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ISSUE 77: WEEK OF February 17, 2020
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Regional News
- Considerations for Establishment of Mixed Pine-Hardwood Stands Webinar
- NC Hosting IUFRO Extension & Knowledge Exchange Conference in September 2020
- Clemson & SCFC Creates “Bounty” For Bradford Pear
- Building with Mass Timber’ Workshops for Govt officials, Planning Depts, Architects, & More Launching Soon
- SFE Webinar: Modeling and Optimizing Prescribed Fire for Managing Wildfire Risks
- 2020 Growing Our Future Annual Forestry Meeting in SC
- NC Forestry Association Annual Meeting Dates Announced
- 2020 Urban Wild-F.I.R.E. (Fire Integrative Research Experience) Workshop Applications Now Open
- NCSU & USFS Forest Products Lab Studying Financial and Environmental Benefits of CLT in Tall Wood Buildings
National News
- NASF & USFS Executive Fellowship for State Forestry Agency Employees Offered at Harvard’s School of Government
- AFF & TNC Family Forest Carbon Program Welcomes Corporate Partner
- International Fire Ecology Across Boundaries Conference
- U.S. Endowment Calls for Speakers for FIRz 2020: Innovative Forestry Forum
Funding Opportunities
- USDA NRCS Announces EQIP Assistance To Help Farmers, Ranchers, Forest Owners Conserve Natural Resources
- NRCS 2020 AG Land Conservation Easement Signup Announced
- USFS National Forest Resiliency Innovation 2020 Challenge Cost Share Grant Program
- Agroforestry Outreach Request for Proposals
- NFWF Cumberland Plateau Stewardship Fund 2020 RFP
- USDA CRP Sign-ups Open
Job Opportunities
- Two MS State University Extension Forestry Professor Positions
- AU Assistant Professor and Wildlife Extension Specialist
- Coming Soon: TN DOF Forest Health Specialist
- USFS Research Economist/Research Forester Raleigh, NC
- UGA Assistant Professor, Precision Forestry
- VT Assistant Professor of Forest Biometrics
- Forest Products Technologist, USDA Forest Service
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Considerations for Establishment of Mixed Pine-Hardwood Stands Webinar
Mississippi State University Forestry Extension Specialist Brady Self will discuss the considerations important for establishing mixed pine-hardwoods stands on Wednesday Februrary 19 at 12 pm ET. This one hour webinar is part of a series of webinars on Mixed Stand Management in the South. This series will continue through the spring and will also include a web-based panel discussion on mixed stands in the south, for interested participants in July.
Register for the webinar here
.
NC Hosting IUFRO Extension & Knowledge Exchange Conference in September 2020
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) announced its Extension & Knowledge Exchange (EKE) will be happening in September 2020 in Asheville, North Carolina. This conference will provide networking and learning opportunities. IUFRO EKE serves as a forum for information exchange among Extension forestry workers worldwide in order to improve the quality, quantity, and effectiveness of Extension programs worldwide. The organization strives to promote the concept of Extension through the transfer of knowledge and technology to improve the lives of people and advance the quality and impact of research on Extension methodologies. More information on lodging and the conference and a call for abstracts will be coming soon. For more information contact Bill Hubbard at
whubbard@umd.edu
Clemson & SCFC Creates “Bounty” For Bradford Pear
Clemson forestry Extension, the South Carolina Forestry Commission and the city of Clemson have created a “bounty” for Bradford pear trees and are hosting an event to inspire homeowners to remove this invasive species. The event, to be held on February 29, 2020, in Clemson, South Carolina, will give homeowners the option to remove Bradford pears and replace them with native trees. Well-known for their attractive springtime blossoms, Bradford Pear Trees are often planted by homeowners and landscapers. However, they directly contribute to the callery pear, a non-native, invasive species of pear tree that tends to overtake nearby native forests. Bradford pears also produce blossoms that have an unpleasant odor and have branches that often break during storms, causing structural damage. Clemson area property owners can exchange up to five (5) Bradford Pear trees for an equal number of FREE, healthy, native, and young replacement trees.
Pre-registration is required. For more information on this program contact David Coyle,
dcoyle@clemson.edu
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Learn more about the program here
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'Building with Mass Timber’ Workshops for Govt officials, Planning Depts, Architects, & More Launching Soon
The Southern Group of State Foresters, US Forest Service, Clemson Wood Utilization and Design institute, Wood Works and Keeping Forests are hosting workshops in four different cities for planning departments, architects, government officials and more. The purpose of these workshops is to educate participants about how they can ‘ask for wood,’ and better understand when and where wood is the most viable and sustainable choice for construction. The workshop includes an emphasis on the latest wood product technologies, such as cross laminated timber and will also include discussions about the economic benefits of using wood products grown and manufactured in the South. The first workshop will be March 11th, 2020 in New Orleans, LA, from 12:45 - 5:45 pm. Members of the forestry community are urged to reach out to their potential contacts about these workshops. The other three workshops are still being planned but will be held in Atlanta, GA, Raleigh, NC and one other location. There are no costs for to attend these workshops. Dates and links for the other workshops will be shared as they become available. To register for the New Orleans workshop
click here. For more information on future workshops contact
rickcantrell@blackbriarenv.com.
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SFE Webinar: Modeling and Optimizing Prescribed Fire for Managing Wildfire Risks
Southern Fire Exchange (SFE
)
is hosting a free, one-hour webinar discussing prescribed fires on February 20, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EST. Topics will include recent data development that calculates the effectiveness of prescribed fires in different states and agencies and an optimization model that determines the optimal amount of prescribed fires for managing risk.
Register for this webinar here.
Access other Southern Fire Exchange webinars here
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2020 Growing Our Future Annual Forestry Meeting in SC
Clemson Forestry Extension is hosting their 15th annual forestry meeting on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, at T&S Farm in Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina. A staple of the forest management community, the meeting brings together experts from various fields of study to share their work and knowledge with professional foresters and landowners alike every year. The meeting will feature speakers on a variety of topics, including forest and hardwood management, silviculture topics, and wildfire response activities. Breakfast and lunch are included in the program cost. The registration deadline is April 24. This event fills up fast so register soon. T
o learn more and buy tickets click here,
for more information about this event contact
Ryan Bean at rbean@clemson.edu.
NC Forestry Association Annual Meeting Dates Announced
The North Carolina Forestry Association (NCFA) will be having its annual meeting on October 7-9, 2020, at The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. The meeting will feature oral presentations, live entertainment, networking opportunities, recreational activities, and more.
Click
here
for more information.
2020 Urban Wild-F.I.R.E. (Fire Integrative Research Experience) Workshop Applications Now Open
Co-hosted by Tennessee State University (TSU) and Michigan State University (MSU), this ten-day workshop will be held May 27 - June 5, 2020
, in Michigan. The workshop is designed to expose university students to the social and environmental processes that impact and link urban and community forestry, fire ecology, and wildland fire management. The program also
intends to prepare an increasingly diverse population of students to enter the natural resource management workforce. All curriculum materials will be offered through a dynamic series of interactive lab and field-based learning experiences conducted across the state of Michigan. Undergraduate and graduate students from accredited US colleges or universities should apply. Traditionally underrepresented students majoring in forestry, environmental science, natural resource management or related fields, and those pursuing degrees at 1890 and 1994 Land-grant institutions, are strongly encouraged to apply. Applications are due by midnight on February 21, 2020. All costs for airfare to and from the workshop, in addition to all lodging expenses, will be covered for each workshop attendee.
Find out more or apply here
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NCSU & USFS Forest Products Lab Studying Financial and Environmental Benefits of CLT in Tall Wood Buildings
Dr. Stephen Kelley from North Carolina State University (NCSU) Department of Forest Biomaterials is studying the financial and environmental benefits of cross-laminated timber (CLT) in tall wood buildings. In conjunction with the USFS’s Forest Products Laboratory, they are comparing fully developed plans of a non-CLT buidling to a CLT building for a mixed-use structure. Read more about this ongoing study
here
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NASF & USFS Executive Fellowship for State Forestry Agency Employees Offered at Harvard’s School of Government
In partnership with the United States Forest Service (USFS) and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, the National Association for State Foresters (NASF) Foundation is providing an annual, all-expenses paid, three-week-long fellowship to two senior-level state forestry agency employees. This program is intended to build leadership and problem-solving skills through the use of a case study approach. Participants will gain experience in creating public value, negotiation, financial stewardship, internal capacity, and performance, crisis, and strategic management. Applications for the program are due April 30, 2020, to
mbuck@hawaii.rr.com
. This program is intended for NASF members only. For more information,
click here.
AFF & TNC Family Forest Carbon Program Welcomes Corporate Partner
The American Forest Foundation (AFF) announced that the Domtar Corporation has joined AFF and its partner, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), in supporting the newly-created Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) to enhance carbon sequestration in family owned forest land across the U.S.
The Family Forest Carbon Program taps into the carbon storage potential of family-owned forestland, which represents a new approach to climate change diminution. This method creates a new market and source of income for the families that dedicate time and effort to their forest management. FFCP’s new partner, The
Domtar Corporation, produces a variety of paper and personal care products and is the largest integrated manufacturer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America.
Learn more about this
here
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International Fire Ecology Across Boundaries Conference
The Association for Fire Ecology (AFE) and Pau Costa Foundation (PCF) are partnering with Regione Toscana and University of Florence to host a conference from October 20-23, 2020, in Florence, Italy, for diverse stakeholders involved in wildfire management. The conference, titled “Fire Ecology Across Boundaries: Connecting Science and
Management”, will serve as a meeting point for international wildfire and landscape managers, scientists, policy makers, communicators and other representatives from national, regional and local organizations. The conference schedule will include workshops, concurrent sessions, networking opportunities, oral presentations, a film festival, and field trips to nearby natural resources. Oral presentations, workshop proposals, photos, and short films are invited for submission, with short films, photos, and workshop proposals due April 15 and oral presentation abstracts due May 15.
U.S. Endowment Calls for Speakers for FIRz 2020: Innovative Forestry Forum
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USDA NRCS Announces EQIP Assistance To Help Farmers, Ranchers, Forest Owners Conserve Natural Resources
Farmers, ranchers and forest owners
can apply for financial and technical assistance from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for fiscal year 2020 funding. Although applications are accepted on a continuous basis for all programs, funding selections are typically only made once a year. Through EQIP, landowners may receive financial and technical assistance to improve soil, water, air, plants, animals and related resources. Eligible land includes private, non-industrial forestland. Specific deadlines are set for ranking and funding opportunities within each state. To learn more about this program click
here
, and to learn more about the EQIP application click
here
. To see about your EQIP eligibility or your region’s deadlines, contact or visit
your local NRCS
field office.
NRCS 2020 AG Land Conservation Easement Signup Announced
Applications for agricultural easement from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are now open. Through their Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (AECP), the NRCS provides financial and technical assistance to landowners, land trusts, and other entities in order to conserve working lands and wetlands. NRCS provides financial assistance to conservation partners to purchase an Agricultural Land Easement that protects the agricultural use of cropland, rangeland, grassland, pastureland and non-industrial private forestland. Applications are accepted on a continuous basis and funding selections are made once a year. The NRCS will prioritize applications that protect the conservation values of the land. Eligible partners may submit proposals to the
NRCS state office
to acquire conservation easements on eligible land.
Learn more about this program
here
.
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USFS National Forest Resiliency Innovation 2020 Challenge Cost Share Grant Program
The National Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program is accepting proposals until March 30, 2020 for proposals that support urban and community forestry projects with national or multi-state application and impact on nonfederal lands.
Read more about the requirements for the grant here. Eligible applicants include U.S. Non-federal and Tribal Organization that operates within the United States or territories. Collaboration with federal agencies is encouraged
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Agroforestry Outreach Request for Proposals
The USDA National Agroforestry Center requests proposals to increase the availability of science-based outreach information for producers and landowners on the agroforestry systems. Proposals which create regionally applicable and practice-specific educational materials are requested. Awards are up to $50,000 and the deadline for submission is March 13, 2020.
Read more here.
NFWF Cumberland Plateau Stewardship Fund 2020 RFP
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is requesting proposals located within the Cumberland Plateau region that focuses on restoration of critical forest and freshwater habitats, as well as wildlife species in the region. Up to $1.5 million is expected to be available.
learn more about the RFP here
. Full proposals are due February 20th, 2020.
USDA CRP Sign-ups Open
The USDA Farm Service Agency opened signups for the Conservation Reserve Program December 9
th
. The deadline for agricultural producers to apply is February 28, 2020.
Farmers and ranchers who enroll in CRP receive a yearly rental payment for voluntarily establishing long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees (known as “covers”) to control soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat on marginally productive agricultural lands.
Learn more here
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Two MS State University Extension Forestry Professor Positions
Mississippi State University is hiring two Ph.D. forestry specialists (all but dissertation candidates are acceptable) for positions in the southwestern region of Mississippi and Central Missippi. The positions are 12-month, tenure track position and they will begin screening candidates soon. The link to the job description and a
pplication instructions are here for the Southwestern Mississippi position.
The second position has an emphasis on the management and use of forest resources and is located at Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center (CMREC), in Raymond, Mississippi.
The job description and application for this position can be found here
.
AU Assistant Professor and Wildlife Extension Specialist
Auburn University (AU) is hiring a Ph.D. Wildlife Sciences specialist for a position at
Auburn University’s main campus in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. The position is a full-time, 12-month tenure track Extension Specialist position.
The candidate will be expected to develop an extension and outreach program (70%) to educate landowners, natural resource professionals, and other stakeholders in topic areas of applied wildlife and wildlife damage management and habitat restoration and population management. The balance of the appointment (30%) may either be research or teaching based upon the applicant’s interest, with teaching appointment entails teaching 2 courses per year whereas a research appointment requires an active extramurally funding research program mentoring on average 2-3 graduate students.
The link to this job’s information and application can be found
here
.
Coming Soon: TN DOF Forest Health Specialist
The Forest Health and Sustainability Unit of the Tennessee Division of Forestry, located in Nashville, Tennessee, will soon be hiring a Forest Health Specialist to serve as the division technical expert for statewide forest insects, diseases, and invasive plant species. This position will also be responsible for securing grant funding and coordinating all forest health programs, as well as developing and maintaining cooperative partnerships with federal and state agencies, industry and other non-government organizations to promote forest health objectives in Tennessee. To find out more about or apply for this position,
click here.
Job posted on February 13, 2020.
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USFS Research Economist/ Research Forester Raleigh, NC
The Forest economics and Policy Work Unit of the USFS, located in Research Triangle Park, NC is recruiting a permanent Research Economist or Research Forester. The incumbent is expected to be a productive, self-directed participant in multidisciplinary, team-oriented research projects spanning any of the four Problem Areas of focus for the Forest Economics and Policy Work Unit: (1) the economics of forest disturbances, (2) forest policies, programs and taxes; (3) forest products markets and trade; and (4) forest ecosystem services economics and policy.
To express interest in this opportunity, complete this outreach response form.
UGA Assistant Professor, Precision Forestry
The Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources is searching for candidates with a strong background in remote sensing, forestry or a related field for a 9-month tenure track appointment.
Applicants must apply by February 22, 2020.
VT Assistant Professor of Forest Biometrics
Virginia Tech’s department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation is seeking applicants for a 9-month tenure track teaching and research position. The position will focus on forest biometrics, forest inventory and sampling as well as various collaborations. Learn more about the position here.
The job was posted January 8.
Forest Products Technologist, USDA Forest Service
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Upcoming Events:
February 23-25, 2020 | Panama City Beach, FL
The Southeastern Society of American Foresters will host its annual meeting in Panama City Beach, FL February 23-25, 2020. The focus of this year's meeting is on reviewing the recovery from the Hurricane Michael Storm and looking at what the future holds.
March 10-11, 2020 | New Orleans, LA
The Southern Group of State Foresters' Services, Utilization and Marketing Committee and Southern Regional Extension Forestry invite participants for the Forest Economics Contributions Summit whose goals are to develop improve strategies for analysis and communication of the importance of forestry economics.
May 3-6, 2020 | Bend, OR
The Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals bi-annual conference will be held in Bend, OR and hosted by Oregon State University Extension team. The conference will include field trips, interactive sessions, presentations and more.
June 4, 2020 | Jasper, GA
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September 30, 2020 | Tifton, GA
Georgia Prescribed Fire Council
The Georgia Prescribed Fire Council will host its annual meetings in Jasper and Tifton, GA, respectively. The North Georgia Meeting will be held in Jasper, Georgia on Thursday, June 4, 2020. Their annual state-wdie meeting will be held in Tifton, Georgia, on Wednesday, September 30, 2020. These meetings provide an excellent networking opportunity for Georgia Prescribed Fire Burners. For more information contact Frank M. Riley at
frank.ccrcd@gmail.com
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