Florida Land Steward

Florida Land Steward Calendar and News

To sign up for weekly email updates, which include the latest calendar of events, news and a link to the quarterly Florida Land Steward newsletter, send an email to cdemers@ufl.edu.

If you know of an event or news brief that should be included on this page or the news blog please send an email with the news information or event name, date, location, and contact information to cdemers@ufl.edu.

Ongoing Initiatives and Programs
ONGOING INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS

HURRICANE PREPARATION AND RECOVERY GUIDES FOR FLORIDA AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS AND LANDOWNERS

The USDA Southeast Climate Hub with other USDA agencies and university Extension experts, have developed a set of guides for Florida agricultural producers. The guides are each tailored to a specific agricultural commodity and designed to help produces prepare for and recover from hurricane events.

The guides are available on the USDA Southeast Climate Hub Website. Of interest to forest landowners is the Pine Forest Landowners Guide.

PRESCRIBED BURN ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FROM ATTACK-ONE FIRE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, TALL TIMBERS RESEARCH STATION, AND ALACHUA CONSERVATION TRUST

These organizations are available to meet onsite with landowners to discuss their goals and assist with prescribed burn prescription and implementation. This service may be suspended due to current health crisis.

Attack-One Fire Management Services is grant-funded to assist landowners with current NRCS contracts with prescribed fire planning and implementation throughout Florida and Georgia. We can also assist landowners who have former NRCS contracts with prescribed fire consultation, planning and implementation with active Gopher Tortoise habitat present. For more information email Kevin Carter, kevin@attack-one.com or call (850) 926-6534

Tall Timbers Research Station is funded by a Longleaf Legacy Landscape project to provide fire consultation, planning, and implementation to private landowners in the Florida Panhandle from Pensacola to Lake City and in west Georgia as far north as the Chattahoochee Fall Line (Columbus, GA). Contact Jeremiah Cates, jcates@talltimbers.org, (850) 381-8707

Alachua Conservation Trust has a prescribed fire specialist available to assist private landowners with burn planning, include that associated with NRCS contacts, in Alachua, Putnam, Marion, Levy, Bradford, Clay and portions of Flagler, Volusia, Lake, Sumter, and Citrus Counties. Contact Barry Coulliette at act.barryc@gmail.com, 904-838-8591. Barry is also the Coordinator for the North Florida Prescribed Burn Association.

FLORIDA LAND STEWARD PARTNERS WEB MAP TOOL

Use this web tool to identify resources at a local watershed scale. The map is at this link: http://viewer.apps.pflcc.databasin.org/v1/index.html. More about Florida Landscape Web Map Tool and how to use it.

SOMETHING BUGGING YOUR TREES? - CHECK OUT THE FOREST HEALTH DIAGNOSTICS FORUM

Hosted by a group of forest and tree health specialists with Southeastern universities and agencies, we are here to help identify pests and diseases in your forest or your backyard, and to recommend a solution, if appropriate. Join the group and report your tree health issue!

Visit the new Forest Health Diagnostic forum on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SouthernTreeHealthDiagnostics/

GOT AN INVASIVE SPECIES PROBLEM?

Go to floridainvasives.org for information, assistance and partnership opportunities. Get information on all invasive taxa at UF/IFAS Invasive Species Programs

FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE HOSTING SIMPLE SMOKE SCREENING TOOL ONLINE

An user friendly smoke plotting tool is now available on the Florida Forest's Fire Tools and Downloads webpage.

"FAMILY FORESTS" BOOK AVAILABLE AT THE UF/IFAS BOOKSTORE

Get your copy of Family Forests – Portraits of Private Land Stewardship in Florida by Chris Demers, UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation. This full-color publication puts a face on private forest stewardship in our great state, and provides ample references and resources that can assist with land management efforts.

Now available at the UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore online at:http://ifasbooks.ifas.ufl.edu/p-1433-family-forests.aspx

YOUR BACKYARD WOODS AND WILDLIFE: A HANDBOOK FOR FLORIDA LANDOWNERS

Whether you’re a new Florida resident or your family’s been here for generations, you can benefit from this handy guidebook to managing your land. This is the only book designed for landowners of small properties of 20 acres or less. Your Backyard Woods and Wildlife begins by identifying Florida's ecosystems, plants and wildlife, and showing how to assess the health of your land. The second section details what you can do to manage your land, including chapters on
- Protecting water quality
- Creating wildlife habitat
- Protecting your home from wildfire
- Maintaining and improving forest health
- Managing for timber, recreation and other income generating businesses
- Planning for the future
The third section is an extensive catalog of useful print and online resources. If you’re interested in maintaining your land, making back a little money, or preserving Florida’s natural resources for future generations, Your Backyard Woods and Wildlife is a great place to start.

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON A PARTICULAR TOPIC?

Check the vast array of extension publications available through UF/IFAS on the EDIS publication site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ Wow, there’s a publication about that?

UF/IFAS SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION EXTENSION PROGRAMS

See http://sfrc.ufl.edu/extension

FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES WEBINARS

For a calendar of upcoming webinars in a variety of land management topics see:
http://www.forestrywebinars.net/webinar-calendar/month#.T-zLkBhgZys.blogger

SOUTHERN REGION EXTENSION FORESTRY

See http://sref.info/ for the latest news, tools and offerings.

SUPPORT THE UF/IFAS FLORIDA LAND STEWARD PROGRAM

Your contribution will help support the educational and nextworking services of the Florida Land Steward Program.

REPORT QUAIL AND OTHER WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS

To help restore the state’s northern bobwhite quail populations, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is asking private landowners to report sightings of bobwhite quail on their land. Report northern bobwhite quail sightings at MyFWC.com/QuailSighting

The FWC also seeks reports of these species:
- Report chipmunk sightings here: https://public.myfwc.com/hsc/chipmunk/getlatlong.aspx
- Report panther sightings here: https://public.myfwc.com/hsc/PantherSightings/getlatlong.aspx
- Report mink sightings here: https://public.myfwc.com/hsc/mink/getlatlong.aspx
- Report black bear sightings here: https://public.myfwc.com/fwri/blackbear/getlatlong.aspx
- Report southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus), short-tailed snake (Lampropeltis extenuata), and Florida pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus) here:
  https://public.myfwc.com/fwri/raresnakes/UserHome.aspx?id=
NEED A LOAN TO FUND CONSERVATION PROJECTS? CHECK OUT THE USDA FARM SERVICE AGENCY'S GUARANTEED CONSERVATION LOAN PROGRAM

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) guarantees loans to promote conservation practices on farms and ranches that help protect natural resources. The goal of FSA’s Conservation Loan (CL) program is to provide access to credit for farmers who need and want to implement conservation measures on their land, but do not have the “up front” funds available to implement these practices. For more information see this Conservation Loan Program Fact Sheet. Also see this table summarizing FSA farm loan opportunities.

The Conservation Contract Program is a program for eligible landowners that protects important natural resources and other sensitive areas while providing a debt management tool. A conservation contract is available to people with Farm Service Agency (FSA) direct loans secured by real estate. These individuals may qualify for a reduction of their FSA indebtedness in exchange for a conservation contract with a term of 50, 30 or 10 years. The conservation contract is a voluntary legal agreement that restricts the type and amount of development that may take place on portions of the landowner’s property. Contracts may be established on marginal cropland and other environmentally sensitive lands for conservation, recreation and wildlife purposes. For more information see this Conservation Contract Program Fact Sheet.

The FSA provides several types of farm loans. For more information on these opportunities, see the Florida FSA Website or contact your local FSA office to speak with a local representative.

Upcoming Events and Webinars

East Florida | West Florida | Webinars

East Florida Events

EAST FLORIDA (Madison County, east and south)
October 27-30	Aquatic Weed Control Short Course Fort Lauderdale Marriott Coral Springs Hotel, 11775 Heron Bay Boulevard, Coral Springs, FL 33076. Provided by UF/IFAS Extension. Join us for the largest and most inclusive training for Florida Pesticide Licensing and CEUs. Become a more qualified professional, engage with your industry, and network with your peers! The course is designed to benefit both new and experienced applicators alike. See link above for details and registration. For more information contact Dr. Lyn Gettys, 954-577-6331, lgettys@ufl.edu
March 27-28, 2021	Central Florida Sportsman’s Expo Tom Varn Park, 301 Darby Rd., Brooksville, FL 34601. University of Florida IFAS and FL Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be exhibiting and available to answer questions. $5 Entry Fee, children under 12 Free. See link for details and informative video about the event.

West Florida Events

WEST FLORIDA (Jefferson County and west)

May 14 2021

Florida Land Steward Tour at Jenkins Millview Trace, Escambia County, FL
8:30 am to 2:00 pm CT, Jenkins Millview Trace, Pensacola, FL. Mr. Robert Jenkins, owner and manager of Jenkins Millview Trace, is the 2020 Land Steward of the Year. We are moving this tour to next year due to the current COVID-19 health crisis. Join us in 2021 for this tour to learn about longleaf pine forest restoration and management, enhancing wildlife habitat, tree planting, and the challenges of land management in the wildland-urban interface. This is also a great opportunity to network with other landowners and meet the forestry and natural resource professionals that can assist you. $15 includes lunch and materials. Updated flier and registration page will be posted here.

Webinars / Online Training

October 19-30	Pine Rockland Working Group 2020 Virtual Symposium Webinar lectures October 19-23; Virtual field trips October 26-30. This year, in the interest of preventing COVID19 transmission, the Pine Rockland Working Group meeting will be a virtual experience. Presentations will be scheduled Oct. 19-23. Speakers will describe what they (or their agency) have accomplished over 22+ years working in pine rocklands. The public may attend any of the free live talks, which will be recorded and posted on this website. Interested persons are further invited to participate by sharing (1) links to electronic resources, and (2) a photo or chart with an explanatory caption for the photo gallery. See the symposium website above for all the details.
October 21	North Central Florida Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area Zoom Workshop 2:00 - 4:00 pm ET. Join us for an update on the UF/IFAS Plant ID and Information Service and an overview of Cuban tree frog invasion in Florida and beyond. See link above for details and registration.
October 22	Florida Land Steward Short Course 2020 Webinar 2: Keep the Habitat Value of your new Forest 2:00 - 3:00 pm ET. A diverse groundcover is not easy to establish. Don’t lose it if you have it. With some planning and deliberate management you can regenerate a forest stand without compromising the existing habitat value. SAF CFE: 1.0 Cat 1 CFE, pending approval. See link above for details and to register for the webinar.
October 22	Forestry and Natural Resources Webinar: Woods for Wildlife: Native Plants of the Longleaf Pine Forest and Active Management of Early Successional Plant Communities 1:00 pm ET. Targeted to North Carolina. See link for details and to join.
October 27	Conservation Webinar: Pollinator Habitat Restoration: Planning and Contracting 2:00 pm ET. See link for details and to join.
October 29	Forestry and Natural Resources Webinar: How Both Short and Long Term Wildlife Research can Inform Management 3:00 pm ET. See link for details and to join.
November 4	Conservation Webinar: Essential Aspects of Monarch Habitat in the Southeast 2:00 pm ET. See link for details and to join.
November 5	Florida Land Steward Short Course 2020 Webinar 3: Using Biomass Harvesting for Reforestation & Restoration 2:00 - 3:00 pm ET. Make way for reforestation and/or forest restoration. Local biomass markets can provide a much-needed market for low value wood that needs to be cleared for forest restoration purposes. SAF CFE: 1.0 Cat 1 CFE, pending approval. See link above for details and to register for the webinar.
November 5	Forestry and Natural Resources Webinar: Woods for Wildlife: Forestry for Birds and Commonly Used Herbicides for Habitat Management 1:00 pm ET. Targeted to North Carolina. See link for details and to join.
November 12	Florida Land Steward Short Course 2020 Webinar 4: Prepare for and Recover more quickly from the next Hurricane 2:00 - 3:00 pm ET. As we have learned in recent years, powerful hurricanes can make their way inland and do considerable damage to forest lands and agricultural enterprises. It’s never too early to prepare. Learn some strategies to make your property resilient and steps you can take to recover from a storm more quickly. SAF CFE: 1.0 Cat 1 CFE, pending approval. See link above for details and to register for the webinar.
December 3	Florida Project Learning Tree Virtual Professional Development Training Experience 3:30 - 6:00 pm ET. Join us to explore and experience PLT activities, hear from guest speakers on relevant environmental topics; and discuss ideas with other educators for using PLT to engage students in learning both indoors and outside. A second part of the course will be a self-paced training. See link above for details and regsitration.
Recordings, Links, Materials from 2020 Florida Land Steward Webinars Forestry & Natural Resource Webinars Southern Fire Exchange Webinars UF/IFAS Panhandle Outdoors Live Webinars