• Topics: Demers, Chris | Forest Management and Stewardship | Information Technology

Forest Resource Information on the Internet: Connecting to Today's On-line Resources¹

In 1997, the University of Florida School of Forest Resources and Conservation (SFRC) published Forest Resource Information on the Internet, which provided detailed information about the Internet: its history, structure, and how to use it. It also provided a sample of forest resource websites. This is a third version of this document, providing updated information on the latest landowner assistance websites available. These state, regional, and national resources can serve as a springboard to a wide variety of natural resource information and programs.

Software

You will need an operating system that has the standard Internet communication protocol program (TCP/IP stack is included in most McIntosh™ and Microsoft™ operating systems) and a web browser. Internet Explorer™, Mozilla™, Google™ and Safari™ are popular browsers that retrieve web page files from web servers and interpret the hypertext markup language (html) or other code to display information and images. Browsers will also allow you to print and download documents and graphics. The Adobe Acrobat Reader™ is the tool most commonly used to display online documents in a read-only, print-friendly format. This software is usually available for free download where print-on-demand format (pdf) documents are provided on the web. As always, respect copyrighted material and bookmark or store in your file of favorite sites the uniform resource locators (URLs) or web addresses of useful websites so that you can return to them with a simple click of the mouse.

Plugging In

As the Internet grows in size and popularity, so does the number of ways to connect. Telephone lines, television cables, and satellite are the means by which most individuals are using the Internet. The table in the appendix of this publication briefly summarizes these technologies and their approximate speeds and costs. Note that with all the graphics, media, and information available on the Internet today, it is almost a requirement to have a high-speed connection (digital subscriber line (DSL) or better). Modems do not have the capacity to allow the user to load all the data contained in audio and video files from the web.

Forest Resources Information on the World Wide Web

Today the web is packed with natural resource information, so it is helpful to have a few centrally organized web sites bookmarked to aid in your search. The resources introduced here, in alphabetical order, are good starting points for looking for more specific information and assistance.

American Forest Foundation http://www.forestfoundation.org/, a nonprofit organization, encourages the long-term sustainability of America's forests, restoring wildlife habitat, and developing quality environmental education programs to assure that Americans today and in the future enjoy healthy, growing forests.

Florida Division of Forestry http://www.fl-dof.com/ is a very useful resource for those seeking forestry information in Florida. Major sections include conservation and management, the latest Silviculture Best Management Practices, fire and forest protection, recreation, and landowner assistance.

• Your Forest Managed http://www.yourforestmanaged.com/, a subsection of the Florida Division of Forestry website, informs private forestland owners and citizens about the importance of forests and forest management. It contains information on cost-sharing and education programs, pest and disease control, healthy harvest and planting practices, and many other useful topics.

Forest Encyclopedia Network http://www.forestencyclopedia.net/ provides natural resource professionals and the public with the scientific knowledge and tools they need to achieve their objectives. The Network is designed to connect scientific results, conclusions, and impacts with management needs and issues. As of 2007, major sections of the Forest Encyclopedia include fire science, forest science, Appalachian forest ecosystems, bioenergy resources, and environmental threats, with more to come in the future.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Landowner Assistance Program http://myfwc.com/conservation/special-initiatives/lap/ provides wildlife-related assistance with land-use planning and habitat management.

Florida Forestry Association http://www.floridaforest.org/ brings together those who grow and those who use Florida's forests. The Association's mission is to promote the responsible use of Florida's forest resource.

Forestry Index http://www.forestryindex.net/ is a useful index of natural resource publications and web pages organized by topic. This site also has a search engine that allows users to find web pages on specific subjects.

Forest Productivity.net http://www.forestproductivity.net/ provides forestland managers with the most current, unbiased, science-based, forest productivity information available in support of best management decisions on forestlands. A key objective of the website is to equip and enable natural resource managers to make better, cost-effective forest management decisions to optimize forest productivity.

Forestry USA.com http://forestryusa.com/ is a website on forests and forestry in America. It provides access to the Internet sites of the federal and state governments, the forest industries, service and supply companies, associations and nongovernmental organizations, consultants, education and research, forestry news, employment opportunities, and more.

National Timber Tax Website http://www.timbertax.org/ was developed to be used by timberland owners, as well as a reference for accountants, attorneys, consulting foresters, and other professionals who work with timberland owners regarding the tax treatment of timber related activities.

Southern Regional Extension Forestry http://www.sref.info/ is especially useful for those seeking forestry information associated with the southeastern United States. A useful clickable map of the region is provided on the home page for easy access to each state's forestry extension department, along with forestry schools, forestry agencies, and associations, and other useful information. It also features regional programs, projects, publications, and services.

Southern Group of State Foresters http://www.southernforests.org/ links the state forestry agencies for the southern states, as well as other useful online forestry resources and publications.

University of Florida-IFAS School of Forest Resources & Conservation (SFRC) Extension http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/Extension/ has recently been revised to include Fisheries Department programs. It contains a directory of SFRC Extension faculty and staff, introductory information on the school's Extension program, and links to forest and fisheries websites.

• One of these, Florida Forest Stewardship http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/forest_stewardship, is a comprehensive source of forest and forest management information. It features a regularly updated events calendar and bulletin board including natural resource-related news briefs, resources for landowners, and more.

• The SFRC website is linked with the University of Florida's primary Extension website, Solutions for Your Life http://solutionsforyourlife.ifas.ufl.edu/, where information is available related to agriculture, the environment, community development, lawn and garden, and families and youth development.

• Both of these main web portals are linked to the Electronic Data Information Source http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/, where all the University of Florida Extension publications are stored and accessible for downloading and printing.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Florida http://www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov/ assists owners of America's private land with conserving their soil, water, and other natural resources.

USDA Forest Service: Southern Region http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/ contains information about national forests, news, state and private forestry, Forest Service research, and more. Most useful to landowners is the state and private forestry section, which has information on income taxes, cooperative assistance programs, forest health, and forest management.

• Interface South http://www.interfacesouth.org/ is the component of the USDA Forest Service, Centers for Urban and Interface Forestry that focuses on wildland-urban interface (WUI) issues. This website is dedicated to heightening awareness of and providing information about WUI issues.

Conclusions

The Internet can be a powerful learning tool if you know how to find the information you seek. Connecting to the Internet is now very simple and affordable with today's technology. The websites introduced in this publication serve as excellent starting points from which to find specific forest resource information, organizations and services.

References

Anon. May 2003. "Comparing Internet Access Options." http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/connections/page4801.cfm .

Korhnak, L. V., and M. L. Duryea. 1997. Forest resource information available on the internet. Circular 1201. Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. 6 pp.

Tables

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.

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