By Mikayla Manthiram Construction material costs have seen a huge surge in the past year, with lumber alone garnering price hikes of 300%. But forestland owners aren’t any better off. What gives? Since early 2020, the cost of softwood lumber has jumped 112%, plywood prices have shot up 77%, and hardwood prices increased 32%.[1] A [read more]
The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) applauds Senators Manchin (D-WV) and Barrasso (R-WY) for including forestry provisions in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources infrastructure bill that recognize forests as integral, natural infrastructure in need of significant investment and greater active management. NASF also supports the amendments offered by Senators Wyden (D-OR) [read more]
This February, the Wildfire Mitigation Awards (WMAs) selection committee chose three individuals to receive recognition for their sustained dedication to wildfire mitigation and preparedness initiatives. The 2021 WMA winners are leaders who have shown how innovation and collaboration can secure lasting results for communities of all sizes and demographics. Two of this year’s winners, Courtney [read more]
The newest member of the NASF team has arrived in DC! Mikayla Manthiram is a student at Michigan State University double majoring in forestry and anthropology with minors in integrated leadership and sustainability. She is very excited to be working with NASF this summer and can't wait to learn the ins and outs of state [read more]
The non-federal members of the Wildland Fire Leadership Coalition (WFLC) have released this year's fire letter. This has been a challenging past year – our decision-makers, our responders, and our communities were faced with responding to the COVID pandemic while managing a record setting wildfire year. We commend the interagency approach to both disasters. As [read more]
By Marvin Brown | This blog is a cross-post and will appear in the Summer 2021 edition of the National Woodlands Magazine. Landowner assistance programs are a core function of state forestry agencies. States combine their own funds with support from the USDA Forest Service Stewardship Program to provide landowners with information, education, and plans [read more]
By Keith Wood If you live in a city or town, did you realize you actually live in a forest? It is estimated that 138 million acres of trees comprise the urban forests in cities and towns across the United States. These forests span many ownership boundaries and provide numerous environmental, economic, and social benefits [read more]
By John Erixson Happy Arbor Day from all of us here in Nebraska! Did you know that Nebraskans have been celebrating Arbor Day for 149 years? And that Arbor Day started here and grew into the national event we recognize today? Our celebration of trees has even inspired other countries to carve out a day [read more]
By Keith Wood Friday (April 30th) is National Arbor Day! Last year’s Arbor Day celebrations (and just about everything else) looked different than normal because of COVID-19. To the state and local urban and community forestry programs that found creative ways to celebrate last year: we commend you! 2020 helped us all realize how important [read more]
By Jay Farrell If we accumulate memories like adding songs to a playlist, Earth Day makes my “greatest hits” album. I remember the first Earth Day celebration vividly: our class buzzing with excitement as we walked away from school and started picking up trash. We got dirty, we had fun, and we did something good. [read more]
