NASF urges substantial increases in the pace and scale of active forest management to restore our National Forests and applauds this bipartisan effort to highlight the scope and scale of the insect and disease epidemic. WASHINGTON—Section 8204 of the 2014 Farm Bill provided states with the option of requesting the designation of landscape-scale insect and [read more]
NASF Vice President and Florida State Forester Jim Karels testified Thursday before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies regarding NASF’s fiscal year 2014 appropriations recommendations. Our priorities focus primarily on appropriations for the USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry programs. NASF testimony includes support for the State Fire Assistance program, the [read more]
NASF urges Congress to implement reform of federal forest management focused on ensuring long-term sustainability of the social, economic, and ecological benefits derived from forests. WASHINGTON—Today the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing to consider Senator Wyden’s (D-OR) O&C Bill and Senator Barrasso’s (R-WY) National Forest Jobs and Management Act of [read more]
Bipartisan House bill mirrors earlier bipartisan bill in Senate. ARLINGTON, Va.—A broad coalition of conservation, timber, tribal, recreation, sportsmen and employer groups praised Representatives Simpson (R-ID) and Schrader (D-OR) for introducing the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2014 (H.R. 3992) that would create an emergency funding process for fire response. This funding structure is similar to existing federal funding mechanisms [read more]
Farm Bill language supports the work done by state foresters nationwide by giving them the tools they need to keep our forests healthy for generations to come. WASHINGTON—State foresters across the country are encouraged by the inclusion of key forestry provisions in the Farm Bill Conference Report. The House-approved Conference Report includes many provisions that [read more]
Last week, NASF submitted comments to US Fish and Wildlife regarding the potential listing of northern long‐eared bat as an endangered species. The letter outlined concerns about regulations that may be imposed on forestland owners that will have little to no effect on the cause of the bat's diminishing numbers due to the fungus‐caused disease, [read more]
ARLINGTON, Va.—A group of conservation, timber, tribal, recreation, sportsmen and employer groups praised Senators Wyden (D-OR) and Crapo (R-ID) for introducing the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2013 that would create an emergency funding process for fire response. This funding structure would simulate existing federal funding mechanisms for response to other natural disasters, and prevent [read more]
State Foresters joined a broad coalition of forestry partners in urging leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to retain language included in the House Farm Bill (H.R. 2642) that would codify the EPA’s longstanding Silviculture Rule that looks to state-based Best Management Practices (BMPs) for addressing stormwater runoff associated with forest roads. The [read more]
NASF joined other associations this week in sending a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Scientific Advisory Board on the draft report concerning Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence. The letter highlights the need for continued cooperation between the states and EPA as the [read more]
NASF joined a host of partners in the forestry community in sending a letter to USDA Forest Service (USFS) Chief Tom Tidwell recognizing the leadership of the USFS in promoting wood as a green building material. The letter seeks a renewed commitment from the Agency to wood as a green building material through a partnership [read more]
