State Cost-Share Programs for Forest Landowners in the Southern United States: A Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie J Chizmar ◽  
Rajan Parajuli ◽  
Robert Bardon ◽  
Frederick Cubbage
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
State Level ◽  
Us South ◽  
Timber Supply ◽  
Cost Share ◽  
Southern States ◽  
The Us ◽  
Soil And Water

Abstract The largest concentration of state-level forest cost-share programs in the United States can be found in the southern states. Since the inception of the first programs in the 1970s, the state-level forest cost-share programs in the US South have acted as models for the rest of the country. Cost-share programs compensate landowners through direct reimbursements to address barriers such as limited owner capital and cash flow in the initial years of investment. Through a review of the literature and progress reports from southern state forestry agencies, we qualitatively assessed state-level cost-share programs and their status in the southern states. We identified the common themes in the literature related to cost-share programs: market, nonmarket, and landowners’ perceptions and knowledge. Many of the programs enacted between the 1970s and 1980s aimed to ensure a sustainable timber supply, a market good, from private forestlands. A few of the programs enacted more recently compensate landowners for nonmarket benefits such as forest health or soil and water conservation. Two of the nine available programs are practically inactive in recent years because of a lack of funding. We discuss current prospects regarding funding, partnerships, and broadening the focus of incentives to cover forest-based ecosystem services. Study Implications Regionally, cost-share programs in the US South differ in eligibility criteria, funding source and status, and resource management objectives. The majority of state-level cost-share programs in the US South were enacted 30 to 50 years ago. The first cost-share programs were designed to support a continued timber supply from private forestlands, but a few recent programs have expanded their objectives to protect forest health and soil and water quality. Forest-based ecosystem service markets, specifically reforestation to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide and provide clean air and water, have become more prevalent in recent years. Funding for forest commodity incentive programs is a continual challenge. New funding sources and new programs are crucial to meet demands for incentives for landowners to provide both timber and ecosystem services outputs.

scholarly journals International Religious Freedom Promotion and US Foreign Policy

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Marsden
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human Right ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Politics And Religion ◽  
The Us ◽  
The World ◽  
Political Background

The freedom to practice one’s religious belief is a fundamental human right and yet, for millions of people around the world, this right is denied. Yearly reports produced by the US State Department, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, Open Doors International, Aid to the Church in Need and Release International reveal a disturbing picture of increased religious persecution across much of the world conducted at individual, community and state level conducted by secular, religious, terrorist and state actors. While religious actors both contribute to persecution of those of other faiths and beliefs and are involved in peace and reconciliation initiatives, the acceptance of the freedom to practice one’s faith, to disseminate that faith and to change one’s faith and belief is fundamental to considerations of the intersection of peace, politics and religion. In this article, I examine the political background of the United States’ promotion of international religious freedom, and current progress on advancing this under the Trump administration. International Religious Freedom (IRF) is contentious, and seen by many as the advancement of US national interests by other means. This article argues that through an examination of the accomplishments and various critiques of the IRF programme it is possible, and desirable, to discover what works, and where further progress needs to be made, in order to enable people around the world to enjoy freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

scholarly journals Crisis Standards of Care Implementation at the State Level in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 599-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colton Margus ◽  
Ritu R. Sarin ◽  
Michael Molloy ◽  
Gregory R. Ciottone
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
Pediatric Care ◽  
Standards Of Care ◽  
Institute Of Medicine ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
The Us

AbstractIntroduction:In 2009, the Institute of Medicine published guidelines for implementation of Crisis Standards of Care (CSC) at the state level in the United States (US). Based in part on the then concern for H1N1 pandemic, there was a recognized need for additional planning at the state level to maintain health system preparedness and conventional care standards when available resources become scarce. Despite the availability of this framework, in the years since and despite repeated large-scale domestic events, implementation remains mixed.Problem:Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rejuvenates concern for how health systems can maintain quality care when faced with unrelenting burden. This study seeks to outline which states in the US have developed CSC and which areas of care have thus far been addressed.Methods:An online search was conducted for all 50 states in 2015 and again in 2020. For states without CSC plans online, state officials were contacted by email and phone. Public protocols were reviewed to assess for operational implementation capabilities, specifically highlighting guidance on ventilator use, burn management, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, pediatric standards, and reliance on influenza planning.Results:Thirty-six states in the US were actively developing (17) or had already developed (19) official CSC guidance. Fourteen states had no publicly acknowledged effort. Eleven of the 17 public plans had updated within five years, with a majority addressing ventilator usage (16/17), influenza planning (14/17), and pediatric care (15/17), but substantially fewer addressing care for burn patients (9/17).Conclusion:Many states lacked publicly available guidance on maintaining standards of care during disasters, and many states with specific care guidelines had not sufficiently addressed the full spectrum of hazard to which their health care systems remain vulnerable.

scholarly journals Estimating the Early Outbreak Cumulative Incidence of COVID-19 in the United States: Three Complementary Approaches

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred S. Lu ◽  
Andre T. Nguyen ◽  
Nicholas B. Link ◽  
Marc Lipsitch ◽  
Mauricio Santillana
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cumulative Incidence ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Positive Test ◽  
Influenza Surveillance ◽  
Accurate Estimation ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Influenza Like Illness ◽  
The Us

AbstractEffectively designing and evaluating public health responses to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic requires accurate estimation of the weekly incidence of COVID-19. Unfortunately, a lack of systematic testing across the United States (US) due to equipment shortages and varying testing strategies has hindered the usefulness of the reported positive COVID-19 case counts. We introduce three complementary approaches to estimate the cumulative incidence of symptomatic COVID-19 during the early outbreak in each state in the US as well as in New York City, using a combination of excess influenza-like illness reports, COVID-19 test statistics, and COVID-19 mortality reports. Instead of relying on an estimate from a single data source or method that may be biased, we provide multiple estimates, each relying on different assumptions and data sources. Across our three approaches, there is a consistent conclusion that estimated state-level COVID-19 symptomatic case counts from March 1 to April 4, 2020 varied from 5 to 50 times greater than the official positive test counts. Nationally, our estimates of COVID-19 symptomatic cases in the US as of April 4 have a likely range of 2.2 to 5.1 million cases, with possibly as high as 8.1 million cases, up to 26 times greater than the cumulative confirmed cases of about 311,000. Extending our method to May 16, 2020, we estimate that cumulative symptomatic incidence ranges from 6.0 to 12.2 million, which compares with 1.5 million positive test counts. Our approaches demonstrate the value of leveraging existing influenza-like-illness surveillance systems during the flu season for measuring the burden of new diseases that share symptoms with influenza-like-illnesses. Our methods may prove useful in assessing the burden of COVID-19 during upcoming flu seasons in the US and other countries with comparable influenza surveillance systems.

A Legacy of Exclusion: The Geopolitics of Immigration and Latinas/os in the South

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yalidy Matos
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Settler Colonialism ◽  
The United States ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
The South ◽  
Us South ◽  
Immigration Legislation ◽  
The Us ◽  
History Of ◽  
Historical Past

“A Legacy of Exclusion” briefly traces the historical migration of Latinas/os to the US South, countering the myth that the migration of Latinas/os to the region is new. Additionally, the piece argues that the exclusion Latinas/os face in the region is a continuation of racist policies and unequal power dynamics in the South that link Latina/o presence to a longer historical past and legacy. Through an examination of Alabama’s anti-immigration legislation, HB 56, I make two interrelated arguments. First, I argue that although there is nothing new about Latina/o migration to the region, what is new is the geopolitics of immigration — specifically, the proliferation of immigration enforcement within the interior of the United States. Second, these kinds of racist exclusionary projects have historical precedent. The contemporary regulation of nonwhite bodies is part of a much longer legacy of social control in the United States. Moving forward, I urge scholars of Latina/o studies and related fields whose focus is on the US South to engage with the history of settler colonialism, the displacement of native peoples, and the African American history of this region as a way to make important historical connections among and across racialized and otherized groups.

US South remains distinctive as divisions sharpen

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Civil War ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
The South ◽  
Us South ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Southern States ◽  
Contemporary Politics ◽  
The Us ◽  
The 19Th Century

Significance The US South, defined as the eleven states of the 19th-century Confederacy, was a Democratic stronghold for 100 years after the Civil War. Now, with some of the country’s heaviest concentrations of Black Democratic supporters and White evangelical Republican voters, it encompasses the intensified schisms in contemporary politics. Impacts There will be seven Senate races in the South in November, two of which will not have an incumbent. Nine Southern states will have Republican governors in 2022, with Republican-controlled legislatures in ten. Beto O’Rourke, the Democrat who gave Republican Ted Cruz a close Senate race in 2018, is running for governor of Texas.

scholarly journals Consulting Forester Timber Sale Practices in the US South

2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick M Grove ◽  
Joseph L Conrad ◽  
Thomas G Harris ◽  
Joseph Dahlen
Keyword(s):  
Forest Products ◽  
Forest Products Industry ◽  
Us South ◽  
Southern States ◽  
Lump Sum ◽  
Timber Sales ◽  
Consulting Firms ◽  
The Us ◽  
Timber Sale ◽  
Percent Response Rate

Abstract Private timber sale transactions are vital to the forest products industry in the US South. Consulting foresters often assist private landowners in administering timber sales, and their decisions and practices have a major impact on landowner compensation, satisfaction, and market efficiency. This study used a mixed-mode survey of consulting foresters in 11 southern states to examine contract terms, timber sale practices, and market conditions on private sales. Responses were received from 430 consultants, resulting in a 37 percent response rate. Final harvests are primarily offered to bidders, whereas thinnings are more likely to have timber prices negotiated. Pay-as-cut payment terms are typical for thinnings, but less common in the Mountains where lump sum is relatively more common. Well under 50 percent of firms from the Coastal Plain and Piedmont conduct presale inventories on thinnings, whereas nearly two-thirds of firms in the Mountains use inventories on these types of harvests. Fewer than 25 percent of responding foresters suggested that restrictive quotas reduced landowner revenue on pay-as-cut timber sales. Consulting firms reporting that sawtimber quotas were never a problem in their area reported at least two more sawtimber outlets than those concerned about restrictive mill quotas.

scholarly journals The United States: The First Formalization of Banking Supervision

2021 ◽  
pp. 23-41
Author(s):  
Eiji Hotori ◽  
Mikael Wendschlag ◽  
Thibaud Giddey
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Banking System ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Banking Supervision ◽  
The Great Depression ◽  
The Us ◽  
Social And Economic Development ◽  
National Banking System

AbstractThis chapter examines the formalization of banking supervision in the United States (US), focusing on the federal level. During the “free banking era” from the late 1830s to 1864, several state governments created banking supervisory systems at the state level. Triggered by the fiscal needs of the Civil War, as well as the demand for a national currency, the US became the first country to introduce uniform nationwide banking supervision with the creation of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the national banking system. The main purpose of the OCC was to ensure that the national banks did not violate the regulations related to the new currency, the US dollar. From a historical perspective, the rapid social and economic development of the US from the 1850s provided the background for this institutional change. Although the US case demonstrates that financial crises have not always driven the formalization of banking supervision, the crises of 1907 and the Great Depression served to further strengthen the formalization of banking supervision by prompting the introduction of multi-agency banking supervision in the US.

scholarly journals Economic uncertainty and suicide in the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sotiris Vandoros ◽  
Ichiro Kawachi
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Panel Data ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Economic Uncertainty ◽  
Uncertainty Index ◽  
The Us ◽  
Prevention Interventions ◽  
Econometric Approach

AbstractPrevious studies have found an association between recessions and increased rates of suicide. In the present study we widened the focus to examine the association between economic uncertainty and suicides. We used monthly suicide data from the US at the State level from 2000 to 2017 and combined them with the monthly economic uncertainty index. We followed a panel data econometric approach to study the association between economic uncertainty and suicide, controlling for unemployment and other indicators. Economic uncertainty is positively associated with suicide when controlling for unemployment [coeff: 8.026; 95% CI: 3.692–12.360] or for a wider range of economic and demographic characteristics [coeff: 7.478; 95% CI: 3.333–11.623]. An increase in the uncertainty index by one percent is associated with an additional 11–24.4 additional monthly suicides in the US. Economic uncertainty is likely to act as a trigger, which underlines the impulsive nature of some suicides. This highlights the importance of providing access to suicide prevention interventions (e.g. hotlines) during periods of economic uncertainty.

Introduction

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Watson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Twentieth Century ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Us South ◽  
The Us ◽  
Observation Program ◽  
The 1950S

The introduction summarizes the process of decolonization in the British and French Empires and the role of the United States. Anthropology became a more professionalized discipline, raising the barriers to interdisciplinary conversations between anthropologists and other intellectuals and making it less desirable for colonial intellectuals to choose anthropology, as a significant number had done earlier in the twentieth century. Nevertheless, exchanges continued between literature and anthropology. I argue that the literary-anthropological dynamics of the 1950s and 1960s were prefigured by three examples in the 1930s and 1940s: Zora Neale Hurston’s fieldwork among African Americans in the US South, Michel Leiris’s account of Marcel Griaule’s 1930s anthropological expedition from Dakar to Djibouti, and the establishment of the Mass-Observation program to document British everyday life. The introduction analyzes Claude Lévi-Strauss’s Tristes tropiques as a key text in the flourishing of a new literary anthropology in the 1950s.

Subregional Timber Supply Projections with Chip-n-Saw Stumpage: Implications for Southern Stumpage Markets

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 665-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajan Parajuli ◽  
Shaun Tanger ◽  
Robert Abt ◽  
Fred Cubbage
Keyword(s):  
Future Prospects ◽  
Us South ◽  
Timber Supply ◽  
The Us ◽  
Short Run ◽  
Supply Model ◽  
Timber Markets ◽  
Timber Product

Abstract Softwood chip-n-saw (CNS), an intermediate stumpage product between sawtimber and pulpwood, has become a mainstay in southern timber markets in recent years. Most of the previous studies in southern timber markets primarily focused on pulpwood and sawtimber markets, and often overlooked CNS as a standalone timber product. Using the Subregional Timber Supply model, this study examines the dynamics of sawtimber- and pulpwood-dominated softwood stumpage markets with growing CNS markets in the US South. Results suggest that South-wide CNS inventory increases over the short run but begins to decrease by 2024, which leads to CNS prices rising over the years. The projected trends vary widely from one wood basket to another. This study provides additional nuance to future prospects of southern timber markets.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document