USDA announces details and objectives of Office of Environmental Markets
Posted on Wednesday, March 17, 2010USDA press release: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced new details about the functions and objectives of USDA's Office of Environmental Markets (OEM). OEM, now part of USDA's Natural Resources and Environment mission area, will work to carry out USDA's climate and rural revitalization goals by supporting the development of emerging markets for carbon, water quality, wetlands and biodiversity.
The 2008 Farm Bill's Conservation Title directs the Secretary to facilitate the development of environmental markets and ensure the participation of America's farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. As set forth by Congress in the Farm Bill, OEM will work across government and in consultation with experts and stakeholders to build a market-based system for quantifying, registering, and verifying environmental benefits produced by land management activities.
Forest Service chief testifies before appropriators on agency budget
Posted on Friday, February 26, 2010U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell responded to concerns from House appropriators this week over Obama administration plans for a major restructuring of the Forest Service budget and a proposed drop in funding for forest roads and research (E&E News - subscription req'd). The agency is proposing to combine what have been three separate habitat, watershed and forest product programs into one "integrated resource restoration" budget line that would receive $694 million. Tidwell said the agency chose to combine the three programs because they share the same objective and it will provide a more integrated approach. "It is not at all clear that this big funding bucket, with less accountability, is needed," said Interior Appropriations Subcommittee chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA). MORE: read about NASF's appropriations recommedations.
Western land may be up for designation as national monuments, says leaked report
Posted on Thursday, February 18, 2010More than a dozen landscapes, wildlife habitats and scenic rivers in 11 Western states are under consideration by the Obama administration to be designated as National Monuments, potentially without local input or congressional approval.
President's budget reflects difficult economic climate
Posted on Friday, February 5, 2010On February 2, President Obama released the expanded budget for the federal fiscal year 2011. The FY2011 President's request is 0.05% below the FY 2010 enacted levels, but represents a 4% increase for State & Private Forestry programs. The S&PF increase is due to the $100M proposed investment in Forest Legacy and relatively flat budgets for the other S&PF programs. Notable changes to NASF priority programs from the FY2010 levels include:
- a $2M increase to Urban and Community Forestry for a competitive cost-share grant program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas
- a $7M decrease (12%) to Cooperative Forest Health (includes S&PF and Wildland Fire programs) based on a proposed reduction of Forest Service monitoring and treatment of gypsy moth and hemlock woolly adelgid
- a $25M reduction (23%) in State Fire Assistance (includes S&PF and Wildland Fire programs)
- a $5M decrease in Forest Inventory & Analysis
NASF is developing its specific funding level recommendations, and will be working with House and Senate Appropriations Committees to work toward a final budget that reflects the importance of State & Private Forestry programs in promoting sustainable forest management and addressing national climate change and renewable energy concerns.
USDA, Interior form new conservation advisory panel
Posted on Thursday, February 4, 2010Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have launched a new advisory council that will give hunters a forum for advising the government on conservation. The new Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council will replace the Sporting Conservation Council created under the George W. Bush administration, adding more representatives from hunting interests.
Private forests sure to have a role in climate legislation
Posted on Thursday, January 7, 2010Forest owners could generate significant income by keeping carbon-sequestering trees standing under the latest iterations of climate change legislation now moving through Congress. A recent article from E&E News (subscription required) says it now appears likely that private forests will play a key role in any legislation that gets passed:
The approved House bill establishes a cap-and-trade system that would allow coal-burning power plants and other large carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters to offset their emissions with "credits" purchased from forests, farms and other carbon sequestering entities. In the Senate, both the bill floated by John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) in September, and another introduced by Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) in November, provide incentives for forest owners to offset emissions.
Jobs legislation passes House with $75M for State & Private Forestry
Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2009On Wednesday the U.S. House of Representatives voted 217-212 to pass a "Jobs" bill (HR 2847) that would appropriate $154.4 billion for infrastructure projects, aid to state and local governments to preserve public service jobs and additional assistance to those affected by the recession. The total includes $75 million for state and private forestry, $40 million for activities on the National Forest System and $35 million for "Wildland Fire Management" for hazardous fuels reduction. The measure is in the form of House amendments to the Senate-passed Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill. The Senate will not consider the bill until early 2010.
Vilsack and Salazar on new FLAME funds
Posted on Friday, November 13, 2009Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar applauded the passage of legislation creating the FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve Fund last week. "Creation of the Wildfire Suppression Reserve Fund enables safe and effective management of wildland fires without pulling resources away from other environmental priorities, such as clean, abundant water and safe, healthy communities," said Vilsack.
State Foresters support increased federal funding for America's trees and forests
Posted on Tuesday, November 3, 2009A $4.6 billion boost for the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service budgets in the 2010 appropriations bill includes a 16% increase for the Forest Service's State and Private Forestry programs. "This increased federal investment in America's forests from Congress and the President will help ensure that the public benefits forests provide continue to improve the quality of life for all Americans, today and into the future," said NASF president and Maryland State Forester Steven W. Koehn.
Obama signs bill to help agencies manage skyrocketing wildfire suppression costs
Posted on Monday, November 2, 2009The Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act adopted into the Interior appropriations bill was signed this weekend by the President. The measure establishes a new approach to budgeting for costly wildfires by setting up a pair of "FLAME" funds that will act as reserve accounts for the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to cover the costs of large or complex wildfires when the annual budgets for suppression are exhausted.
