Clover Adams Appoints Members to Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program Advisory Council
"These individuals bring tremendous skill and knowledge to the Council,” said Clover Adams. “I look forward to working with them to provide opportunities for private forest landowners to enhance the stewardship of their land.”
The Council, created as part of Public Acts 1 and 2 signed by Governor Rick Snyder in March 2011, advises the Director on the implementation of the MAEAP program, including recommendations on MAEAP standards and protocols for working lands verification. The new appointees represent different segments of the forestry industry and will work within the Council to guide the creation of the standards for private forest verification under MAEAP. The appointees will each serve a three-year term expiring March 31, 2017.
The Council is co-chaired by Scott Piggott, Michigan Farm Bureau Chief Operating Officer, and Thomas Coon, Ph.D., Michigan State University Extension Director.
With the signature of a series of forestry bills in June 2013, Governor Snyder reinforced his commitment to working lands in Michigan. These bills moved private lands forestry work from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to MDARD. They also created a tax incentive for privately held forested lands to have a management plan written. The intent is to move more timber into the market and also increase wildlife habitat and recreational use of these lands. The bills included a verification program under MAEAP to address environmental risks associated with land use.
The next meeting of the Council will be Monday, January 13, 2014. For more information on the MAEAP Advisory Council meetings visit www.michigan.gov/maeap.
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