Browse National Association of State Foresters letters:
On Wednesday, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure released a $500-billion, five-year surface transportation bill, called the Invest in America Act. If passed, this legislation would substantially increase (by 40%) mandatory funding for USDA Forest Service road maintenance from the current level of $19 million annually to $50 million annually. The legislation would also [read more]
In early April, the National Association of State Foresters sent a letter to Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski recommending an increase in funding to two specific federal programs to ensure wildland firefighters have critical access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 tests. Recommendation 2: Provide emergency supplemental funding for the State Fire Assistance (SFA) program [read more]
On April 3, the National Association of State Foresters penned a letter to Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska thanking her for recognizing the affects of the COVID-19 pandemic on wildland fire management and urging Secretaries Sonny Perdue and David Bernhardt to adopt an aggressive initial attack strategy for the 2020 wildfire season. Read NASF's letter [read more]
With a letter sent on April 2, NASF was among several dozen organizations that urged congressional appropriations leadership to protect farm bill conservation program FY21 mandatory funding and provide robust discretionary funding and support for USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service field staff. The full text of the letter is linked below.
On March 23, the Forest-Climate Working Group, of which the National Association of State Foresters is a member, submitted a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies recommending investments in sound science, forest product innovation, and resources for private forest landowners. The full text of the letter is linked below.
On February 5, the National Association of State Foresters sent a letter to the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station expressing its support for updating Agricultural Handbook 731: The Forest Landowner’s Guide to the Federal Income Tax. NASF is comprised of the heads of forestry agencies in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and the District [read more]
On January 17, 2020, the National Association of State Foresters sent a letter to Congressman Jimmy Panetta of California thanking him for introducing HR 803: a recognition of the long-standing mutual aid agreement between the United States and Australia that ensures critical wildland firefighting resources are shared in times of need. Our hearts go out [read more]
On January 17, 2020, the National Association of State Foresters sent a letter to Congressman Jared Huffman of California thanking him for introducing HR 5311 “The Forestry Renewal Act of 2019," which would renew the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Committee's (NUCFAC) charter. NASF President and South Dakota State Forester Greg Josten writes: "The [read more]
On January 15, 2020, Reps. Doris Matsui of California, John Sarbanes of Maryland, and Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska introduced The Residential Energy and Economic Savings (TREES) Act, a bipartisan bill to help homeowners lower energy costs, reduce stormwater runoff, and mitigate the effects of climate change by planting more trees. The National Association of State [read more]
In a letter sent to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Friday, the National Association of State Foresters urged the Trump administration to prioritize Chinese removal of retaliatory timber tariffs. In it, the association's president, South Dakota State Forester Greg Josten, explains the connection between healthy forests and wood markets, the [read more]
