Forest Service

Washington, DC (February 1, 2010)- The Alliance for Community Trees is joining together with 17 national organizations to support a strengthening of the U.S. Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Program (U&CF) at $100 million annually.

Washington, DC (September 30, 2009)- As the nation has seen lately, fire season in the West is getting longer, hotter, and more intense. So, Chairman Bingaman is pleased to see key provisions from the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act (FLAME) unanimously adopted as part of the Senate Interior Appropriations bill. The FLAME Act sets up a separate account and budget for fighting the largest and most complex fires, so that adequate funds are available and so that the agencies' land management functions are not shorted.

By Noelle Straub

Washington, DC (September 25, 2009)- The Senate yesterday approved, 77-21, a $32.1 billion spending bill to fund environmental agencies for fiscal 2010 after deflecting several controversial amendments that would have limited the Obama administration's authority to regulate greenhouse gases. H.R. 2996 would provide $10.2 billion for U.S. EPA, $11.1 billion for the Interior Department and $5.3 billion for the Forest Service.

By Stephen Dinan

Washington, DC (September 24, 2009)- The Senate this week told the Obama administration to stop spending stimulus bill wildland firefighting money on urban parks in the nation's capital- the first time either chamber has voted to reject one of the administration's stimulus spending decisions. With fires raging out West, lawmakers said, it was ridiculous to spend firefighting money in Washington, which has no national forests and isn't considered a forest fire danger spot. In a voice vote Tuesday, senators voted unanimously to prohibit the U.S. Forest Service to spend any of its $500 million in wildland fire money in the city.

Washington, DC (September 9, 2009)- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for forest health protection projects. These 78 projects will receive almost $89 million and are located on forested lands in 30 states. This funding will be used to restore forest health conditions on Federal, State, and private forest and rangelands recovering from fires, forest insects and disease outbreaks. These conditions weaken affected lands and threaten the benefits these lands provide, including clean water, clean air, habitat for wildlife, resistance to wildfire, and recreational opportunities for the public. Among the projects being funded are green jobs initiatives in Indiana, Maryland, Georgia, Delaware, and DC that the Alliance for Community Trees advocated for.

Washington, DC (July 21 2009)- Alliance for Community Trees supported testimony delivered today by Leah MacSwords, President of the National Association of State Foresters, in support of the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act (FLAME Act).

Washington, DC (June 1, 2009)- This year, the annual budget offered few surprises as the administration focused on the economic stimulus. The President's 2010 request was $29,327,000, which is a very slight decrease from last year's enacted budget, but is a great improvement from administration budgets of recent years. Nearly $40 million in urban forestry-related projects will receive funding through the ARRA as part of the Forest Service's fuels reduction and ecosystem restoration work. The president's annual budget for FY 2010 provided relief to forestry programs formerly slated for deep cuts under the previous administration. The president's budget calls for the creation of a separate $282 million contingency fund for combating forest fires, which will reduce or eliminate the practice of borrowing money from other programs to pay for emergency fire suppression.

By Allison Winter and Noelle Straub

Washington, DC (May 6, 2009)- President Obama nominated a career Agriculture Department employee yesterday to a political post overseeing the Forest Service and farmland conservation programs. If confirmed by the Senate, Homer Lee Wilkes- currently the Mississippi state conservationist and a 28-year veteran of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)- would be undersecretary for natural resources and environment. The post directs the Forest Service and conservation projects at NRCS.

Washington, DC (April 22, 2009)- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the appointment of Jay Jensen as USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment (NRE). In this position, Jensen will have responsibility for the U.S. Forest Service (FS), which manages 193 million acres of National Forest System lands and provides assistance to the more than 10 million family-forest landowners in this country.

Annapolis, MD (April 14, 2009)- With 6 hours remaining in the 2009 Session, the Sustainable Forestry Act of 2009 (Senate Bill 549) passed both Chambers of the General Assembly and awaits enactment into law, via signature of the Governor. The Act is intended is to promote retention and better management of Maryland's remaining forest lands with emphasis on privately-owned forest lands.

Washington, DC (March 27, 2009)- From California to Connecticut, state forestry agencies are tackling threats to the nation's forests through a new multi-stage process within the U.S. Forest Service. Dubbed "Redesign," this strategic approach effectively and proactively invests federal, state, local, and private resources in a way that makes an impact on the ground. A component of this strategy sets aside a portion of Forest Service funds allocated for state and private forestry efforts and distributes it based on priority landscapes in order to target threats such as insect and disease infestations, wildfire, and the loss of critical forestlands to development.

Washington, DC (March 24, 2009)- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack named Dave White as chief of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) this week. Chief White has experience at the local, state, and national levels, including time as a State Conservationist and on detail to the Senate Agriculture Committee during development of the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills.

Washington, DC (March 10, 2009)- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced USDA will be delivering its first actions implementing the $28 billion provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). Funding will help rebuild and revitalize rural communities as well as help stimulate local economies and create jobs throughout the country.

College Park, MD (March 5, 2009)- Many of you have asked ACT about the stimulus or been asked by state and regional officials to submit plans of action for green projects that would create jobs. It remains to be seen whether the Forest Service will be able to fund urban forestry projects with stimulus dollars. The agency has received many urban proposals, revealing the capacity, demand, and ready network available through the urban forestry program. It still remains a good idea to keep your state forester and regional forester informed about your shovel ready projects in the event funds become available.

Washington, DC (February 13, 2009)- Thanks for your efforts to make contact w/ legislators this week. Final language from the Forestry section of the stimulus is provided here. The compromise did not include everything we wanted, but it does provide state forestry agencies with full authorities, which could in theory include U&CF. If you haven't let your state know what you can do for green jobs, you may want to make them aware now. State foresters are assembling project lists now, and many of them are including urban forestry in their wish lists.

Call to Action

Washington, DC (February 2, 2009)- Did you know that Urban and Community Forestry Programs stand to benefit from economic stimulus legislation? The House bill approved last month provides $550 million for US Forest Service State and Private Forestry programs, which includes specific support for city forest enhancements.

Washington, DC (December 20, 2008)- Just before the beginning of the 2009 fiscal year in October, Congress passed a temporary spending measure to fund the operations of the government until March. Without action early in the next Congress, though, funding for much of the government will run out. The stopgap bill passed in September set full year FY 2009 funding levels for Defense, Homeland Security, and Military Veterans. It spent about $8,000 per U.S. family. But the rest of the government's operations remain unfunded past early March.

By Michael Jamison

Washington, DC (December 14, 2008)- So, what exactly does a former community organizer from Chicago know about grizzly bears and board feet, or salmon and hydropower? That's the question in the West, where towns surrounded by federal lands eagerly watch President-elect Barack Obama's picks for leadership posts in both the departments of Interior and Agriculture.