USDA Forest
Service
Northeastern Area
Durham Field Office
271 Mast Road
Durham, NH 03824
(v) (603) 868-7600
(f) (603) 868-7604
(tdd) (603) 868-7603
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Northeastern Area Forest Legacy
FY2003
Second Quarter Update
FY2003 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Signed February
20
President Bush signed the FY2003 Omnibus Appropriations
bill into law on February 20, 2003, authorizing $68,380,000 for
the Forest Legacy Program (FLP) nationwide, a $3,380,000 increase
over FY2002. Forty-three Forest Legacy Projects in 32 States were
identified to receive funding for the protection of important forests.
In the Northeastern Area, 22 projects in 15 States totaling $30,055,000
were identified for funding.
President’s FY2004 Budget
The
President’s FY2004 budget proposal, released
on February 3, 2003, includes $90,809,000
for the Forest Legacy Program and identifies 41 projects for the
protection of important forests. This represents a 33 percent increase
($22,429,000) over the program’s enacted FY2003 funding amount. On
January 7–8, 2003, the Forest Service prioritized the projects
to be considered for FY2004 Forest Legacy Program funding. The
33 participating States had submitted funding requests for over
150 projects with a combined valued exceeding $285,000,000.
The next step in the
appropriations process is congressional hearings, after which
the House and then the Senate will release their respective budget
proposals. A conference agreement will eventually be reached
before the appropriations bill is signed into law. In FY2002,
the President proposed $30,000,000 for the Forest Legacy Program;
it was funded for $65,000,000. In FY2003, program funding was
Delaware Forest Legacy Program Review
Snow
geese were resting in Dover, Delaware, on March 12 when the Northeastern
Area initiated a program review
of the Delaware Forest Legacy Program. Rachel Billingham of the
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources accompanied
Deirdre Raimo and Neal Bungard of the USDA Forest Service Northeastern
Area Forest Legacy Program for the 2 days of meetings and site
visits. The review began with an introductory meeting with Austin
Short, Delaware State Forester, and Mike Brown, former Delaware
Forest Legacy Program coordinator. The review team made a site
visit to the Redden/Ellendale Forest Legacy Area, where the district
manager discussed the Green Horizons Forest Legacy Project. The
program review culminated with commendations and recommendations
for Delaware’s Forest Legacy Program.
New York Forest Legacy Program Coordinator Retires
Jim Beil, New York Assistant State Forester
and Forest Legacy Program Coordinator, retired from the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Lands
and Forests on March 27, 2003 .
Well over 100 guests attended a retirement party for him on March
25 at the New York State DEC office in Albany to wish Jim their
best and to recognize his many years of service. Jim’s short-term
plans included helping organize the Society of American Foresters
2003 National Convention in Buffalo this October.
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