May/June 2014
FWS reopens comment period on critical habitat designation
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he U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) reopened the public comment period for 60 days on the proposed designations of critical habitat for the Neosho mucket and Rabbitsfoot under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Both species are freshwater mussels found in river systems in the eastern half of the United States. To provide the public an opportunity to learn more, ask questions and submit their comments in person, FWS will hold two public meetings in Arkansas during the comment period. •
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Wednesday, June 4, 6-8 p.m. UA Community College Nursing and Allied Health Building, Lecture Hall Room 902 2005 White Dr., Batesville Thursday, June 5, 6-8 p.m. Benton Event Center, Room 2 17322 Interstate 30, Benton.
The public is also invited to comment on the draft environmental assessment and draft economic analysis of the proposed critical habitat designations. The deadline for comments is July 14. The proposed rule for the critical habitat designations is available at www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2012–0031. This is the fourth round of public comment on the proposed critical habitat designations since FWS announced them in September 2012. FWS decided to hold a fourth public comment period in response to a request from U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, as well as concerns raised by the Arkansas delegation and several organizations. Arkansas’s First District U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford hosted a House Committee on Natural Resources oversight field hearing in Batesville, Ark., on May 14 to
discuss “Protecting the Rights of Property Owners: Proposed Federal Critical Habitat Designations Gone Wild.” The hearing examined the comprehensive impacts of critical habitat designations, flaws in the current critical habitat proposals for the mussels, and the need for legislation to require the federal government to comprehensively analyze all impacts resulting from ESA listing and resulting habitat designations.
that effectively shut out Congress, states and the American public from accurately identifying the true costs of ESA listings and critical habitat designations that were originally intended by the law. Already, millions of acres of public and private property nationwide have been included in habitat designations that will dramatically impact the future value and multiple uses of those lands,” said House Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04).
State Forester Joe Fox represented the state’s forestry community and AFA Executive Vice President Max Braswell attended the event.
“I believe the testimony that was presented today by a multitude of experts from across Arkansas demonstrates the need for a full economic analysis to be completed with any proposed critical habitat designation. I will continue to work with this broad coalition of groups in Arkansas, along with Chairman Hastings, on this matter going forward to ensure that the voices and interests of private land owners are heard,” said U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford.
Fox testified that the state’s private landowners have an impressive 89-percent implementation rate for voluntary Best Management Practices, which protect water quality, and that forest management practices and habitat conservation can and do coexist. Requirement for protective areas for the northern long-eared bat, however, would negatively affect prescribed burning and harvesting operations, thereby compromising forest health, Fox added. FWS proposed designating a total of 769.2 river miles in Arkansas as critical habitat for Neosho muckets and Rabbitsfoot mussels. The proposed critical habitat designations will directly impact 31 Arkansas counties and the targeted watersheds encompass approximately 42% of the entire geographical area of Arkansas. The FWS’s economic analyses estimated the cost would be $4.4 million for the 15 states over a 20 year period, while Arkansas counties estimate the costs just to their own state to top $20 million, and that the designations are overly broad and include areas where no mussels exist or haven’t existed for decades. “Despite what some say, these policies do have costs. Unfortunately, last year the Obama Administration finalized a regulation
Last month, the Committee approved four targeted bills that would improve and modernize the ESA. The primary focus of these four bills is to promote data and cost transparency, species recovery, and litigation reform. “Last year, the USFWS issued a final rule that would implement an ‘incremental approach’ to analyzing the economic impact of critical habitat designations versus a ‘full analysis,’” said Randy Veach, president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau. “This approach would require USFWS to only consider the direct cost to government agencies, instead of considering costs to all stakeholders. A process that allows a full and complete economic impact study before critical habitat areas are declared would, clearly, be a better approach. Our farmers, ranchers and landowners are often overloaded with unnecessary and burdensome regulations.
See FWS on page 2
CALENDAR June 12 South Central Log A Load For Kids Golf Tournament DeGray Lake, Bismarck June 14 South Central Log A Load For Kids Feaster Park, Arkadelphia June 17 Forest Practices Committee 9:30 a.m. - AFA Office June 23-27 Teacher Conservation Tour Russellville July 9 Executive Committee 10 a.m. - AFA Office, Little Rock August 2 Drew County Log A Load For Kids UA Monticello, Monticello September 3 Program Committee 10 a.m. - Hot Springs September 13 River Valley Log A Load For Kids L.V. Williamson Boys and Girls Club Russellville September 23-25 69th AFA Annual Meeting Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa Hot Springs
FWS, cont. from front Designating that much critical habitat without considering the economic effects on the area will, no doubt, compound that problem. Quite frankly, it will affect our lives and our livelihood, and that MUST be reflected in any evaluation of critical habitat designations,” he added. For more information about the mussels, look online at www.fws.gov/ southeast/species/invertebrate/ neosho_mucket.html and www. fws.gov/southeast/species/ invertebrate/rabbitsfoot.html.
Plan ahead if planting hardwoods
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f you are a private landowner and would like to plant at least 20 acres to a mix of hardwoods, start planning now and contact a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Private Lands Biologist right away. The Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program has funding available for private landowners, but several key steps will have to be completed before planting can occur. Site preparation will have to be done this summer to give hardwood seedlings the proper conditions for optimal growth; especially if converting old pastures or hayfields. Grass dominated sites will require a significant amount of site prep, as existing perennial grasses should be eradicated the summer or fall prior to tree planting. If you have perennial warm season grasses, such as bermuda grass or bahia grass, you will need to apply herbicides during the summer months when they are actively growing. For cool season grasses, such as fescue, you can spray them in the fall. Grasses provide too much competition for water during the growing season and can lead to tree failures, especially during dry summers. Their eradication or control is almost a requirement prior to tree planting. After eliminating the competition, the site
will likely need to be sub-soiled or “ripped,” as it is more commonly termed. Ripping is completed by taking a steel shank behind a tractor and allowing it to dig into the soil at a depth of 15-18 inches. This will break up the hard pan and allow the tree roots to spread out, but it will also allow water to infiltrate the soil down to the root zone. Ripping also allows for faster and easier planting for hand crews. After the trees are planted, a pre-emergent herbicide is recommended to keep any grasses or competing vegetation from coming back during the establishment year. The pre-emergent will have to be applied before the tree buds begin to swell. Biologists and foresters can provide you with a site-specific schedule for implementing the practices, as well and a list of contractors. The Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program can even provide costshare if your project ranks high enough. Cost-share is not available for planting cutovers or for non-native trees. For more information, contact a Partners for Fish & Wildlife Biologist: • South Arkansas, 870-940-0681 • Northeast Arkansas, 501-676-9122 • Northwest Arkansas, 501-513-4479
Woodland Restoration deadline June 12
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orest landowners in 29 counties in western Arkansas have until June 13, to apply for financial assistance for the voluntary installation of forest land conservation practices to help restore, maintain and enhance more open woodland. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and United States Forest Service (FS) recently announced a multi-year partnership to improve the health and resiliency of forest ecosystems across the nation. The Western Arkansas Woodland Restoration project aims to double the conservation activity on private lands and on the Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita National Forests over the next three years. “Both of these agencies have the same goal – improving the health of our forest lands,” Mike Sullivan, NRCS state conservationist said. “The project has two components that will restore and improve forest land.
The NRCS portion will provide voluntary, incentive-based assistance to private landowners, while the Forest Service portion will focus on Forest Service lands.” Key conservation practices include forest stand improvement (thinning), prescribed burning, firebreaks, tree and shrub planting and forage and biomass planting. All trees, shrubs and grass planted through the program must be native. “As with all NRCS programs, participation is completely voluntary,” Sullivan said. “This project incorporates the same practices at an accelerated pace landowners have been voluntarily implementing for years.” Additional information about the project, an area map and conservation practices, are available at www.ar.nrcs.usda.gov. To apply, visit your local NRCS office. To locate the local field office, visit www.nrcs. usda.gov/wps/portal/main/national/ contact/local.
Farley honored with national Log A Load For Kids Volunteer award
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he Log A Load For Kids Foundation conferred its 2014 National Log A Load For Kids Volunteer Champion Award on Allen Farley, Chair of Arkansas’s River Valley Log A Load For Kids chapter, at the Forest Resources Association’s Annual Awards Dinner, May 8 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Member news... >> AFA Past President Allen C. Morgan has been selected by the District 6170 nominating committee to serve as District Governor for the Rotary year July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017. He is a member of Rotary Club of Arkadelphia Sunrise.
An employee of Green Bay Packaging’s Morrilton mill, Allen Farley has built visibility for the Log A Load For Kids campaign throughout the River Valley Log A Load For Kids Foundation Chair Rich Palermo (left) region, working with print congratulates Log A Load 2014 Volunteer Champion Allen reporters, giving radio Farley, with Green Bay Packaging. interviews, speaking to civic clubs, and reaching “On the one hand, we’re 49th in per-capita out to area businessmen. The chapter’s income, but we’re first or second in giving. annual fundraising event attracts over 600 We have big hearts. I challenge each and supporters and consistently raises over every one of you to do this in your states. $100,000 annually to support Arkansas I want you to come to Arkansas to see the Children’s Hospital. big hearts. I challenge you each to set your heart on fire.” Conferring the Award, Log A Load For Kids Foundation Chair, Rich Palermo, noted, He also thanked his employer, Green Bay “Allen Farley is a humble man, and he’s the Packaging, for sponsoring his attendance at first to say that all credit for the River Valley the ceremony. region’s extraordinary work goes to the community and its volunteers. But he’s the Log A Load For Kids is an annual campaign, instigator. His enthusiasm and the passion he has for Log A Load show in everything he which encourages loggers and others in the forest products community to donate the does.” value of one load of logs, or any amount, to local Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. Accepting the award, Allen Farley stated, Log A Load For Kids is a national leader in “When I was informed that I was chosen, I said, this is a great honor, but I’ll only accept CMN fundraising. For more information, or to donate funds to a CMN-affiliated hospital this award on behalf of team Arkansas. in your area, please visit www.logaload. It’s about natural resource professionals, org. For information about the Arkansas loggers, mills, and many others.” Log A Load For Kids program, look online at www.arkforests.org/logaload.html. Speaking of Arkansas, Farley pointed out,
Allen has been a Rotarian since 1999, and has served as Club President; Assistant Governor; and most recently as the team leader for the outgoing GSE team. He is the managing partner of Hunter Wasson Timber Services, LLC, and is a past president of the Arkansas Forestry Association and a current Commissioner with the Arkansas Forestry Commission. Allen and his wife Carol have four children: Brian Morgan; Breanne and Justin Kirksey; John and Natalie Morgan; and Grant Morgan. They are also the proud grandparents of Sam, Cole and Trent. >> AFA is soliciting nominations for the following awards, which will be presented at the 69th Annual Meeting awards breakfast on September 25 in Hot Springs: • • • •
Outstanding Forestry Educator Logger of the Year Communicator of the Year Outstanding Log A Load For Kids Volunteer
If you would like to nominate an individual or organization for one of these awards, please contact the AFA office at (501) 374-2441.
Outdoor Underwriters offers fire protection policy
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FA is offering a new membership benefit through its partnership with Outdoor Underwriters, Inc. (OUI) Members can now purchase fire
protection insurance for timber stands and/or young plantations. There are five coverage options available, starting with limits of $2,500 up to $100,000 in coverage. OUI will offer quarterly enrollment periods, with a 30-day period from the time the premium and application are received until coverage becomes effective. Premiums start at $20 and range up to $370 for the maximum coverage. There is a
simple application process requiring your name, address, stand location and timber type. Higher limits and additional perils can be purchased on an individual basis. For more information please contact Outdoor Underwriters, Inc. toll free at 1-866961-4101. Learn more online at www. outdoorunderwriters.com.
Know what’s below; always call 811 before digging
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here are nearly 20 million miles of underground utility lines in the United States. These buried facilities, including gas, water, sewer, cable TV, high-speed Internet, landline telephone and electric, provide the services Americans depend on for their basic, everyday needs. If you are planning a job that requires excavation—or even soil compaction from large machinery—an 811 call is required before you begin. It is a free, FCCdesignated national one-call number that connects a caller from anywhere in the country to a local one-call center, which in this area, is Arkansas One Call. Arkansas One Call will then alert the affected underground facility owners so they can dispatch locators to mark the approximate location of their lines with paint or flags. Every six minutes, an underground utility
line is damaged because someone decided to excavate without first calling 811. Also, according to a recent Common Ground Alliance survey, 45 percent of people who plan to dig this year will not call 811 first, despite there being 100 billion feet of utility lines buried underground in the United States. Unintentionally striking a line can result in inconvenient outages for entire neighborhoods, harm to yourself or your neighbors, and costly repairs. Damaging lines without calling 811 can result in fines of up to $2 million. Every excavation project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811. Installing a mailbox, building a deck and planting a tree are all examples of digging projects that should only begin after you have waited at least two business days after calling and confirmed that all facility owners in your area have either marked their lines or declared the area clear of any lines. Here’s how it works: 1. One free, simple phone call to 811 makes it easy for Arkansas One Call to notify all appropriate utility companies of
your intent to dig. 2. Call Arkansas One Call prior to digging to ensure enough time for utility lines to be marked accurately. 3. When you call 811, a representative will ask for the location and description of your digging project. 4. Arkansas One Call will notify affected utility companies, which will then send professional locators to the proposed dig site to mark the approximate location of your lines. 5. Once lines have been accurately marked, roll up those sleeves and carefully dig around the marked areas. Learn more about 811 at www.call811.com or www.arkonecall.com and keep your work safe for you and your community. If you would like to have an Arkansas One Call presentation at your office or facility, please contact Christina Christiansen at (501) 4724561 or cchristiansen@arkonecall.com.