News

WASHINGTON—The National Association of State Foresters actively works to promote community tree planting, public-private partnerships, and volunteer tree planting efforts that help stimulate local economies, create jobs, and mobilize community spirit. As part of a national strategy towards economic recovery, NASF encourages Congress to reauthorize the National Small Business Tree Planting Program, and in turn, [read more]

Wyoming's state forester Bill Crapser testified before the U.S. House Agriculture Committee during a field hearing in Cheyenne this week focused on the bark beetle epidemic, forest health and conservation of farm and ranchland.

NASF has submitted comments on proposed regulations to implement the new Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill. BCAP is intended to assist agricultural and forest land owners and operators with the establishment and production of eligible crops including woody biomass in selected project areas for conversion to bioenergy, and the [read more]

NASF President and Maryland State Forester Steven Koehn provided written testimony on behalf on NASF on State Foresters' priorities for Interior appropriations, which center on the USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry (S&PF) programs. NASF recommendations in the testimony gave particular emphasis to Forest Inventory and Analysis, State Fire Assistance, Cooperative Forest Health, Forest [read more]

State foresters responded to President Obama's February 1st budget proposal for FY2011 with some trepidation, warning that cuts to significant forestry programs will likely not meet national forest conservation goals. Even in a tight budget climate, NASF members believe it is critically important to make solid investments in key federal programs that help realize the [read more]

WASHINGTON—State foresters responded to President Obama's February 1st budget proposal for FY2011 with some trepidation, warning that cuts to significant forestry programs will likely not meet national forest conservation goals. Even in a tight budget climate, the members of the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) believe it is critically important to make solid investments [read more]

Bernard L. Orell Award recognizes commitment to state and private forestlands. WASHINGTON—The National Association of State Foresters honored Congressman Norm Dicks, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, with the 2009 Bernard L. Orell Award. The award is named in memory of Bernard L. Orell (1914-1983), State Forester of Washington from 1949-1953, [read more]

State foresters support increased federal funding for critical programs. WASHINGTON—Trees and forests across the nation will benefit from the 2010 appropriations bill passed by Congress and signed by President Obama over the weekend. A $4.6 billion boost for the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service budgets includes a 16% increase for the [read more]

WASHINGTON—President Obama this weekend signed legislation that will bring a degree of relief to the nation's forests by helping federal agencies solve several of the top problems caused by the skyrocketing costs of wildfire suppression. The measure establishes a new approach to budgeting for costly wildfires, which continually drain the budgets of the Forest Service [read more]

NASF responded with a letter to the editor of the Washington Times regarding a recent article about the restoration of stimulus funding for green jobs programs in the District of Columbia. "The work of state forestry agencies - including the D.C. Urban Forestry Administration - is an opportune vehicle to deploy federal funds and put [read more]