text: Chris Demers 2
  In 1997, the UF/IFAS 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. Much has changed since the first publication. This is the fifth revision 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.
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  If using a laptop or desktop computer, you will need an operating system that has the standard Internet communication protocol program (TCP/IP stack is included in most Apple and Microsoft operating systems) and a web browser. Internet Explorer or Edge, Firefox, Chrome, 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.
  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. This site links to web pages of the American Tree Farm System and other initiatives.
  Florida Forest Service https://www.fdacs.gov/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service 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.
  Florida Land Steward http://floridalandsteward.org/ is the website of the Florida Land Steward Partnership, a partnership of agencies and organizations with landowner outreach as part of their mission. Florida Land Steward is a portal to the partners' web resources and is divided into sections dealing with planning for the future of your land, knowing your land, working your land, and protecting your land. The site also links to the Partnership's calendar of events, news blog, and Facebook page.
  Florida Tree Farm Program https://www.treefarmsystem.org/florida is a 501c(3) non-profit organization and is the state affiliate of the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), a national program that promotes the sustainable management of forests through education and outreach to private forest landowners.
  Forestry USA.com https://www.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.
  Both of these main web portals are linked to the Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS) https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/, where all the UF/IFAS Extension publications are stored and accessible for downloading and printing.
  USDA Forest Service: Southern Region https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/southern/index.php 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.
  Urban Forestry South https://urbanforestrysouth.org/ is a science delivery center associated with the US Forest Service Southern Region's Urban and Community Forestry program and the Southern Research Station's work unit. This site delivers quality urban natural resource science, technology, and information to improve the long-term sustainability of urban ecosystems. This group works closely with universities, state forestry agencies, state and local urban and community forestry programs, Cooperative Extension Service, nonprofit organizations, schools, local natural resource agencies, and other Federal agencies.
  1. This document is FOR 124, one of a series of the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date August 2007. Revised May 2014, April 2017 and May 2020. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
  2. Chris Demers, forest stewardship coordinator, School of Forest Resources and Conservation; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.