News

The National Association of State Foresters submitted comments in response to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to amend all land management plans for units of the National Forest System to include consistent direction to conserve steward and recruit future old-growth [read more]

NASF joined a coalition representing a broad set of interests, including companies, state foresters, private landowners, and forestry and conservation groups with concerns about misinformation regarding the use of renewable biomass. The letter urges the Department of the Treasury and Department of Energy to ensure under-utilized woody biomasses are eligible for critical tax incentives in [read more]

NASF submitted official comments to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Revisions to the Air Emissions Reporting Requirements (AERR). In the letter, NASF emphasizes the burden to State Forestry agencies that the proposal would create for the collection and reporting of prescribed fire data. Ensuring that the use of prescribed fire remains in the toolbox [read more]

NASF joined 15 organizations in a letter delivered to Jennifer M. Granholm, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, stressing the importance of woody biomass in the transition to renewable energy. The letter also highlights the alignment of the Inflation Reduction Act’s forestry-related goals with sustainable biomass, especially those aimed at mitigating catastrophic wildfire risks, [read more]

NASF and more than 25 organizations signed onto a letter drafted and delivered to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and the House Committee on Agriculture. The letter urges congress to make improvements to the Good Neighbor Authority in the upcoming Farm Bill. "We respectfully call on you as leaders of the House [read more]

NASF submitted comments on the Council of Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) proposed “Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule” to revise its regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In the letter, NASF states that NEPA should be implemented in “ways that are more productive by (1) utilizing landscape scale planning, (2) [read more]

In a letter to Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and other relevant congressional leaders, NASF joins the Wildfire Resilience Coalition in urging Congress to maintain increases to federal wildland firefighter pay. “Wildland firefighters are crucial for protecting lives, communities, forests, and grasslands across the country. They work long hours in [read more]

NASF submitted official comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in response to the proposed Endangered Species Act (ESA) rule changes. “Forests provide a habitat for a host of rare, threatened, or endangered species of plants and animals. They also ensure important water quality and quantity requirements for aquatic species…NASF has a significant interest [read more]

NASF submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the Federal Strategy to Advance Measurement and Monitoring Greenhouse Gas Measurement and Monitoring for the Agriculture and Forest Sectors. “The USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program provides crucial information to federal and state forestry agencies, industry, academic, and conservation organizations on a [read more]

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On July 31, 2023, State Foresters lauded Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service is accepting applications for this year’s edition of the $1 billion Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program. Launched in July of 2022, the newly established program has already demonstrated itself as a distinct asset in [read more]