This week NASF joined numerous organizations in the forestry community in letters to the Senate. The letters mirrored those sent to the House last week in support of FY2014 appropriations for priority programs at the USDA Forest Service including: Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, Forest Health Program, Urban and Community Forestry Program, Forest Stewardship Program, [read more]
This week, Georgia State Forester Robert Farris delivered testimony before the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee on behalf of the National Association of State Foresters. Robert’s testimony identified FY14 funding recommendations for NASF priority programs.
This week NASF joined a coalition of forestry organizations to present comments to the Committee on Ways and Means regarding the Tax Working Group process. The letter expressed coalition views on the existing tax treatment of working forests across America. The comments highlighted three provisions in the tax code that Congress has adopted to reflect [read more]
NASF joined numerous other organizations in the forestry community in support of FY2014 appropriations for priority programs at the USDA Forest Service including: Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, Forest Health Program, Urban and Community Forestry Program, Forest Stewardship Program, and the State Fire Assistance Program. The letters were submitted to members of the House Interior [read more]
Last week, NASF submitted comments to the USDA regarding their efforts to adapt to a changing climate as laid out in its 2012 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan. The comments advanced the concepts approved by NASF as part of the policy statement, NASF Adaptation and Mitigation: Concepts for Forest-Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Legislation and Administrative Policy. [read more]
This week NASF submitted comments to GSA regarding green building certification systems. NASF asked that GSA recommend the use of inclusive green building certification systems that recognize wood as a preferred green building material, which will help stimulate the economies of rural, forest-based communities. The comments also highlighted the importance of giving equal credit to [read more]
Last week NASF submitted comments on the sixth draft of LEED standards. The comments addressed the use of sustainably sourced wood in building design and construction, interior design and construction, and existing buildings and neighborhood development, while taking into account the current draft language's exclusion of all but one certification system. NASF's comments recommend taking [read more]
Last week NASF joined other forestry organizations in a letter to Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell to emphasize the importance of wood being classified as green product. The current LEED standards discourages the use of wood relative to other building materials and discriminates against two widely used forest certification standards. The letter also gave suggestions [read more]
This week NASF joined others in the forestry community in support of funding for wildland fire management activities as the Senate considered a continuing resolution to fund the Federal government for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2013. After experiencing a brutal fire season in 2012 and continuing drought conditions contributing to predictions of a comparable [read more]
Children nationwide will learn about forests and forestry related jobs during the 2013 National Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work® Day. WASHINGTON—The National Association of State Foresters joins the Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work® Foundation to announce a partnership to inform children nationwide on the importance of forests and forestry jobs. This [read more]
