The NASF Washington Weekly Report

Forest Policy

Forest Service to host public events on development of new planning rule

The USDA Forest Service will sponsor a series of events to provide opportunities for public discussion on the development of a new Forest Service Land and Resource Management Planning Rule (planning rule). The agency will host a national science forum, three national roundtables and nine regional roundtables.

CEQ requests comments on three draft NEPA guidance documents

The President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has released three draft National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) guidance documents on when and how federal agencies must consider greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change in their analysis of proposed actions; specify when there is a need to monitor environmental mitigation commitments; and clarify use of categorical exclusions. Comments on the draft climate change and mitigation policies are due May 24, 2010.

California legislature weighs fire tax again

Financing the costs of fighting California’s wildfires and other disasters through a new property levy is back before the legislature – the third time in as many years that lawmakers have considered, and rejected, the controversial proposal.

Sustainable Forestry

Nine states partner with Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees on public lands

The Arbor Day Foundation is working with the forestry and conservation departments in nine states to plant more than 2.3 million trees on state lands this year. This is the second consecutive year the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation has planted trees in state-run forests.  Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Washington will plant trees through the Arbor Day Foundation partnership.

USDA seeks project proposals to improve water quality in Mississippi River Basin

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking project proposals that will improve water quality and the overall health of the Mississippi River in 41 eligible watersheds in 12 states. The Request for Proposals for the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative, through which up to $75 million will be available for partnership projects, was published in the Federal Register this week. Proposals are due by May 1.

Group sues over whitebark pine endangered petition

The Natural Resources Defense Council has sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for its inaction on the group's December 2008 petition to protect the whitebark pine with an endangered species listing.

SeeSouthernForests.org site launches with interactive maps and historical data

The World Resources Institute debuted an interactive website (http://www.seesouthernforests.org) this week to raise awareness about the threats to the region's 214 million acres of forest and provide a tool for landowners, forest managers, conservation groups and others to improve management decisions. The site draws on a range of resources, including GoogleEarth, Microsoft's Bing Maps, NASA satellite images, and ESRI mapping technology and forest data.

Biomass Energy

USDA announces guaranteed loan to Range Fuels for biorefinery

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in a press release this week that Range Fuels, Inc., a Colorado based firm with a planned biorefinery located near Soperton, GA, is the recipient of a loan guaranteed by USDA Rural Development to make cellulosic biofuel from wood chips.

Personnel

Monica Lear appointed state forester for District of Columbia

The District Department of Transportation has announced that Dr. Monica Lear, Deputy Associate Director of the Urban Forestry Administration (UFA), will be assuming the duties of State Forester for the District of Columbia. John Thomas, Associate Director and Chief Forester of the District of Columbia, formerly served as the state forester.

Montana DNRC seeks fire program manager

Montana DNRC is currently recruiting to fill a full-time Fire Program Manager Position in Billings, Montana.

Understories

Southern Group of State Foresters launches new website

The Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF) has debuted a new website (www.southernforests.org) in an effort to better communicate about forestry and the multi-billion dollar forest industry in the 13 southern states and two federal territories that comprise the group.

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