The NASF Washington Weekly Report

NASF elects new officers at 2008 Annual Meeting

NASF elected Leah W. MacSwords, State Forester of Kentucky, as its new president at the association's 86th annual meeting last week in Hyannis, MA. MacSwords is the first woman to serve as the president of NASF and is also the first Kentucky State Forester to lead the organization. 

NASF joins Forest Service, NRCS and NACD in signing MoU at Annual Meeting

On September 29, the National Association of State Foresters joined the USDA Forest Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) in signing a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that defines future goals and cooperative activities between the four organizations. The MoU was signed at NASF's Annual Meeting in Hyannis, MA, and is intended to strengthen cooperation in the interest of forestry-related conservation assistance delivered to private landowners.

Biomass Energy

Renewed interest in wood as power source

From the Associated Press: While airwaves have been permeated by advertisements for solar and wind power, last year wood generated more net electricity in the U.S. than those two up-and-comers combined. New wood-burning electricity plants are again being proposed from Massachusetts to New Mexico as the nation finds itself in a third energy shock.

Understories

New DHS/FEMA policy for funding wildfire mitigation

From the Fire Safe Council: On September 8, FEMA Mitigation Chief David Maurstad issued a policy that describes how the post-disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and the Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant program (PDM) can be used for wildfire mitigation activities by eligible grant applicants.

Coalition established to reform truck weight limits related to ag and forest product hauling

A coalition of agricultural and forest product hauling interests has formed a steering committee and work plan to try and reform truck weight limits on America's federal highway system. According to the group's website, the Agricultural Transportation Efficiency Coalition seeks to improve the efficiency of transporting raw agricultural and forest products from farms and forests to processing facilities.

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