We finally met with the Arkansas Forestry Commission guys to review our Forest Stewardship Plan and discuss possibilities for the future of our private forest. Unfortunately, many of our questions and concerns were met with shoulder shrugs and frowns. There was no "out of the box" thinking or eagerness to approach and resolve issues which may affect the region. There was a complacency that was disappointing from folks we hoped would share our enthusiasm for the environment and conservation efforts. They stated they faced a lack of funds and were only able to point us in the direction of other agencies which may be helpful.
The Forest Stewardship Plan we have was created 3 years ago by the agency. It is rather vague and they left it with us saying we needed to get a forest land manager to assist us in developing the plan and applying for aid packages. At that time, we were unable to find a forest land manager willing to come to our area of the Ozarks and work on this project. After doing some research, we learned that we did not have to hire someone else, but could do the work of the forest land manager ourselves. We cannot hire ourselves out to help others in our same situation as we are not degreed, vetted and credentialed according to state law to conduct this type of business. We can, however, share our story for others.
At this point, we still have not been able to find a forest land manager willing to come work our area, but we now have the time to address this ourselves. The forestry guys did leave us four contact names and we will reach out to them. In the meantime, they told us the deadline for the NRCS applications for ranking period consideration was coming up on us quickly (11/21/14). That gave us a week to review everything and submit the application. We weren't waiting for a forest land manager to be involved. Although I've haunted the NRCS web pages since September, I had not seen this deadline at all. The day after they told us, I found it with some ease. The AFC guys did tell us that our Forest Stewardship plan does not need updating and we can proceed. They pointed us to the NRCS for assistance from this point, stating they would only come back to check on the plan occasionally.
Having completed all of the steps listed on the NRCS website for starting our application process, we went to our local NRCS office to meet with the Conservationist. When we told him what we needed he paused for quite some time saying he needed to think through what steps were next. We didn't share with him that we had done our own research and were aware of the deadline. After some hemming and hawing from the conservationist and too many unproductive minutes, we produced our copy of our land plan. "Oh, this is good!", he was visibly relieved. He told us this makes things easier. I went on to tell him we had our DUNS and SAM numbers. And after this, he got a bit peppier and moved a little quicker as he got our application for us. I had printed one at home and partially completed it, leaving uncertain questions blank. I pulled this out and handed it to him. This excited him even more and he proceeded to tell me to just sign it and we are good. This is when he shared that the deadline was at the end of the week, but we were in good shape. I knew there was more to the process than this from my visit to the NRCS website. So, I asked, "what about form 1026? and what about the land deed?" He indicated that I would need to go next door to the FSA office to complete that step in the process. He said it as if I should have known this. I had indicated when we arrived that we were new to this and didn't know what we needed or what was available. Lucky for me, I knew enough to ask. Otherwise, I would have left the offices without completing some important steps in the application process.
The application itself is straightforward but the process is not. Getting information from the conservationist was a bit like pulling teeth. We had to ask very detailed and pointed questions to get the information we needed. While the USDA houses the NRCS and FSA offices in the same building, we had to make a visit to several offices to assure all information was provided to the appropriate entities. After the application was complete, the conservationist told us we were good to go. But, we asked him what the next steps were. He went on to tell us that in a few weeks we needed to complete a plan of what we want to do for the next few years. From that, he will figure out what programs might assist us.
Well, when one looks at the plan provided by the Arkansas Forestry Commission, it is rather simple. A few bullet points with goals, some maps indicating areas for conservation and some narrative describing the land in general is all there is. After a few pointed questions, we confirmed that NRCS requires much greater detail. Detail that goes beyond, "install firebreaks across 200 acres". Detail that says exactly where those breaks are, how many feet long will they be, what is the slope of the terrain, and how will they be constructed. Fortunately, Eric has a background in construction leadership and I in business management, so this part isn't quite as daunting for us and we were expecting this to be the case. However, had we not been informed/prepared, we would not be able to jump through these intimidating hoops. We can use the tools available through TOPO maps and satellite imagery to create our plan and map it out. We can refer to the BMP guide the Arkansas Forestry Commission provided to us for some of our specifications. We have located the NRCS field guide online and can use it as a reference for designing our plan. With these tools and some time, we are certain we can create a detailed plan that will be more than satisfactory for the NRCS.
The task is large, no doubt. But we are undeterred. We are disappointed that the folks at NRCS were not as helpful and forthcoming with information and assistance as the websites would have you believe. Our advice to individuals in our situation is to ask a lot of questions. If you can hire a land/forest manager to help you with your plan, you should. There are NRCS funds to assist with paying for the technical assistance, so don't let the cost scare you. That wasn't our issue. Ours was simply... we can't find one willing to work here.
So, the first steps are complete and we are working on our detailed plan... and cutting firewood to stay warm.
