NACD is actively engaged with Congress and federal agencies to address barriers to forest health nationwide. One of the primary ways NACD keeps our district members and partners in the know when it comes to the latest in forest policy and management is Forestry Notes, a monthly publication NACD produces in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.
Watch and listen NACD forestry webinars on our website and view upcoming forestry events on our calendar. NACD periodically submits comments on rules that affect forest management, as well as letters to Congress on forestry-related issues. You can access those communications by heading over to NACD’s Newsroom.
If you have any questions about our forestry efforts and resources, please reach out to our staff forestry leads, Annica McGuirk, at annica-mcguirk[at]nacdnet.org, and Rachel Theler, at rachel-theler[at]nacdnet.org.
Resources
Case Study: California Resource Conservation Districts – Enhancing Forest Health and Fire Resilience |PDF| In response to the devastating wildfires in California’s North Bay Counties in 2017, the Napa Resource Conservation District (RCD) collaborated with regional partners to create the North Bay Forest Improvement Program (NBFIP). This case study explores how the NBFIP, in partnership with Mendocino RCD, Sonoma RCD, Clear Lake Environmental Research Center (CLERC), and Rebuild North Bay Foundation, addresses wildfire risks and enhances forest health through a collaborative, regionally tailored approach.
Conservation Districts & the Good Neighbor Authority: Empowering Local Communities for Sustainable Forest Management |PDF| The Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service aims to enhance forest management, increase efficiency, and strengthen partnerships with local communities and community partners. Conservation districts are key stakeholders at the local level, and GNA offers the opportunity to collaborate with the Forest Service, contribute to sustainable land management, and promote ecological, social, and economic well-being within the community.
2022 Community Wildfire Desk Guide |PDF| The NACD Community Wildfire Desk Guide and Toolkit are designed to be simple aids for use by conservation districts, resource conservation and development councils and extension professionals. The desk guide details strategic activities these stakeholders can use prior to, during and after wildfire; while the toolkit provides real world examples and thorough explanations of these activities. 2009 Community Wildfire Desk Guide |PDF| and Toolkit |PDF|
Forest Health and Wildfires: The Role of Conservation Districts |PDF| The frequency and intensity of wildfires has increased across the United States dramatically. In their wake, these fires leave deteriorated soils, increased flooding risk, unproductive forests and decimated wildlife habitat. Knowing the best work is done locally, NACD, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, conducted five forest health listening sessions across the western United States. This white paper chronicles the voices of district officials and partners who participated in these sessions.
Friends of the Forest |PDF| In 2016, NACD released the findings of its comprehensive survey of conservation district forestry activity. This 32-page booklet highlights the findings and includes a collection of forestry success stories from around the country.
Woody Biomass Desk Guide and Toolkit |PDF| Designed for use by conservation districts, resource conservation and development councils and extension professionals throughout the United States, this guide and toolkit provides an overview of woody biomass production and utilization nationwide, tips for public outreach and educational handouts to share with clientele.
Forest Landowner Natural Disaster Desk Guide and Toolkit |PDF| The Forest Landowner Natural Disaster Desk Guide and Toolkit is designed to be used by forest landowners as they develop disaster plans for reducing the amount of salvage timber products and biomass generated by a natural disaster. It also includes strategies to reduce response and recovery time – and therefore expenses incurred – before and after a natural disaster.
Network
The Forestry Resource Policy Group (RPG) advises NACD leadership on forest issues relevant to America’s conservation districts and their partners. One way to keep up with the Forestry RPG is to follow Forestry Notes on Twitter.
The RPG is staffed by NACD Northeast Region Representative Annica McGuirk and Southwest Region Representative Rachel Theler. Members of NACD’s Forestry RPG are: Chair Steve Hedstrom of Montana, Vice Chair Gary Blair of Mississippi, Charles Holmes of Alabama (At Large), Doug Rushton of Washington (Pacific), Tom Crowe of Indiana (North Central), Linda Brownson of New Hampshire (Northeast), Keith Bartholomay of North Dakota (Northern Plains), John McAlpine of Arkansas (South Central), Danny Hogan of Georgia (Southeast), Doug Martin of Nevada (Southwest), Alan Williams (At Large); NCDEA Advisors Sarah Tunge and Garrett Stevens; NASCA Advisor Ben Schram; and NRCS Advisor Laurie Schoonhoven.
Learn more about previous members of the Forestry RPG in a blog post here.
Our Forestry Partners
The Forest Service Cooperative Forestry staff works with states, private landowners and other partners to promote healthy forests and livable communities throughout the United States. Their programs and partnerships help private landowners and rural communities care for their forests and strengthen local economies.
NRCS provides federal leadership in a partnership effort to help America’s private landowners and managers conserve their natural resources. NRCS provides both technical forestry and agroforestry practice standards, as well as financial assistance through a number of conservation programs.
The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) is a non-profit organization that represents the directors of all 50 state forestry agencies, the eight U.S. territories (American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Northern Marianas Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, Republic of the Marshall Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and the District of Columbia.
The National Agroforestry Center accelerates the application of agroforestry through a national network of partners. The center conducts research, develops technologies and tools, coordinates demonstrations and trainings, and provides useful information to natural resources professionals.
Project Learning Tree (PLT) is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, parents and community leaders working with youth in preschool through 12th grade. PLT is one of the most widely-used environmental education programs in the U.S. and abroad. Many conservation district employees are among the 3,000 grassroots volunteers who have helped train more than 500,000 educators in using PLT materials and reach approximately 26 million students. PLT materials are aligned with state and national education standards.
The American Forest Foundation works on-the-ground with families, teachers and elected officials to promote stewardship and protect our nation’s forest heritage.