Longleaf Pine Conservation from USDA

This just in from USDA NRCS. Just another thought...There are no longleaf pine seedlings available from Southern nurseries this year, partly due to this government program. You might want to consider growing them.

For Immediate Release

Longleaf Pine Initiative Funding Available to Private Landowners

Gainesville, FL., November 10, 2010 -- Longleaf pine forests once covered millions of acres throughout the Southeastern United States. Today, only a few thousand acres of this vital habitat remains. To help sustain, enhance and restore longleaf pine forests, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White announced the availability of $400,000 to help private landowners in Florida restore and manage longleaf pine.
“The longleaf pine is one of our key native species; providing a home to hundreds of plant and animal species as well as being a tremendous economic resource,” White said. “Restoring and expanding this species is only made possible through voluntary partnerships with conservation-minded landowners who share our goal of healthy forests.”
Longleaf pine habitat can contain as many as 300 different species of groundcover plants per acre, and approximately 60 percent of the amphibian and reptile species found in the Southeast. Additionally, this forested habitat is home to at least 122 endangered or threatened plant and animal species including the fox squirrel, northern bobwhite, red-cockaded woodpecker and gopher tortoise.
“We’ve taken great steps toward conserving longleaf pine forests in Florida,” said Jeffrey Woods, acting state conservationist for Florida. “Through this initiative, and the great works of our landowners, we will be able to enhance and protect more of this essential habitat.”
The Longleaf Pine Initiative will incorporate, through the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP), both technical and financial assistance to help landowners in Florida to improve habitat on agricultural land, nonindustrial private forest and Tribal land. Although WHIP has a continuous signup, landowners have until January 7, 2011 to apply for FY2011 funding for the Longleaf Pine Initiative.
Nine states are included in the Longleaf Pine Initiative: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
Approved participants will receive financial assistance for implementing conservation practices including planting longleaf pine, installing firebreaks, conducting prescribed burning and controlling invasive plants.
Additional information on NRCS and our programs is available on our Website at www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov or at your local USDA NRCS office. To find the nearest office go to http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app .

USDA Conservation Stewardship Program

Here is an announcement from the USDA NRCS. You can call the NRCS in Plant City 813-759-6450 or click on the links below for more information.

Gainesville, FL., November 4, 2010 – The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has extended the ranking period cut-off date for their Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Producers now have until January 7, 201, to finalize their applications; but are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
The CSP program, authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill, offers payments to producers who maintain a high level of conservation on their land and who agree to adopt higher levels of stewardship. Eligible lands include cropland, pastureland, rangeland and nonindustrial forestland.
“We’re extending the deadline for applications to CSP to provide agricultural producers more time to complete their applications,” said Acting State Conservationist Jeffrey Woods. “This will help farmers, ranchers and forestry producers by giving them more time and hopefully allow even more producers to participate in this program.”
CSP is offered in all 50 states, District of Columbia, and the Pacific and Caribbean areas through continuous sign-ups with announced cut-off dates for ranking periods. The program provides many conservation benefits including improvement of water and soil quality, wildlife habitat enhancement and adoption of conservation activities that address the effects of climate change.
A CSP self-screening checklist is available to help producers determine if CSP is suitable for their operation. The checklist highlights basic information about CSP eligibility requirements, contract obligations and potential payments. It is available from local NRCS offices or online at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/new_csp/csp.html .
For information about CSP or other NRCS conservation programs, visit: www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov/programs or the USDA-NRCS Service Center nearest you, http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app .
NRCS is celebrating 75 years helping people help the land.