By James Wright Our second installment of successful state partnerships highlights the longstanding efforts of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF). For over three decades the agencies have utilized multiple agreements to provide technical assistance on nearly 9.5 million acres owned by 410,000 family forestland owners. In [read more]
By Marvin Brown | This blog is a cross-post and will appear in the Fall 2021 edition of the National Woodlands Magazine. In Congress and in the media, climate change is receiving a lot of attention, and rightfully so. Scientists agree climate change is fueled by human-generated air pollutants called greenhouse gases. The most common [read more]
By Mikayla Manthiram Young children and teenagers today are growing up amid looming, existential threats, not least of which is a changing climate. Catastrophic wildfire, drought, and extreme weather events, all exacerbated by climate change, have created a generation of climate conscious young people. Project Learning Tree (PLT) is a program for these students. It [read more]
By Mikayla Manthiram Construction material costs have seen a huge surge in the past year, with lumber alone garnering price hikes of 300%. But forestland owners aren’t any better off. What gives? Since early 2020, the cost of softwood lumber has jumped 112%, plywood prices have shot up 77%, and hardwood prices increased 32%.[1] A [read more]
The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) applauds Senators Manchin (D-WV) and Barrasso (R-WY) for including forestry provisions in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources infrastructure bill that recognize forests as integral, natural infrastructure in need of significant investment and greater active management. NASF also supports the amendments offered by Senators Wyden (D-OR) [read more]
This February, the Wildfire Mitigation Awards (WMAs) selection committee chose three individuals to receive recognition for their sustained dedication to wildfire mitigation and preparedness initiatives. The 2021 WMA winners are leaders who have shown how innovation and collaboration can secure lasting results for communities of all sizes and demographics. Two of this year’s winners, Courtney [read more]
The newest member of the NASF team has arrived in DC! Mikayla Manthiram is a student at Michigan State University double majoring in forestry and anthropology with minors in integrated leadership and sustainability. She is very excited to be working with NASF this summer and can't wait to learn the ins and outs of state [read more]
The non-federal members of the Wildland Fire Leadership Coalition (WFLC) have released this year's fire letter. This has been a challenging past year – our decision-makers, our responders, and our communities were faced with responding to the COVID pandemic while managing a record setting wildfire year. We commend the interagency approach to both disasters. As [read more]
By Marvin Brown | This blog is a cross-post and will appear in the Summer 2021 edition of the National Woodlands Magazine. Landowner assistance programs are a core function of state forestry agencies. States combine their own funds with support from the USDA Forest Service Stewardship Program to provide landowners with information, education, and plans [read more]
By Keith Wood If you live in a city or town, did you realize you actually live in a forest? It is estimated that 138 million acres of trees comprise the urban forests in cities and towns across the United States. These forests span many ownership boundaries and provide numerous environmental, economic, and social benefits [read more]
