WASHINGTON—Ahead of spring outdoor recreation season, the USDA Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council today announced a new public service advertisement (PSA) from Smokey Bear's Wildfire Prevention campaign encouraging Americans to explore nature responsibly by taking steps to prevent wildfires. "Smokey Bear continues his mission in this campaign to [read more]
The four co-sponsors of the national Wildfire Mitigation Awards have named the individuals chosen to receive honors this year in recognition of their exemplary commitment to community wildfire risk reduction. WASHINGTON—The Wildfire Mitigation Awards committee has named the three individuals chosen to receive 2021 Wildfire Mitigation Awards. This year's recipients have earned the highest commendation [read more]
The National Association of State Foresters has submitted formal comments to the USDA Forest Service regarding its guidebook chapter on Good Neighbor Authority (GNA). States are an essential partner in realizing GNA accomplishments; and NASF continues to appreciate the efforts by the Forest Service to embrace coordinating with state forestry agencies on GNA policy and [read more]
Meaningful, landscape-scale forest restoration doesn’t happen without collaboration across ownership boundaries. It is spurred and strengthened by the support of a determined executive, and underpinned by federal financial support largely conveyed through the USDA Forest Service’s State and Private Forestry (S&PF) mission area. Investments in S&PF programs and a shared commitment to working across jurisdictions [read more]
The National Association of State Foresters has submitted official comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildfire Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) regarding its proposed revisions to consultation regulations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The proposed rule addresses the precedent set by Cottonwood Environmental Law Center v. U.S. Forest Service, a [read more]
State foresters celebrate the completion of 10-year Forest Action Plan revisions with videos depicting their agencies at work in support of forest health, resiliency, and productivity. WASHINGTON—The National Association of State Foresters has announced the release of a four-part video series that introduces state forestry agencies and illustrates the many benefits of their work with [read more]
In a letter to the incoming Biden administration, NASF and other avid supporters of urban and community forestry have detailed their recommendations for improving American communities through the maintenance and expansion of urban and community forests. Our nation’s current and expanding 138 million acres of urban forests and trees are key to addressing priorities identified [read more]
Last week, the National Association of State Foresters provided comments to the Natural Resources Conservation Service regarding its proposed guidance for identifying non-industrial private forest land (NIPF). The term “NIPF” first appeared (without definition) in section 4(a) of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (CFAA), Pub. L. 95-313. The 1990 Farm Bill (short for [read more]
NASF and CPFC have released their latest report on the nationwide use of prescribed burning, which shows an encouraging upward trend in the utilization of Rx fire. WASHINGTON—Since 2011, the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) and the Coalition of Prescribed Fire Councils (CPFC) have partnered to prepare reports (in 2012, 2015, 2018, and now [read more]
The National Association of State Foresters has provided official comments on a proposed directive regarding the implementation of the Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) program. Given the importance of LSR in furthering priorities identified in state Forest Action Plans and the extensive role state forestry agencies and the regional state forester organizations play in administering LSR, [read more]
