USDA announces details and objectives of Office of Environmental Markets
Posted on Wednesday, March 17, 2010The 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, 2010President'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, 2010Private 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.
