Florida Land Steward Update, June 23, 2023

RURAL AND FAMILY LAND PROTECTION PROGRAM OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT

Apply by July 27

The Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services has announced an application cycle for landowners to apply to the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. This is an agricultural land preservation program designed to protect important agricultural lands through the acquisition of permanent agricultural land conservation easements. Landowners interested in pursuing a conservation easement on their land can now submit their application online to the department through July 27.  See more program details and application materials here.

HURRICANE SEASON: KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE TROPICS AND BE PREPARED

We continued our Hurricane Preparation & Recovery webinar series yesterday with the latest information on disaster assistance programs offered by USDA Farm Service Agency, steps to take in advance to make the enrollment process as efficient as possible, and how to find your local USDA service center The recording of the June 22 Webinar: USDA Disaster Recovery Assistance, is available here.

Later this summer we will conclude this series with a webinar on recovering from a major storm event: communications, assessment and documentation of damage, prioritizing salvage harvests, recovery assistance, and more. Details will be on the events calendar soon.

Keep a watch on topics! The NOAA National Hurricane Center is the place to monitor tropical weather developments. There are a couple new developments out there now.

REPORT ALL YOUR WILD TURKEY SIGHTINGS THIS SUMMER

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s 2023 wild turkey summer survey has launched! Landowners, citizen scientists, conservationists, hunters, and other outdoor enthusiasts are invited to take part in this important annual survey.

More details and reporting options here.

SIGN UP FOR USDA NRCS O2O CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROGRAM

Application period extended to June 30

Florida landowners interested in aligning their land uses with conservation values have an opportunity to apply for a conservation easement program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) beginning April 17.  NRCS and NFLT are partnering in a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns in the Ocala-to-Osceola (O2O) Wildlife Corridor. Read about this O2O RCPP and easement opportunity here.  Interested landowners can contact Heather Barnes, NFLT O2O Coordinator, at hbarnes@nflt.org, (904) 579-1967; or Michael Ruiz, NRCS RCPP-Easements, at michael.ruiz@usda.gov, (352) 338-9566. Apply by June 30, 2023.

ENROLL IN ONLINE FOREST LANDOWNER ACADEMY

Are you new to forestry and land management? Need a good primer on forest management concepts and next steps? Need a course in a self-paced format that you can take on your own time?  This course is for you!  Forest landowners, and others in need of forest management information, are encouraged to enroll in this self-paced online course to connect with forest management experts at the University of Florida and receive quality core educational content on forestry and multiple-use stewardship concepts.

The 7 course modules cover a variety of topics on understanding your forest resources, developing your management plan, timber management, marketing forest products, other forest enterprises such as pine straw and hunting leases, wildlife management, and planning for the future. Each module includes recorded video from the field or virtual classroom, links to references, and an assessment where you can apply what you’ve learned to your land or situation. The cost of the course is $150. Those completing the course will earn a University of Florida Certificate of Completion.

See and share course details in the Forest Landowner Academy blog post.

Direct link to enroll in the Forest Landowner Academy:
https://ifas-sfrc-for.catalog.instructure.com/courses/for-fla

Questions about the course can be directed to Chris Demers, cdemers@ufl.edu, (352) 846-2375.

NORTH FLORIDA PRESSCRIBED BURN ASSOCIATION (NFPBA) ANNOUNCES 2023-24 SCHOLARSHIP

Apply by June 30, 2023

The NFPBA is a 501c3 non-profit that promotes landowner cooperative use of prescribed fire in 17 North FL counties. NFPBA is a strong advocate for Prescribed Fire in Florida as a land management tool that benefits the safety of the public, the environment, and the economy of the state. To further that belief, the NFPBA is currently seeking applicants for scholarships in the amount of $500 to attend the Florida Certified Prescribed Burn Manager Training Course (in-person class). This course is offered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Florida Forest Service.

This scholarship is targeted towards individuals who are engaged in some aspect of public outreach or education where an enhanced understanding of Prescribed Fire in Florida will allow the applicant to be more effective with engaging and educating the general public about the value and necessity of prescribed fire in managing and maintaining Florida’s environment.

The ideal candidates would be from our primary operational area, which includes the Florida counties of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Hamilton, Gilchrist, Levy, Marion Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, Union, and Volusia. However, we will accept applications from individuals outside of this area based on the applicant’s merit and background. See the NFPBA 2023-24 Scholarship announcement page for an application or contact NFPBA Board Member, Bob Jenkins at bccjenkins@bellsouth.net, (904) 237-6330. Applications must be submitted by June 30, 2023 for consideration.

GET FLORIDA LAND STEWARD EMAIL UPDATES

Don’t miss out on news and events! Sign up for the regular email updates! Send an email to Chris at cdemers@ufl.edu to be added to the email listserv. Florida Land Steward email updates are sent once a week or every other week and include the latest calendar of workshops, tours and other events; a link to the current issue of the quarterly Florida Land Steward newsletter; updates on cost-share and other assistance programs, opportunities, and resources; and other stewardship related news and information.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

See our Events Calendar and News page for upcoming events and ongoing programs, initiatives, and opportunities.

ACCESS THE QUARTERLY FLORIDA LAND STEWARD NEWSLETTER ONLINE

Access the current and back issues of the quarterly Florida Land Steward newsletter here.

HAVE AN EVENT OR RELATED NEWS TO SHARE?

Drop a line with the details and link(s) to Chris at cdemers@ufl.edu.

CONSIDER A GIFT IN SUPPORT OF THE UF/IFAS FLORIDA LAND STEWARD PROGRAM

The mission of the UF/IFAS Florida Land Steward Program is to help and encourage private landowners to actively manage their land resources for long-term environmental, economic, and social benefits. This program is largely supported by partners and donors. If this program has made a difference in your land stewardship efforts, please consider a gift.  Support the UF/IFAS Florida Land Steward Program here. Thanks!