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Six Forestry Projects including Southern States Receive Funding from USDA Climate-Smart Commodities Funding Pool  

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing up to $2.8 billion across 70 projects in the first round of awarded grants. Of those funded projects, 11 include some component of forest products, or agroforestry and six of these include locations in the South. There are five other funded forestry projects that do not include any states from the South.  This funding comes from the Climate-Smart Commodities funding pool, which has multiple proposals ranging from $5 million to $100 million. Projects that are focused primarily on forestry and include states in the South are: 1. Engaging Family Forests to Improve Climate-Smart Commodities (lead by American Forest Foundation), 2. Expanding Agroforestry Production and Markets (lead by the Nature Conservancy) and 3. TRACT Program: Traceable Reforestation for America’s Caron and Timber (lead by Oregon Climate Trust).  Two southern landgrant universities were the leads for projects that were combined agriculture and forestry, including the Texas Climate-Smart Initiative (lead by Texas A&M Agrilife) and Building Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities in South Carolina (lead by Clemson university). Click here for a list of projects that include forestry and/or states in the South. USDA is currently evaluating project proposals from the second Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding pool, which includes funding requests from $250,000 to $4,999,999. Projects from this second funding pool will emphasize the enrollment of small and/or underserved producers, and/or monitoring, reporting, and verification activities developed at minority-serving institutions. USDA expects to announce these selections later this fall. Click here to see a list of all 70 currently funded projects. 

UT Extension Releases New Back Porch Forestry Episodes 

The University of Tennessee (UT) Extension recently released two new episodes of Back Porch Forestry, their educational web-series for landowners and others interested in a nonformal approach to forestry. The first of these episodes is entitled “Forest Stand Delineation”. This 20-minute video explains the how’s and whys of forest stand delineation. The second episode is entitled “Attracting and Managing Wildlife Around the Home”. This 28-minute episode provides tips on attracting wildlife to your backyard in a safe, ethical manner, while also managing said wildlife appropriately. These two episodes are the latest in the series, which has over 25 educational videos available on the Back Porch Forestry YouTube channel. Click here to access the channel. 

Blue Ridge Invasive Species Management Workshops 

The Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) recently announced two virtual workshops and two in-person workshops. PRISM is a non-profit organization that works to reduce the negative impact of invasive plant species in the northern Blue Ridge Mountains. The virtual workshops are entitled “Identification of Invasive Plants in the Fall” (October 12th) and “Management & Control of Invasive Plants in the Fall” (October 13th). The first in-person workshop will take place on October 15th, in Charlottesville, VA. It will cover invasive plant identification and management techniques. The second workshop will take place on November 12th, also in Charlottesville. It will cover the identification and management of invasive vines during the winter. These workshops are intended for landowners, land managers, and others interested in invasive species removal in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Click here for additional information on all workshops. 

UGA Forestry Hosts Forest Carbon Landowner Workshop 

The University of Georgia (UGA) Warnell School of Forestry will soon host a workshop titled: “First Forest Carbon Landowner workshop: understanding basics of emerging forest carbon markets for income and mitigating climate change.” This in-person workshop will guide participants through the basics of forest carbon markets as a source in income, and forest carbon as a mechanism for climate change mitigation. Continuing education credits will be available from the Society of American Foresters (SAF) and Georgia Continuing Logger Education. Landowners, foresters, and natural resource professionals are encouraged to attend. The workshop will take place October 14th, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM EST, in Guyton, GA. Click here to learn more. 

SGSF Blog Details Infrastructure Law’s Impacts on Forestry 

A recent blog post from the Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF) details how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) will impact Southern forests. The BIL devotes $1.5 billion to supporting state and private forests, primarily through state forestry agencies. This includes $40 million for state forestry agencies so that they may implement high-priority actions as defined by their respective State Forest Action Plans, and $1 billion for the creation of a new Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program (CWDG). This funding will benefit forests, foresters, and state forestry agencies across the United States. Click here to read the full article. 

New Publication on Climate Smart Forestry in the South from Auburn 

Researchers from Auburn University’s School of Forestry recently published an article titled “Climate Smart Forestry in the Southern United States”. Mr. Noah Shephard, and Drs. Lana Narine, Yucheng Peng, and Adam Maggard provide a broad overview of climate smart forestry by highlighting loblolly pine management. The paper connects increased carbon storage to traditional southern plantation practices and notes that forest products and forest product carbon will increase carbon storage above the stand-carbon baseline. Foresters and natural resource professionals may be interested in learning more. For more information on their findings, click here to access the article.  

NC Offers Unique Training Program for Arborists 

Arborists in North Carolina and surrounding states now have the opportunity to register for a unique training and certificate program, offered through Alamance Community College. This program was developed in partnership with North Carolina State University (NCSU), the North Carolina Urban Forest Council, and Bartlett Tree Experts. Program participants will learn about pest management, tree climbing, equipment operation and maintenance, business communications, and other topics relating to arboriculture. The program is intended for those interested in employment in arboriculture, and current arborists seeking a refresher course. Coursework will begin on December 2nd and go through March 24th. Participants will meet every Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, with most meetings being virtual. Click here to register or learn more. 

2022 UGA Longleaf Pine Establishment and Management Workshop 

The University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources Outreach (UGA) will soon host a Longleaf Pine Workshop. Participants will learn about everything longleaf pine related from seed source studies, prescribed fire, site preparation/herbaceous weed control, pine straw raking, issues with longleaf pine on old-field sites, stand fertilization, economics, and other topics.  The course has been approved for Society of American Foresters (SAF) credits, Ga Master Timber Harvester credits, GA Department of Agriculture Pesticide credits, and South Carolina pesticide credits. Foresters, natural resource professionals, and others interested in pine stand management are encouraged to attend. The registration deadline is September 27th and the workshop will take place October 11-12th in Statesboro, GA. Click here to learn more or register. 

NCSU Releases Pine Bark Beetle Factsheet 

North Carolina State University (NCSU) recently released a new factsheet highlighting the impacts of pine bark beetles on southern forests. There are several species of pine bark beetles, most of which attack pine trees that are already experiencing stressors such as drought or disease. These beetles feed on the inner bark of pine trees and can quickly result in the death of the tree. The most damaging of these beetles is believed to be the southern pine beetle, which is believed to have caused $900 million in damages in 1960-1990. However, NCSU stresses the importance of identifying your beetle infestation prior to implementing management efforts, as each species is managed differently. Click here to access the factsheet. 

SREF Instagram 

In addition to maintaining the sref.info website and Facebook page, SREF maintains an Instagram presence where we share information about upcoming workshops, conferences, meetings, and more. Those interested are encouraged to follow the Instagram page at @soforestryext or by clicking here.  

Identifying CWD with the NDA 

The National Deer Association (NDA) recently published a video highlighting how you can identify deer suffering from Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). CWD is a prion disease that affects deer across North America. Foresters, landowners, and natural resource professionals may encounter animals affected by CWD when working in the field. As such, it is important to be able to recognize the disease, and to report it to your state wildlife agency. Click here to watch the video. 

Urban Wood Network + Partners in Community Forestry Joint Conference 

The Urban Wood Network will soon host their annual conference in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation's Seattle Partners in Community Forestry conference. The Urban Wood Network is a partnership between different individuals and entities across the nation, who work to promote urban wood businesses and urban wood utilization. This joint conference is for anyone interested in urban wood. Participants will network, share, and discuss the newest strategies to overcome challenges and build successful local urban wood economies. The conference will take place November 15-17 in Seattle, WA. Click here to learn more. 

2022 Center for Rural Engagement Insight Summit 

The 2022 Center for Rural Enterprise Engagement (CREE) recently announced the 6th annual Insight Summit, which will be held as a virtual course with periodic live sessions. CREE is an issue-focused transdisciplinary center that serves as a generator and source of knowledge about new-media marketing. Their target audience is farmers, rural-based businesses, next generation agricultural marketing professionals, and individuals involved in rural-economic development. Summit topics will include CREE research, social media trends, usage of social media to promote rural businesses, and more. This year’s summit will be available September 14th through December 14th, with four live sessions. Click here to learn more or register. 

Historic Drought Leads to Loss of Small Farms 

A recent survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation (ABFB) has shown that historically bad droughts are leading to the loss of small farms across America. In August 2022, roughly half of the United States and almost all of the western U.S. was experiencing drought. Small farms cannot absorb the reduced crop or livestock yield, meaning that many are forced to stop operating as drought worsens. This is especially true of farms growing specialty crops, such as fruit trees, which have a high-water demand. While state and federal programs do exist to help farmers install water-saving technology, such as California’s State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP), the issue continues to worsen. Small farms may have to adapt by switching to drought-tolerant crops, or by expanding their use of water-saving technology. Click here to read the full article about the ABFB survey. 

Association of Fire Ecology Award Nominations Due October 1 

The Association of Fire Ecology (AFE) is still accepting award nominations. These awards recognize and celebrate leadership, achievements, and excellent in the field of fire ecology. Nominations are being accepted in the following categories: Applied Fire Science, Student Excellence, Early Career, Distinguished Leader, and Lifetime Achievement. Nominations will be accepted through October 1st. Click here to learn more. 

UMN Extension Highlights Plant ID Apps Performance with Aquatic Plants 

The University of Minnesota (UMN) Extension recently released an article highlighting different plant identification applications, how each application performs when identifying aquatic plants, and how to get the most accurate identification possible. Most plant identification applications work well for terrestrial plants; some have an accuracy of up to 90%, such as iNaturalist or Seek. However, some applications struggle with aquatic plants, as they often lack distinct flowers or other easy-to-identify characteristics. Using good GPS data, uploading multiple photos, and taking photos out of the water can help with the process. While this article is geared towards aquatic plants, readers may be interested in the author’s detailed breakdown of each plant identification application, their accuracy, and other factors. Click here to access the article. 

Timer Taxes 101 Webinar 

Join Dr. Yanshu Li, forest economics and taxation outreach specialist from the University of Georgia (UGA), to learn more about timber taxation, economic issues and benefits related to forest investment and management, and more. This webinar is sponsored by the USFS Timber Tax program and Southern Regional Extension Forestry (SREF). This free webinar is intended for landowners and forestry professionals. The webinar will take place September 28th at 1:00 PM EST. Click here to learn more. 

Urban Agriculture: Supporting Urban and Innovative Agriculture Webinar 

Presenters from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) will soon host a webinar entitled “Supporting Urban and Innovative Agriculture through Production, Conservation and Risk Management”. This is the second part of a multi-part urban agriculture webinar series; however, it is not necessary to view them in order. For this webinar, presenters will discuss how urban and innovative farmers have benefitted from different Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) programs, and how others can utilize those programs. Land managers, landowners, and anyone interested in agriculture (including silviculture) is encouraged to attend. The webinar will take place September 29th at 12:00 PM EST. Click here to learn more. 

Southeast FireMap Webinar: Next Steps 

Developers and partners of the Southeast FireMap (SE FireMap) fire mapping system will soon host a webinar, which will highlight the next steps for the SE FireMap’s development and how it can be utilized. SE FireMap was developed with funding from the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). SE FireMap uses remote sensing to track prescribed fire and wildfire activity on public and private lands in the southeast. The next update, expected to be available by Spring 2025, will provide a decision-support system for resource managers to help increase the efficacy of fire planning and conservation practices. This webinar will include a protoype demonstration of this decision-making system. The webinar will take place September 20th, 2:00 PM EST. Click here to learn more or register. 

Interested in more webinars on-demand? Check out the Forestry Webinar Portal! Click here to subscribe.

USFS Community Wildlife Defense Grant 

The US Forest Service (USFS) recently announced the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program, created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program will make approximately $200 million available to communities in its first year. The selected projects will either develop or revise a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), or will implement wildlife risk reduction projects described within a CWPP. Local governments, non-profit organizations, tribes, state forestry agencies, or Alaska Native corporations may apply for a CWDG. CWDGs will support hazardous fuel reduction and community wildfire preparedness exclusively on non-federal lands. Applications are done by region; the Southern region applications are due October 7th. Click here to apply or learn more.  

RFP: EPA Technical Assistance Centers to Support Underserved Communities 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a request for proposals for the establishment of Environmental Justice (EJ) Thriving Community Technical Assistance Centers. The Centers will provide technical assistance, training, and capacity-building support to underserved communities with environmental justice concerns and their partners. They will also assist communities with navigating federal systems such as Grants.gov and SAM.gov, effectively managing and leveraging grant funding, and translation and interpretation services for limited English-speaking participants. This opportunity is available to public and private universities and colleges; public and private nonprofit institutions/organizations; and collaborating tribal governments. Awards will be issued as cooperative agreements and EPA will be substantially involved in the operation of the centers. $11 million in funding is being provided by the EPA. Applications are due on October 4, 2022. Click here to learn more. 

USFS SRS Deputy Program Manager 

The United States Forest Service (USFS) Southern Research Station (SRS) is seeking a permanent Deputy Program Manager for the Forestry Inventory and Analysis (FIA) unit. This position participates in program management and shares accountability for the general effectiveness of the FIA program. This is a permanent, full-time position. Applications will be accepted until September 27th. Click here to learn more. 

Texas A&M Forest Economist 

The Texas A&M Forest Service is seeking a Forest Economist. This is a permanent, full-time position. The incumbent will perform a variety of activities, including publishing the bi-monthly Texas Timber Price Trends Report, analyzing data, and conducting educational seminars for foresters and landowners. This position is based out of College Station, Texas. The position was listed on September 8th. Click here to learn more. 

UGA Forestry Continuing Education Program Director 

The University of Georgia (UGA) Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources is hiring a Continuing Education Program Director. The incumbent will plan and deliver continuing education courses, coordinate logistics for those courses, conduct program evaluation, amongst other related duties. This is a fiscal year (12-mo), non-tenure position. The anticipated start date is February 1st, 2023. The position was listed on September 15th. Click here to learn more. 

TDF Area Forester Positions 

The Tennessee Division of Forestry (TDF) is hiring four Area Foresters across multiple districts. All positions are for an Area Forester 3 role. The work for this role includes planning, program development and implementation, and supervision of Forest Technicians. One position is located in the Western Tennessee district. One position is located in the Cumberland district. Two positions are located in the Highland Rim district. All applications are due by September 20th. Click here to learn more. 

UGA Assistant Professor of Silviculture 

The University of Georgia (UGA) Warnell School of Forestry is seeking to hire an Assistant Professor of Silviculture. This is a 9-month, tenure-track position, with a split appointment of 47% research, 47% teaching, and 6% professional service. Close collaboration with the Plantation Management Research Cooperative (PMRC) is expected, with opportunity to work with the Wood Quality Consortium (WQC) and the Southern Pine Health Research Cooperative (SPHRC). A review of applications will begin on September 19th and will continue until an applicant has been identified. The expected start date is August, 2023. Click here to learn more or apply. 

Upcoming Events:  

Prairie View A&M University (PVAM) is hosting the Sustainable Forestry and African American and Retention Program (SFLR) Outreach Workshops. During these workshops, forestry, agriculture, and laws experts will discuss how sustainable forestry can become a multi-generational source of revenue for landowners and how landowners can navigate matters related to heirs’ property. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) will also discuss technical and financial assistance available to landowners through the USDA. Workshops will be held on the second Thursday of every month at 2 PM – 5 PM EST. Click here to register. Click here to view all upcoming events from PVAM.  

Prairie View A&M University (PVAM) is hosting the Sustainable Forestry and African American and Retention Program (SFLR) Legal Clinics. These clinics will offer legal education to help landowners with estate planning, wills, trust agreements, title clearing, and more. Clinic will be held on June 30th, August 25th, October 27th, and December 15th from 2 PM – 4 PM EST. Click here to register. Click here to view all upcoming events from PVAM.  

The National Association of State Foresters will be hosting their annual meeting in person with upwards of 200 forestry and wildlife leaders with the opportunity to learn about new and exciting developments in the field of forestry and explore opportunities for wood product markets, sector partnerships, and emerging biotechnologies. Click here to register.  

This is a unique opportunity for climate adaptation scientists and resource managers from across the Southeast to come together and learn from one another. All resource managers, researchers, and fish and wildlife decision-makers in the Southeastern US are encouraged to attend. Abstracts are due by July 25th. The symposium will take place from September 19-21st in Gulf Shores, AL. Click here to register or learn more. 

The Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia (UGA) is hosting three workshops titled “The Landowner Series: Women in Forestry”. The second workshop will focus on prescribed fire. Click here to register.

The Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition (ABFFC) recently opened registration for the Sassafras Moon Herbal Festival & Forest Farming Conference. The Sassafras Moon Herbal Festival is a day full of free herbal classes and herbal product vendors. The Forest Farming Conference will be the following day with forest farming classes, networking, field sessions, and hands-on learning. The festival will be held on September 24th and the conference will be held on September 25th in Erwin, TN. Click here to register or learn more. 

Prairie View A&M University (PVAM) is hosting the Sustainable Forestry and African American and Retention Program (SFLR) Reckoning Program. The program was designed to educate minority landowners and assist them with a general understanding and addressing their property family issues. The program session also outlines an Heirs Incubator Program, which will select five families and take them through the process as cohorts with Kaiser’s Legacy Program. Programs will take place September 28th and December 14th from 2 PM – 3 PM EST. Click here to register. Click here to view all upcoming events from PVAM.  

The Alliance of Natural Resource Outreach and Service Programs (ANROSP) is joining the University of California Naturalist Statewide Conference in Tahoe City, CA from October 7-9th. There is a travel scholarship fund to support ANROSP members who may wish to participate in the conference this year. Click here to register. 

Blue Ridge Invasive Species Management Workshops 

The Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) recently announced two virtual workshops and two in-person workshops. The virtual workshops are entitled “Identification of Invasive Plants in the Fall” (October 12th) and “Management & Control of Invasive Plants in the Fall” (October 13th). The first in-person workshop will take place on October 15th, in Charlottesville, VA. It will cover invasive plant identification and management techniques. The second workshop will take place on November 12th, also in Charlottesville. Click here for additional information on all workshops. 

2022 UGA Longleaf Pine Establishment and Management Workshop 

The University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources Outreach (UGA) will soon host a Longleaf Pine Workshop. The course has been approved for Society of American Foresters (SAF) credits, Ga Master Timber Harvester credits, GA Department of Agriculture Pesticide credits, and South Carolina pesticide credits. The registration deadline is September 27th and the workshop will take place October 11-12th in Statesboro, GA. Click here to learn more or register. 

UGA Forestry Hosts Forest Carbon Landowner Workshop 

The University of Georgia (UGA) Warnell School of Forestry will soon host a workshop titled: “First Forest Carbon Landowner workshop: understanding basics of emerging forest carbon markets for income and mitigating climate change." Continuing education credits will be available from the Society of American Foresters (SAF) and Georgia Continuing Logger Education. The workshop will take place October 14th, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM EST, in Guyton, GA. Click here to learn more. 

The Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia (UGA) is hosting three workshops titled “The Landowner Series: Women in Forestry”. The third workshop will focus on federal forest incentives. Click here to register.

The Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (PAWC) is a forum held at Tuskegee University for anyone who is associated with the agricultural industry. Farmers, government representatives, and land-grant faculty or staff are encouraged to attend, engage with others in the field, and explore the latest developments in agriculture and outreach. Click here to register.  

February 23-24, 2023 | Brunswick, GA

A national event to bring together women professionals and women landowners to hear various topics to enlighten women to be engaged with their land. This symposium is for new, beginning, and experienced women landowners. There will be plenary speaker, breakout sessions, and a social reception. Click here to register.  

USDA Agroforestry Webinar Series Launches 

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agroforestry Center recently announced the launch of a unique 10-part webinar series, which will highlight how different USDA programs can be used to advance agroforestry adoption. Each webinar will include one USDA representative and one program particpants who has used the program to enhance their agroforestry work. Highlighted programs include the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conversation Innovation Grant program and the USDA Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration program. These webinars are intended to help landowners, agroforesters, and others learn how to best utilize various USDA programs. On the first Friday of each month, beginning September 2nd 2022 and running through June 2nd 2023, this series will highlight a different USDA program. All webinars will take place 3:00 – 4:00 PM EST. Participation is free, but registration is required. Webinar recordings will be made available once each webinar has passed. Click here to learn more or register. 

Challenges and Success in Urban Wood with NC Urban Wood Group  

The NC Urban Wood Group, in partnership with the NC Urban Forest Council, will soon host a webinar titled “Challenges and Success in Urban Wood”. Topics covered during this webinar will include: best management practices for urban wood businesses, success stories, sawing and drying urban wood, and where to find more urban wood resources. While designed by foresters in North Carolina, the topics addressed here are applicable to foresters across the Southeast. The webinar is free to attend and will take place September 8, 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Click here to learn more or register. 

Southern Regional Extension Forestry | www.sref.info | lboby@sref.info