State Foresters Applaud USDA Secretary Vilsack's ‘All-lands' Approach to Nation's Forests
Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2009In a recent letter to U.S Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, NASF applauded the new vision he shared for America's forests during an August 14 address in Seattle. State Foresters have a long history of working cooperatively with the Forest Service and were pleased to see the secretary recognize that the agency's responsibilities extend well beyond national forests and urge more visible support for the agency's state and private role.
NASF president testifies on the FLAME Act
Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009NASF president and Kentucky State Forester Leah W. MacSwords testified at a hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today on behalf of the Partner Caucus on Fire Suppression Funding Solutions. The members of the Partner Caucus urge passage of the FLAME Act (S. 561) that would create a partitioned wildfire suppression account to fund emergency fires. The FLAME Fund would eliminate the depletion of other Forest Service and Interior programs that occurs in the face of escalating emergency suppression costs.
Smokey Bear Celebrates His 65th Birthday and Returns to Remind Americans... "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires"
Posted on Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Advertising Council joined today with the U.S. Forest Service and NASF to launch a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to celebrate Smokey Bear's 65th birthday and provide critical information to Americans about wildfire prevention. The television, radio, print and online PSAs are being distributed prior to the July 4th holiday, a time when many people go camping, have outdoor BBQs and light fireworks.House passes climate, energy bill with positive forestry provisions
Posted on Monday, June 29, 2009The U.S. House of Representatives passed the "American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009" (HR 2454) by a slim margin (219-212) on Friday. The bill contains a number of provisions important for state and private forestry.
State Foresters congratulate new Forest Service chief Tom Tidwell
Posted on Wednesday, June 17, 2009NASF praised the appointment of Tom Tidwell as Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, announced today by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "State Foresters look forward to working with Chief Tidwell on the pressing challenges facing all the nation's forests," said NASF President and Kentucky State Forester Leah W. MacSwords. "We are enthusiastic about new leadership in the Forest Service to further our joint efforts in tackling issues such as renewable biomass, insect and disease outbreaks, and the impacts of climate change."
State Foresters Support Increased Federal Funding for Sustainable Forestry, Wildfire Protection
Posted on Monday, May 18, 2009State Foresters were pleased with federal support for the nation's forests as demonstrated in President Obama's proposed FY2010 budget released earlier this month. The budget included $306 million for the U.S. Forest Service's State and Private Forestry program, a $40 million increase over the 2009 omnibus. While this show of support is appreciated during austere budget conditions, NASF cautions that some critical program areas such as Forest Stewardship and Urban & Community Forestry continue to be underfunded.
