Firewise Events
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Assessment and Resource Strategy
The Mississippi Forestry Commission is conducting a statewide forest assessment and resource strategy in response to a section of the 2008 Farm Bill, which refers to the process of “redesigning” how federal funding is provided to states forestry agencies carrying out particular forestry programs on privately owned forestland. The Forestry Commission utilizes these funds to support a number of forestry programs, including technical forestry assistance to rural and urban landowners, enhancing wildfire protection efforts, and supporting forest health programs that address insects, diseases and non-native invasive species that are affecting the health and productivity of Mississippi’s forestland.
The purpose of a redesigned USDA Forest Service State & Private Forestry (S&PF) is to shape and influence forestland use on a scale and in a way that optimizes public benefits from trees and forests for both current and future generations, according to a USDA Forest Service presentation about the Redesign process. The Redesign Implementation Committee is a national group providing development and recommendation guidance of the redesign process being implemented by state forestry agencies. The S&PF Redesign is a response to increasing pressures on our nation’s forests and a decrease in resource funds. The Redesign process also came about because of a need for better partnerships on projects and better program integration. Implementing more progressive management strategies and programs, combined with focusing resources on forest issues and landscapes, will better address the needs of threatened forests across the country.
As a part of the Redesign process and required by an amendment to the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act (CFAA), as enacted in the 2008 Farm Bill, each state is required to complete a State Assessment and Resource Strategy by June 2010. There are three components to the assessment and planning strategy: Forest Resource Assessment, Forest Resource Strategy, and an annual report explaining how federal funds have been utilized.
Click links below to download:
Mississippi's Assessment of Forest Resources & Forest Resource Strategy - June 2010
Forest Assessment and Resource Strategy Press Release - March 2009
Forest Resource Assessment
The Mississippi Forest Resource Assessment will include qualitative, quantitative, geospatial, and non-geospatial data to identify priorities and complete the assessment. The assessment will include:
- An analysis of present and future forest conditions and trends
- Forest issues including threats, benefits, and services
- Future opportunities for forest resources and priority forest landscapes
- Priority rural and urban forest landscapes
- Multi-State or regional priority areas
- A review of existing statewide natural resource plans
Forest Resource Strategy
Mississippi’s Forest Resource Strategy will provide a long-term, comprehensive, coordinated strategy for investing state, federal, and other resources to the management of priority landscapes as identified in the forest assessment. The strategy will also include the following components:
- Outline long-term strategies for addressing priority landscapes identified in the Forest Resource Assessment while following the three National Themes (Conserve Working Forest Lands, Protect Forests from Harm, and Enhance Public Benefits from Trees and Forests)
- Describe how the state proposes to invest funding to address forest management objectives
- Include long-term timeline for projects and program implementation
- Identify partner and stakeholder involvement
- Identify strategies for monitoring outcomes
- Describe how the state’s proposed activities will accomplish USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry program objectives
- Describe how State and Private Forestry programs will be used to address priority landscape and management objective
- Incorporate existing statewide natural resource plans
Annual Report on Use of Funds
This report will describe how Mississippi used all of the S&PF program funds throughout a fiscal year. The report will also describe specific actions taken throughout the year to address the state assessment and resource strategy. The annual report will also include a comprehensive budget with contributions from all federal, state, and nongovernmental partners.
Additional Information
For additional information about the national direction of the State and Private Forestry program and the Redesign initiative, go to www.fs.fed.us/spf/redesign/index.shtml.
