the proactive steps we can take to address these growing challenges. Agenda topics include: an update on breeding efforts to improve disease resistance, proactive management for extreme drought, the role of prescribed fire, spatial analysis strategies, current and future insect challenges, and more. This event has been approved for a total of 8.0 Category 1 SAF Continuing Forestry Education Credits. A special registration rate of $150 for current SAF members and certified Tree Farmers and Forest Stewardship landowners. Check out the full agenda here. Register online now at https://45-saf-sfrc-spring-symposium.eventbrite.com/
Would your business like to be a sponsor or exhibitor? Contact Kari Hurst, Spring Symposium Sponsor / Exhibitor Chair, at KariH@nrpsforesters.com
USDA NRCS OFFERS RENEWAL OPTIONS FOR EXPIRING CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP CONTRACTS
Applications to renew expiring contracts are due by April 13
Agricultural producers wanting to enhance current conservation efforts are encouraged to renew their Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contract. Through CSP, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps private landowners build their business while implementing conservation practices that help ensure the sustainability of their entire operation. Participants with existing CSP contracts expiring on Dec. 31, 2018 can access the benefits of the recent program changes through an option to renew their contracts for an additional five years if they agree to adopt additional activities to achieve higher levels of conservation on their lands.
NRCS will mail contract renewal notification letters to all participants whose contracts expire in 2018, which will contain instructions on how to apply for renewal.  Applications to renew expiring contracts are due by April 13.
Producers interested in CSP are recommended to contact their local USDA service center or visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted. 
FLORIDA TREE FARM PROGRAM PREPARING FOR 2019 AUDIT
The Florida Tree Farm Program is preparing for a 2019 audit. The purpose of the audit is to verify that certified Tree Farms are compliant with the 2015-2020 Standards of Sustainability. The Program has been audited twice since 2010 without any issues. A relatively small sample of Tree Farms will be selected for the audit. The audit team will visit selected Tree Farms to review the landowners' management plans and conduct a brief interview. The inspector of the property and a Florida Tree Farm representative will accompany the auditor. We will begin the audit process in January 2019. Selected sample Tree Farm landowners will receive a phone call in early January 2019.
The Florida Tree Farm Program wants to make sure this audit goes well so it is extremely important for ALL certified Tree Farms in the state to have a current written management plan. Current means updated in the last 5 years. Contact your Florida Forest Service County Forester, consultant, or your Tree Farm District Representative if you need an update to your management plan, or if you have not been inspected since 2014. 
FLORIDA NRCS OFFERS SIGN-UP FOR TRI-STATE CONSERVATION PROJECT
Funding is for producers in Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Wakulla and Washington Counties.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications from agricultural producers until April 30 for a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project that that enhances climate resiliency.   
The Climate Resiliency for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia project in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint and Ochlockonee River Basins is led by the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District. The project area covers more than 15 million acres in eastern Alabama, western Georgia and the Florida panhandle.
NRCS will provide financial and technical assistance to eligible farmers and landowners toward conservation practices that improve natural resources in 11 Florida counties through the Environmental Quality Improvement Program (EQIP).
Producers in the following counties are encouraged to apply: Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Wakulla and Washington.
Producers interested in more information about applying can contact their local USDA service center or visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted. 
FAMILY HEIRS PROPERTY IN FLORIDA: "CLOUDY TITLES" PROGRAM ANNOUNCED BY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY
In awareness of the continual loss of property by African Americans in rural communities due to complicated legal hurdles, FAMU Cooperative Extension Program office has created the Family Heirs Property Program Workshop Series. The series is designed to show what happens to property that has been granted to either children or relatives of the original owners through heirship or by a will, and how families can clear the title of their family heirs property. The course continues on April 28, May 26, and August 28. Register here for the next Session.

NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR CERTIFICATION AND HABITAT RESTORATION
The American Forest Foundation (AFF) and Enviva LP have announced a multi-year partnership to help private forest landowners across the Florida panhandle certify that their forests are sustainably managed and to restore longleaf pine forests to improve wildlife habitat. 
The partnership, which will also include The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and other partners, will focus its efforts across 16 counties in the Florida panhandle, with a special focus in the area surrounding Cottondale, FL.. More information here:


ONGOING INITIATIVES / OPPORTUNTIES
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REPORT QUAIL AND OTHER WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS
To help restore the state’s northern bobwhite quail populations, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is asking private landowners to report sightings of bobwhite quail on their land. Report northern bobwhite quail sightings at MyFWC.com/QuailSighting
The FWC also seeks reports of these species:

NEED A LOAN TO FUND CONSERVATION PROJECTS? CHECK OUT THE USDA FARM SERVICE AGENCY'S GUARANTEED CONSERVATION LOAN PROGRAM
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) guarantees loans to promote conservation practices on farms and ranches that help protect natural resources. The goal of FSA’s Conservation Loan (CL) program is to provide access to credit for farmers who need and want to implement conservation measures on their land, but do not have the “up front” funds available to implement these practices. For more information see this Conservation Loan Program Fact Sheet. Also see this table summarizing FSA farm loan opportunities.
The Conservation Contract Program is a program for eligible landowners that protects important natural resources and other sensitive areas while providing a debt management tool. A conservation contract is available to people with Farm Service Agency (FSA) direct loans secured by real estate. These individuals may qualify for a reduction of their FSA indebtedness in exchange for a conservation contract with a term of 50, 30 or 10 years. The conservation contract is a voluntary legal agreement that restricts the type and amount of development that may take place on portions of the landowner’s property. Contracts may be established on marginal cropland and other environmentally sensitive lands for conservation, recreation and wildlife purposes. For more information see this Conservation Contract Program Fact Sheet.
The FSA provides several types of farm loans. For more information on these opportunities, see the Florida FSA Website or contact your local FSA office to speak with a local representative
SOMETHING BUGGING YOUR TREES? - CHECK OUT THE NEW DIAGNOSTICS FORUM
Hosted by a group of forest and tree health specialists with Southeastern universities and agencies, we are here to help identify pests and diseases in your forest or your backyard, and to recommend a solution, if appropriate. Join the group and report your tree health issue!
Visit the new Forest Health Diagnostic forum on Facebook:
FOREST STEWARDSHIP VIDEOS - VIEW AND SHARE!
All the latest videos are on the Florida Forest Stewardship Program home page:
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:
UF/IFAS SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION EXTENSION PROGRAMS
FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES WEBINARS
For a calendar of upcoming webinars in a variety of land management topics see:
SOUTHERN REGION EXTENSION FORESTRY
See http://sref.info/ for the latest news, tools and offerings.

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Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Florida Land Steward Partners Introduce a New Web Map Resource for Landowners



By Joseph Prenger, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program


Production of food and fiber are fundamental to our society and important contributions to Florida’s economy and quality of life. In addition to these services, private lands provide other important benefits including protection of water quality and fish and wildlife habitat. We in the Florida Land Steward Partnership (FLSP) continuously strive to provide better outreach and information on programs that can help landowners achieve their goals while improving the many environmental benefits they provide to society. To that end FLSP, in conjunction with the Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative (PFLCC), have launched a web-based map that allows landowners to identify specific programs available at the local level. Recognizing that not everyone has access to the internet, summaries of this information can also be available at workshops and through FLSP partners.




The natural resource, forestry and agriculture agencies in our state established FLSP with the common objective of assisting and encouraging landowners to manage their lands for long term environmental, economic and social benefits. Our goal is to promote voluntary stewardship on private lands by addressing the needs of private landowners while acknowledging and respecting private property rights. One important approach has been to develop and implement a unified landowner outreach program that provides information on resources available to landowners and promotes land stewardship by increasing cooperation between natural resource agencies.




Each of the agencies making up the FLSP provides technical and/or financial assistance to landowners in order to help them achieve their production and conservation goals. These programs complement one another, but may not always be easy for the public to navigate or understand where and how those programs may apply. Although each agency has resources available at the local level, it may not be easy for a landowner to understand the overlaps and gaps, or the opportunities available on their specific plot of land or for their individual need. In an attempt to address this need, we have developed a way to identify programs at the watershed level. While watershed boundaries may not be obvious in Florida’s low topographic relief geography, it is a convenient way to divide the landscape at a finer scale than by county (see Figure 1).




Using the Map Viewer

The PFLCC website provides access to natural resource information, including an on-line web tool that can be used to identify resources at the local watershed scale. The map is at this link: http://viewer.apps.pflcc.databasin.org/v1/index.html. 




By clicking on the arrow icon, located in the upper right corner of the page, and entering the nearest town, you can navigate to the watershed that includes your property. Selecting (or clicking once on) the watershed will bring up a window with several tabs at the left side of the page. Select the Partners tab and then select Private Landowner Opportunities (Figure 2).  Information is provided on programs available in your immediate area and by habitat or land use type, with links to program web pages with details on program priorities, application process, contacts, and other details.



The Florida Forest Service provides technical and financial assistance for southern pine beetle prevention and longleaf pine establishment, as well as general forestry guidance and Best Management Practices (BMPs). The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provides information on BMPs for other types of agriculture. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service provides financial assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and additional information and general technical assistance is available through their local service centers. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission provides technical assistance on wildlife habitat management and helps to administer the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and NRCS incentive programs dealing with wildlife habitat. The USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Program provides technical and financial assistance on habitat restoration, with a focus on habitat for listed species or those that have been petitioned for listing. The emphasis for PFW is to avoid the need to list species as threatened or endangered and to help recover populations of those already listed so that they can be removed from the endangered species list.



The PFLCC is part of a national network of Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs). These partnerships are designed to address resource issues in an integrated way at a broader scale than can be achieved by the individual partners. Issues of concern include landscape scale stressors like water resource issues, exotic species, wildlife habitat, urbanization, and habitat fragmentation.  



If you have any questions about the watershed map or the programs listed, please feel free to contact the author at the contact information below.



Joseph Prenger

State Coordinator, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program

North Florida Ecological Services Office  

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

7915 Baymeadows Way, Suite 200  

Jacksonville, FL 32256-7517

(904) 731-3096

Joseph_Prenger@fws.gov
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Friday, April 6, 2018

Forestry Wildlife Best Management Practices For State Imperiled Species Notice of Intent (NOI) Enrollment Grows to Over 3.4 Million Acres



Florida has over 17 million acres of forests. Seventy-one percent of those acres are privately owned; the rest are owned by the public (29%) and forest industry (6%). These “Working Forests” are managed to produce a variety of wood and wood fiber products.  In addition, these forests also support outdoor recreational opportunities for residents and millions of visitors to the state including important non-market based values, such as clean water, greenspace and other ecosystem services.


Florida’s forest products industry and private landowners contribute a wealth of support to many communities. Forestry’s overall state economic impact is $25 billion and the state’s forests provide a unique ecosystem serving many environmental benefits.


Florida Forestry Wildlife Best Management Practices (WBMPs) for State Imperiled Species were developed through a partnership between the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Florida Forest Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).   


For owners of forest property in the state of Florida, the Florida Forest Service (FFS) and FWC work together in administering the WBMP program.  Toward that end, the FFS adopted Rule 5I-8 F.A.C. to provide additional incentives for landowners to follow WBMPs.


  • Forestry Rule 5I-8 became effective October 21, 2014 to address the 16 State Imperiled Species which are considered to be potentially vulnerable to silviculture operations including ten aquatic species, two burrowing animals, and four nesting birds.

  • Forest landowners in the state can take advantage of incentives offered through Rule 5I-8 by submitting a Notice of Intent to use WBMPs to the FFS and FWC.

The Silviculture WBMP Notice of Intent (NOI) is a voluntary, one-time pledge indicating a landowners intent to adhere to forestry wildlife BMPs on their property. Once a landowner has submitted the NOI to the FFS and FWC, and properly implement WBMPs they will no longer be required to obtain a permit authorizing the incidental take of State Imperiled Species during bonafide ongoing forestry operations. In addition, they will not be subject to any fines or penalties associated with an incidental take of the State Imperiled Species covered by the WBMP Manual.


Please feel free to contact the Florida Forest Service for more information about WBMPs or visit our website at http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/Best-Management-Practices-BMP  


Jeff Vowell,  Program Director
850-681-5820
Jeff.Vowell@FreshFromFlorida.com or
Roy Lima, Panhandle Area
850-681-5942
Roy.Lima@FreshFromFlorida.com or
Robin Holland, Peninsula Area
(352) 732-1781
Robin.Holland@FreshFromFlorida.com


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