In response to the release of the 2010 National Report on Sustainable Forests by the USDA Forest Service, NASF calls for practical and realistic actions to ensure the future sustainability of the nation's forests. Coinciding with the release of the report, the Roundtable on Sustainable Forests, convened in Washington, DC, today to build agreement and [read more]
WASHINGTON—In response to the release of the 2010 National Report on Sustainable Forests by the USDA Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters has called for action ensuring the sustainability of the nation's forests. Central among its recommendations are implementing the strategies and programs in every state and territory's Forest Action Plan, which are proactive, reflect [read more]
New PSAs and Smokey Bear’s first mobile app launch in time for the holiday weekend. WASHINGTON—The Ad Council, along with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), launched a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring Smokey Bear designed to provide critical information to Americans about wildfire prevention. The [read more]
NASF recently sent comments to the USDA Forest Service in support of the aerial delivery of fire retardants under "Guidelines for Aerial Application of Retardant or Foam Near Waterways," which are designed to minimize the impact of aerially delivered fire retardants on aquatic life and habitat. State Foresters believe continuing the use of fire retardants/foam [read more]
NASF joined nearly 50 other wildlife and conservation organzations in a letter to the Vice President and Congressional leaders on the fate in current budget negotiations of federal programs that sustain our nation's natural resources. The letter urged a comprehensive solution that does not cut "the natural resource budget disproportionately to the budget as a [read more]
Forest Action Plans measure conservation needs and results at the state-level. WASHINGTON—One year after finalizing their Forest Action Plans, the members of the National Association of State Foresters launched a new website—www.forestactionplans.org—in order to provide access to every state's plan as well as national- and regional-level insight into the primary trends and challenges facing America's [read more]
NASF and a coalition of more than 40 forestry and conservation partners recently sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to applaud the agency's new green building strategy and its efforts to promote wood products as an environmentally preferable building material. The letter urged USDA to play a leadership role within and among the [read more]
This week marked the end of the 90-day comment period for the public to respond to the Obama administration's forest-planning rule, which guides how the U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres of forest and grasslands under the National Forest Management Act. Following our Congressional testimony on the rule, NASF submitted formal comments, joining hundreds [read more]
NASF recently submitted comments in response to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Proposed Rule on the Deferral for CO2 Emissions from Bioenergy and Other Biogenic Sources. NASF's comments include the approach, rationale and other considerations the Agency should take into account as it moves toward a final determination whether (and how) biogenic CO2 emissions will [read more]
Arkansas State Forester and NASF Vice President John Shannon provided comments to the House Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry this week focused on the USDA Forest Service proposed Planning Rule. "State Foresters have a strong interest in the planning rule," said Shannon, because "the threat of wildfire and insect and disease [read more]
