New house bill on reforestation.

[semologger]

I found this in the USA today. I sure hope it goes through i would love to plant on my property. Anyone else read this yet?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2009-08-19-forest_N.htm

[Tom]

Yes, I've been trying to keep up with what the USDA, under Vilsack is planning.  The USDA website will display some articles.

"Beware of Greeks bearing gifts."

The programs that have been proposed are not only disposing of programs of the last administration, which gave access to public lands, but re-instate rules from Clinton's administration as well.  Having had some experience with Government tree incentives, I know that you must be on the lookout for losing your choices about your land and crop when you take the money.  Usually it is bound for a set number of years, but any contract bears reading carefully.

I have, in the past, taken a small amount of money to help reimburse me for planting costs and now have decided that I don't want the Government involved in my land usage again.  Speak with others before you make up your mind.

[beenthere]

If this makes it into the restricted board, I'll answer my thoughts. But it is a plan without much thought or knowledge, IMO.

[semologger]

Well can we just move this thing over to the restricted board?  ;)

[SwampDonkey]

Years ago when the federal government put a silviculture program in place for private woodlot owners the owner signed an agreement to keep the land in forest production for a minimum of 10 years. It really wasn't enforceable. Who was going to enforce it and who was going to monitor the site for 10 years? The only people who monitor a site were woodlot owners themselves and staff hired by them to run marketing boards. DNR didn't have any jurisdiction over woodlots and the staff hired by the federal government barely had time or staff enough to monitor the work being done to plant or thin the parcel of land. At times it seemed there was a federal program to clear trees for farms that was competing with another program to reforest land. I know a few sites , as much as 50 acres were planted and within 5 years was growing potatoes. Then there is the land that get's bought and sold. As a new owner, you have every right to clear and graze cattle if you wish.  I know 50 acres of 20 year old spruce got cleared to grow potatoes, new land acquired by a farmer. Nice loam ground on a river terrace. ;)

[Cedarman]

For our classified program in Indiana, a district forester or their helper does a visit every 5 years. If you don't follow the rules, you get zapped.  And it doesn't matter if you sell.  the new owner is subject to the same contract.  There are buy out provisions to get out of the contract.

[moonhill]

I posted a "new tree" in the Ask a Forester section, then thought it should go in Tree and Plant ID, now I think it could go here and eventually end up in the Restricted Area.   

All new bills etc. should be banned till the trillions of $ of debt it brought under control, even take some out of circulation.  Enough is enough.  It is just plain stupidity. It makes me want to become an anarchist. 

Tim

[Toolman]

I hear you Moonhill. Well said.

[Magicman]

All new bills etc. should be banned till the trillions of $ of debt it brought under control, even take some out of circulation.  Enough is enough.  It is just plain stupidity. It makes me want to become an anarchist.

Tim

I agree X2.  When I decided to plant about 75 acres in pine, I went to inquire about "help".  I was turned down.  I later asked about a flood control structure.  I was turned down.  Two years ago, I asked about planting hardwoods in bottom lands.  Again, I was turned down.   It seems that I am not "well off" enough to know which buttons to push.

Well, I did it all and paid for it myself.  Now, no one can tell me what I can or can not do on my own land.... :D :D :D

[Norm]

There are a lot of cost share programs out there but you want to make sure you read the fine print very carefully. All of the conservation type improvements I've done are on my own dime too.

[crtreedude]

My family always has done well by ignoring the government as much as possible and not planting what they wanted us to plant. Costa Rica has incentives for reforestation which we could tap into, but the problem is, there are hooks I don't like and, though they might not have the money to give you one year, you still are locked into the rules.  >:(

Government incentives means government control. That would bother me less if I actually felt the government did good research and didn't implement based on votes.

Besides, I have always managed to make money by NOT following the crowd.

[SwampDonkey]

The only control I've seen in our silviculture program is the control of jobs. Money for silviculture means jobs, a cut in the budget or messing with what works means less money and job losses. As far are controlling what goes on the land, they only monitor that the job is done properly. Some farms are in a what is called "Farm Land Identification Program" or FLIP. It's a tax deferral. The silviculture manual gives a heads up to those in the FLIP program planting agricultural acreage into trees. I've never seen that aspect enforced yet. Marketing board staff don't even ask a landowner if their farm land is under FLIP. About the only thing I could see them catching you on would be subdividing into house lots, then a lawyer is involved and that's where and how your dinged.

[semologger]

Ive been thinking of planting anyways. It will be short leaf since it does well around here. I am cutting a job just down the road from here thats 22 yrs old and its done just as good as some loblolly stands ive been on. Plus i am a little to far north for loblolly. My friend is a retired forester and did alot of planting pine years ago. I can get the planter  from the conservation department plus my friend has one. I know i can get the trees for .04 a piece and since i am putting in a post peeling yard pine mulch is no problem at all. I think i will start off a little here and there. I dont realy like being controled by the goverment also. I have seen the good and the bad parts for cutting pine plantations for other people thats on the CRP programs.