ISSUE 47 : WEEK OF April 1, 2019 SUBSCRIBE | SREF.INFO | CONTACT

Recent News

Regional News Longleaf Alliance to Host Longleaf Academy Herbicide Training Leadership Nature Podcast Features Heir's Property Executive Director UGA Extension Warns of Ambrosia Beetle Outbreak Affecting Pecans TAMU to Host 5th Annual Growing Texas Workshop: EAB & Biodiversity MSU Releases Direct Seeding Publication on Forest Regeneration NCSU Encourages NTFP Ramp Cultivation with Factsheet, Festivals SREF News 2018-2019 Extension Award Winners- SREF Awards Program SREF Awards Spotlight: Best Conference/ Program Organization & Best Extension Newsletter SREF, Forest Health Experts Release FAQ Factsheet on Bamboo  National News NPS Southeast Region Releases 2018 Fire Management Storymap USDA's New Site Shows Ag Oppotunities, Benefits for Youth American Samoa Implement UAV's for Increased Forest Health New People of Color in Forestry Apprenticeship Program Established IL Report Finds that Counties with More Trees Spend Less on Medicare Funding Opportunities USFS, US Endowment Offer up to $1 Million for Mass Timber Grant JFSP, BLM Announce Wildland Fire Funding Opportunity up to $500K NRCS GA State Office Seeks Partners to Improve State Conservation NC Florence Restoration Fund Offers Aid to Affected Areas Job Opportunities  NC Forest Service- Forest Markets and Utilization Forester ABAC: Assistant Professor of Forestry KY Division of Forestry: Environmental Control Manager UF School of Forest Resources: Lecturer in Quantitative Data Science Clemson University: Climate Resilience Specialist, CAFLS UGA Center for Forest Business: Associate Director US Forest Service: Supervisory Forester GS-13

Regional News

Longleaf Alliance to Host Longleaf Academy Herbicide Training The Longleaf Alliance is hosting Herbicides & Longleaf 201 from April 16-17, 2019. This is a two-day training in Lake City, FL that focuses on the herbicide choices available for the site preparation, ecological restoration, and management of longleaf pine systems. The training will cover the topics of herbicide rates, timing of application, surfactants and adjuvants, targeting and control of invasive and unwanted species, and how to preserve desirable native plants in longleaf settings. Herbicides & Longleaf 201 will give participants the tools needed to incorporate herbicides into their forest management in order to achieve their own unique objectives. The cost is $150 and includes registration fee, materials, and lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday. SAF credits and FL/GA CEUs provided upon approval.  Register for this training. UGA Extension Warns of Ambrosia Beetle Outbreak Affecting Pecans  The University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension is warning south Georgia landowners to begin management practices now for the current ambrosia beetle outbreak. The pests are particularly affecting pecan orchards. Producers can identify beetle activity by the toothpick-sized sawdust tubes the beetles leave sticking out of holes bored in pecan trees. Land owners can monitor for beetle activity by setting out traps and scouting for infestations, especially prioritizing trees in low-lying or flooded areas. If growers detect beetles and suspect tree damage, immediate action is required in order to save the tree. The more often a tree is attacked by the beetles, the less likely that tree is to survive an attack. Learn more on how to defend against ambrosia beetles. MSU Releases Direct Seeding Publication on Forest Regeneration Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension has released a publication discussing the method of forest regeneration called direct seeding. Direct seeding is one method of starting a crop of trees by artificial means. Artificial regeneration means that the seed or seedlings are brought to the site, not distributed naturally from trees on or around the area. Direct seeding is when seeds from a desirable species of tree are planted on an area by hand or from the air. The publication includes the advantages, disadvantages, and the best way to go about this seeding operation.  View this publication.

Leadership Nature Podcast Features Heir's Property Executive Director The latest episode of Leadership Nature's Community of the Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program (SFLR) podcast featured Dr. Jennie L. Stephens as its guest. Dr. Stephens has been the Executive Director of the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation since its inception in 2005. The Center helps historically under-served families transform their land from a liability to an economic asset through its combination of legal and forestry education and direct services. At the Center, she is responsible for overall strategic planning, revenue generation, financial & staff management, and program operations.  Listen to this podcast. TAMU to Host 5th Annual Growing Texas Workshop: EAB & Biodiversity  The Texas A&M (TAMU) Forest Serivce will host their 5th Annual Growing Texas Workshop on April 24, 2019 in San Marcos, TX. This year's workshop will discuss the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and the effects plant biodiversity can have on its management. EAB is an exotic invasive insect that has spread to 38 states and killed hundreds of millions of ash trees.. Luckily, biodiversity is a great antidote to the alarming spread of exotic forest diseases and insects. TAMU's speakers on this topic include a plant nursery grower and arboriculture professionals that work for local communities. CEU's available upon approval. Learn more and register for the workshop . NCSU Encourages NTFP Ramp Cultivation with Factsheet, Festivals North Carolina State University (NCSU) is reminding forest landowners that the beginning of spring marks Ramp (Allium tricoccum L.) season. Ramps, also called wild leeks, are a native plant that are increasingly popular with wild food enthusiasts. Ramps are a non-timber forest product (NTFP) many forest farmers grow in order to alleviate their timber costs while the timber itself grows. In order to assist forest landowners, NCSU has released a factsheet on how to start growing your own ramps. NCSU is also encouraging those interested in growing ramps to attend one of the upcoming Ramp Festivals. The first is April 27, 2019 in Spruce Pines, NC, and the other is May 5, 2019 in Waynesville, NC. View the ramp factsheet , or learn more on the upcoming festivals.

SREF News

2018-2019 Extension Award Winners- SREF Awards Program The Southern Regional Extension Forestry (SREF) announces winners to their regional Extension awards program. Awards are judged by a regional team in multiple categories ranging from Extension and journal publications to websites, youth education and more. Submissions included nearly 100 nominees and co-nominees. In the coming weeks, this newsletter will highlight many of the award-winning unique programs and products. Congratulations to all the winners. See the complete list of awards given . SREF, Forest Health Experts Release FAQ Factsheet on Bamboo Southern Regional Extension Forestry in collaboration with regional forest health experts, has released a frequently asked questions (FAQ) factsheet on the commercial value of bamboo in the southeast. This factsheet answers questions on the best growing conditions and management practices for the species. While some bamboos may exhibit excellent growth rates, there is as yet little information regarding the economic costs and benefits of growing bamboo commercially in the Southeast. Care should be taken if these species are planted, keeping in mind that once established, bamboo is very difficult to control.  Read the factsheet.

SREF Awards Spotlight: Best Conference/ Program Organization & Best Extension Newsletter Each week Southern Regional Extension Forestry (SREF) will be highlighting two of their SREF award program recipients. This week, we are featuring winners from the categories Best Conference/ Program Organization and Best Extension Newsletter. Our winner for Best Conference goes to Mississippi State's Dr. John Kushla, Dr. James Henderson, and Dr. Glenn Hughes for their work organizing the 11th Annual ANREP Professional Improvement Conference. The conference focused on innovative Extension educational programs in natural resources sustainability and stewardship. Our winner for Best Extension Newsletter goes to North Carolina State University's Laurel Kays for her work on the Driptorch DIgest. Driptorch is a monthly newsletter reporting on everything from current relevant news stories to efforts that help achieve goals of the Cohesive National Wildland Fire Management Strategy. See the complete list of awards given .

National News

NPS Southeast Region Releases 2018 Fire Management Storymap The National Park Service's (NPS) Southeast branch has developed a storymap to better illustrate how fires impacted the southeast in 2018 and the various management practices put into place by the NPS. This story map highlights just some of the activities and accomplishments of the Southeast Region Wildland Fire and Aviation Management Program in 2018. Last year over 126,000 acres of NPS lands were treated with prescribed fire, the largest amount across all NPS regions.  The National Park Service's Wildland Fire and Aviation Management Program manages wildland fire to protect the public, park communities, and infrastructure; conserve natural and cultural resources; and maintain and restore natural ecosystem processes.  Start using the storymap. American Samoa Implement UAV's for Increased Forest Health  American Samoa has begun implementing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as tools to map invasive species and promote forest health. Through a process called georectification, scientists can stitch single images together which can be translated into maps with software such as geographic information system (GIS). This technology is not only safer and more accessible to surveyors, but allows for monitoring of invasive species without the need of expensive and slower remote sensing of satellites. Although the monitoring process is still in development, American Samoa is also using UAVs for taking the aerial imagery of lands to create plans for tree planting. The quick supply of aerial imagery could help forest managers plan sustainable supplies of wood, control erosion, and manage disturbances from fire more quickly than when monitoring was dependent on satellite data. Learn more about this management plan. IL Report Finds that Counties with More Trees Spend Less on Medicare Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that Medicare costs tend to be lower in counties with more forests and shrublands than in counties dominated by other types of land cover. The relationship persists even when accounting for economic, geographic or other factors that might independently influence health care costs. The analysis included county-level health and environmental data from 3,086 of the 3,103 counties in the continental U.S. The analysis revealed that for each 1 percent of a county's land that was covered in forest was associated with an average Medicare expenditure savings of $4.32 per person per year. If you multiply that by the number of Medicare fee-for-service users in a county and by the average forest cover and by the number of counties in the U.S., it amounts to about $6 billion in reduced Medicare spending every year nationally. Adding the effects of shrublands increases the estimated savings to $9 billion annually. Read the report.

USDA's New Site Shows Ag Oppotunities, Benefits for Youth  For many years, the The United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) has heard that it was difficult to locate and access information about the various youth programs, grants and loans available. In response, the USDA has launched a youth website that offers information to kids in a new, more digestible manner. The new USDA site uses storytelling, pictures and video to share resources with students, teachers and community leaders. The storytelling is very similar to what you might find on a popular blog or social media account. The goal of the Youth and Agriculture website is to connect young people and youth-serving organizations with Department-wide resources that engage, empower, and educate the next generation of agricultural leaders. Start using this new youth resource.   New People of Color in Forestry Apprenticeship Program Established The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) established the People of Color in Forestry Consulting Apprenticeship Program in order to expand the number of minority consulting foresters. The program is being field tested under an agreement between the Endowment and Wiregrass Ecological Associates, LLC (WEA). As part of the agreement, the Endowment will provide WEA with a no interest loan of up to $50,000 over three years to aid in covering start-up costs while the first apprentice gains experience and builds the business.The first apprentice in the program joined WEA on April 1. After working through the logistics of the pilot with WEA and the first participant, the Endowment’s Board will review results as it considers expanding the program with other firms and candidates interested in pursuing forestry consulting as a career. Learn more about this program.

Funding Opportunities

USFS, US Endowment Offer up to $1 Million for Mass Timber Grant  The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) plan to award up to one-million dollars under the Mass Timber University Grant Program and related Request for Proposals (RFP). The intent of the Mass Timber Grant is to inspire interest in and support for mass timber products among the architectural, developer and building communities as well as the public, by showcasing them in highly-visible projects on university campuses. This grant is a cost share/matching program meaning that for every dollar awarded from the Mass Timber Grant, the recipient must match that same dollar amount. Submission are due by May 31, 2019. Learn more and view detailed instructions on how to apply. NRCS GA State Office Seeks Partners to Improve State Conservation The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Georgia (GA) state office is seeking opportunities to partner with like-minded natural resource conservationists. They are seeking partners to help enhance the implementation of key conservation objectives and priorities. Proposals will be accepted from Georgia. NRCS anticipates that the amount available for support of this program in FY 2019 will be approximately $6,500,000. Proposals are requested from eligible entities, non-profits, governmental or non-governmental organizations, and institutions of higher learning for competitive consideration of awards. Projects are expected to be between one and five years in duration. Proposals are due April 18, 2019. The objectives, eligibility criteria, and application instructions can be found here.

JFSP, BLM Announce Wildland Fire Funding Opportunity up to $500K  The Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plan to award up to $500,000 to prioritize and provide sound scientific studies that support the land management agencies and other stakeholders in addressing issues associated with wildland fire. The objectives of this grant are to identify or develop metrics to assess fuel break and fuel break system performance, evaluate fuel breaks and fuel break systems against these standards, and identify necessary improvements in the implementation of operational fire behavior models. All proposals are to be submitted using the electronic submission process provided on the JFSP website. Proposals must be submitted by 7:00 PM. EST on May 16, 2019. Learn more about the program and how to apply. NC Florence Restoration Fund Offers Aid to Affected Areas The North Carolina (NC) Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the North Carolina Forest Service (NCFS) are approving and administering aid to woodland owners in 52 counties impacted by Hurricane Florence and recognized as federal disaster areas. The NC General Assembly approved $2.5 million in time-limited funding for reforestation efforts. To receive reimbursement, at least 4.5 acres of approved, completed work must be documented. The maximum funding allocation will be 100 acres per landowner per fiscal year. Applications need to be submitted to the landowner’s local NCFS office for initial review, before they are sent to the NCFS State Office for final approval. Applications will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis until all available funds have been allocated. Learn more.

Job Opportunities

NC Forest Service- Forest Markets and Utilization Forester This position develops and delivers a state-wide program in forest products utilization, maintains strong relationships with the state's forest products industry, promotes diverse markets for forest products and communicates on the extent, economic contributions, utilization and production of forest resources in NC. Closing 4/11/19 at 5pm. Apply here . ABAC: Assistant Professor of Forestry The Department of Forest Resources at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) is seeking an Assistant Professor of Forestry. The successful candidate will teach courses in support of ABAC’s Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Management. Primary teaching responsibilities in forest resources may include but are not limited to Dendrology, Forest Measurements and Mapping, and Advanced Forest Ecology. This is a 10 month, tenure-track position. Position open until filled.  View the application. UF School of Forest Resources: Lecturer in Quantitative Data Science The University of Florida School of Forest Resources and Conservation is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the position of Lecturer in Quantitative Data Science. This is a 12-month non-tenure-accruing position that will be 100% teaching. Duties and responsibilities include developing and teaching undergraduates, graduates, short courses and workshops. A successful candidate should be able to effectively communicate technical concepts to students from a wide range of backgrounds and should be committed to a vision that includes instruction in emerging new approaches to data science. View the application. Clemson University: Climate Resilience Specialist, CAFLS Candidates with Ph.D.'s in Meterology, Climatology or other relevant fields are being sought for a climate resilience specialist position at Clemson University, that will be housed within the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences. This tenure-track position could include joint appointments and close work with the SC Water Resources Institute. Apply here.

US Forest Service: Supervisory Forester GS-13  The U.S. Forest Service is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of Supervisory Forester. This position is located at the Southern Research Station Forest Inventory and Analysis {SRS-FIA) headquarters in Knoxville, TN. The incumbent serves as the Team Leader for the Resource Use Team and is part of the SRS-FIA management team. The incumbent is responsible for the implementation and management of timber and non-timber resource use surveys and utilization studies across the Southern Region in coordination with SRS-FIA and national leadership. Applications must be submitted by April 20th, 2019. View the application. KY Division of Forestry: Environmental Control Manager The Kentucky Division of Forestry is a seeking a qualified candidate to fill their Environmental Control Manager vacancy. This position will provide management level oversight to the Morehead Branch and its associated activities. These include daily/weekly interactions with the Frankfort Headquarters program staff to ensure that field staff provide quality services to the public to best benefit the state’s forest resources. Applications should be submitted by April 12, 2019. Learn more about the position. UGA Center for Forest Business: Associate Director  The University of Georgia's (UGA) Harley Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business of the Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources is seeking to fill the position of Associate Director. This is a fiscal year Academic Professional (non-tenure track) faculty position. The position is about 70% administrative and 30% teaching appointment with undergraduate and master’s program instructional responsibilities. The successful candidate will be responsible for planning and conducting the biennial Timberland Investment Conference and other periodic continuing education programs, assist in strategic planning efforts, market graduate programs to prospective students, and maintain close ties to program employers and stakeholders. Applications must be submitted by April 15, 2019. Learn more about this position.

Upcoming Events: April 13, 2019 | Southern Pines, NC Party for the Pine Join the free annual celebration for the oldest known living longleaf pine, learn how prescribed fire keeps the longleaf forest healthy, and appreciate the natural beauty of the Sandhills of North Carolina. April 30- May 1, 2019 | Gainesville, FL 46th Annual SAF/SFRC Spring Symposium Topics will include landowner associations, forest product markets, new landscape planning approaches, forest certification, economics, hurricane recovery, genetically improved southern pines, wildlife habitat provisions, intergenerational land transfer, and more April 30- May 3, 2019 | Norfolk, VA 2019 Virginia Forestry Summit  Registration is now open for the 2019 Virginia Forestry Summit. The Summit will take place at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel May 11, 2019 | Grand Valley, PA Loving the Land Through Working Forests Conference Registration is now open for the Loving the Land Through Working Forests Conference. Registation required. $20 per person, free for Members of the Foundation for Sustainable Forests, Pennsylvania Forestry Association and NW PA Woodland Association.

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