Learn more about the unique political relationship that federal agencies have with tribes as sovereigns, and as current stewards of traditional homelands. Dr. Alicia Bell-Sheeter and Lexie Rue-Harris from the Office of Tribal Relationsat the United States Forest Service will present an overview of this relationship, legal obligations of federal trustees, and opportunities for collaboration with tribes across boundaries and land jurisdiction, in order to achieve landscape scale benefits.The webinar will be presented Thursday Dec. 3rd at 1pm ET, and can be accessed here. This is the second in a seven-part series on tribal land management, a recording of the first webinar, can be accessed here.

Extension forestry specialists and public service faculty from the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources are delivering a lunchtime webinar series the second week of December. This series will cover a range of forestry and natural resource topics beginning with Intermediate Stand Management for Pines and Hardwoods, then delving into understory plants alongside traditional forestry. Additional webinars will cover invasive species including problems and solutions, as well as management recommendations for beneficial and pest insects. The series will wrap up with information on water quality best management practices and watershed management. Learn more about the series here. Find the first webinar here on forestrywebinars.net. The series will be daily at 12-1 pm ET from Monday December 7th to Friday December 11th.

Pennsylvania State University Extension is offering a webinar for forest owners and land managers to introduce information about how forests store carbon as well as the current state of carbon markets, and opportunities for landowners in Pennsylvania. This webinar is for professionals and landowners interested in forest carbon; knowledge of this topic is not required. This is a 2-part series. The first is an “Introduction to Forest Carbon” where speakers will define what forest carbon means, how to manage it and carbon markets. The second webinar is titled “Q & A with the Nature Conservancy and the American Forest Foundation” where administrators and participants will have the opportunity to ask about carbon programs within these two organizations. In order to receive SAF credits there is a fee of $5, however it is free for general participants. The webinars are scheduled for Nov. 24^th and Dec. 15^th from 12 pm to 1 pm ET. To learn more or register, click here.

The Southern Fire Exchange (SFE) hosted a presentation about the significance of stabilizing long-term carbon while under extreme fire weather in the southeastern region. This recorded webinar will be available for viewing through the SFE website soon. The presenter, Dr. Louise Loudermilk of the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, discussed how frequently burned pine flatwoods are spatially mixed with hardwood-cypress swamps and that long-term management practices affect how these two systems respond to extreme fire weather. Future extreme fire weather may alter future forest conditions, and this presentation includes information on how to spatially improve prescribed fire and timber harvest to manage wildfire risks. This free, 1-hour webinar includes 1 CFE credit and was presented Nov 5^th at 1 pm ET. To learn more, click here.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the release of the 2021 request for proposals under the Longleaf Landscape Stewardship Fund. In 2018, NFWF’s board of directors adopted the Business Plan: Longleaf Forests and Rivers. The longleaf pine component of this 10-year plan builds upon the efforts of the America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative and includes a goal of restoring, enhancing or maintaining three million acres of longleaf pine habitat to improve populations of the species dependent on this ecosystem. The plan also outlines goals for the red-cockaded woodpecker, gopher tortoise, Bachman’s sparrow, and northern bobwhite, species that are representative of a broader suite of wildlife that will also benefit from a healthy longleaf pine ecosystem. This request for proposals (RFP) expects to award approximately $4.3 million in federal and private sector funding in support of projects that restore, enhance and maintain longleaf pine on private and public lands to improve wildlife habitat and water quality. In addition, some funding is available to support bottomland hardwood restoration and enhancement within specific geographies outlined with the RFP. All proposals must specifically address how projects will directly and measurably contribute to the longleaf pine and associated species goals outlined in the Longleaf Forest and Rivers Business Plan. For the registration link, click here.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has today announced the release of the 2021 request for proposals under the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley Restoration Fund. NFWF adopted a ten-year business plan for the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley in 2019. The vision for this plan is to improve the capacity of the bottomland hardwood ecosystem to maintain robust and resilient populations of native species, while safeguarding clean water that flows through the Lower Mississippi Basin’s watersheds. The plan outlines goals for species found in and along the lower Mississippi River, including helping to restore, enhance or conserve 100,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forest and wetlands. Special attention will be placed on the Louisiana Black Bear, waterfowl, forest birds, an array of fish species, and the swamp rabbit, an indicator species that benefits from more forest structure and disturbance. This request for proposals expects to award approximately $1.6 million in federal and private sector funding in support of projects that restore, enhance and maintain bottomland hardwood forests and wetlands and promote aquatic connectivity on private and public lands to improve wildlife habitat and water quality. All proposals must specifically address how projects will directly and measurably contribute to the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley Business Plan goals. Full proposals are due Jan 14^th (2021) by 11:59 pm ET. To register for the applicant webinar Nov 19^th at 2 pm, click here. To learn more about the RFP, click here.

The U.S. Forest Service requests proposals to substantially expand and accelerate wood energy and wood products markets throughout the United States to support forest management needs on National Forest System and other forest lands. This Request for Proposals focuses on the following priorities to: Reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health on National Forest System and other forest lands, reduce costs of forest management on all land types, promote economic and environmental health of communities. Project types include, but are not excluded to means for developing manufacturing capacity and/or other necessary wood products infrastructure, creating markets for wood products that support forest ecosystem restoration, showcasing quantifiable environmental and economic benefits of using wood as a sustainable building material in an actual commercial building, establishing statewide wood utilization teams and statewide wood energy teams and more. The intent of the Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity is to stimulate, expand, and support wood products markets and wood energy markets. Proposal submissions are due Jan. 20, 2021, to learn more, click here. 

This is a 12-month tenure track assistant professor position consisting of 100% Extension (MSU Extension). This position is located at the Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center (CMREC) and has an academic home in the Department of Forestry on the main campus. The primary function of this position will include planning and implementing a comprehensive, science-based Extension Forestry and research program to meet the educational needs of targeted audiences in SW Mississippi. The opportunity exists for the specialist to be assigned statewide responsibility for subject matter programming in the individual’s area of expertise. This faculty member will maintain programmatic ties with research faculty, State Specialists, and other scientists in the Department of Forestry at Mississippi State University. The successful candidate will develop and teach educational programs to the appropriate clientele and county Extension Agents based on national, state, and county needs assessments. These documented Program Plans will include documented curricula that can be delivered and evaluated by the successful candidate and/or county Extension Agents resulting in measured impacts. To learn more, click here.

This is a non-tenure track 12-month position that will be 60% extension (Florida Cooperative Extension Service), 40% teaching (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences), and available in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida. Duties will include developing a robust outreach (Extension) program aimed at forest landowners, forest products companies, and associated stakeholders in forest business/forest economics. Either a master's degree plus 10 years of relevant experience, or a doctorate (foreign equivalent acceptable) in forest economics, forest business, or a closely related discipline. Significant experience with topics related to forest business, economics, forest markets, taxation, land appraisal, or related topics. Candidates should have demonstrated skills in verbal and written communication, interpersonal relationships, forming and working in partnership with industry, agencies, and organizations. To apply, click here.

North Florida Land Trust is a 501(c)3 accredited land trust founded in 1999 with a mission to conserve natural areas, historic resources, and working lands of northeast Florida. With headquarters in Jacksonville, NFLT works throughout northeast Florida and has protected over 24,000 acres of land throughout the region. The Land Management Specialist works with the Land Manager and Stewardship Manager, as well as independently, to complete assigned land management tasks including fee property monitoring, property maintenance, and habitat management. Primary responsibilities include prescribed fire planning and implementation, controlling exotic invasive species, assisting with timber management operations, reporting on progress of restoration efforts, repairing and maintaining preserve infrastructure, and operating and maintaining tools and equipment for land and ecosystem management. Ideal candidate will have prior experience and knowledge of prescribed fire, invasive exotic plant management, as well as proficiency in safe use of equipment and tools including chainsaws, 4WD vehicles, and small boats. Learn more about this job opportunity, click here.

The Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management (NREM) at Oklahoma State University invites applications for a full-time, eleven-month, tenure-track position (75% Research and 25% Teaching) in fire modeling.  Application and/or development of models to understand fire behavior at multiple spatial scales is required.  Possible outcomes of research include improved management of fuels and smoke with prescribed fire, reduction of wildfire risk and mitigation of its effects to infrastructure, reduced impacts of smoke on human health, and improved ecosystem function. Requirements include a Ph.D. in natural resources or field related to fire modeling.  Candidate should have ability to apply model results to improve management of fuels and ecosystems and mitigate risk and impacts of wildfire. For information or to apply, click here.