I’m not following the Farm Bill, so it would be nice if a member of the TSW community would volunteer to keep us abreast of the latest. Here’s what came across my desk:
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Chairman Thompson, House Ag Committee, released additional details related to Farm Bill reauthorization last Friday. While the release does not include bill text, a more detailed summary is now available at:
detailed_summary_-_pdf.pdf (house.gov)
While bill text is not yet available for review, there are several interesting provisions. Some of the notable items include:
- Includes H.R. 1450 to authorize counties and tribes to retain and use timber sale receipts on land covered by the GNA agreement.
- Includes H.R. 3562 to provide flexible housing partnerships to alleviate rural housing challenges and provide up to 100-year lease terms and renewals on administrative sites.
- Reauthorizes and modernizes the Wood Innovation Grant Program, reduces the non-Federal match, and authorizes grants for hauling hazardous fuels reduction materials to locations that can utilize it. Reauthorizes and modernizes the Wood Innovation Grant Program, reduces the non-Federal match, and authorizes grants for hauling hazardous fuels reduction materials to locations that can utilize it.
- Establishes a CE for high priority hazard tree activities.
- Includes a Cottonwood Fix
- Increases the threshold required to advertise timber sales on National Forest System land to reflect inflation.
- Extends the authorization of Resource Advisory Committees and the Regional Forester appointment pilot program.
- Provides the Forest Service direct hire authority for Job Corps graduates.
Stay tuned as actual bill text from the House Ag Committee could be available in the next week or so. You may also recall, Chairwoman Stabenow also released the following summary of her Farm Bill last week at:
Rural Prosperity and Food Security Section-By-Section (senate.gov)
Similarly, we do not have bill text from Senate Ag, but the summary includes the following notable provisions (among others):
- Authorization for Lease of Forest Service Sites. Increases lease terms to 100 years.
- Expands GNA to allow counties and Tribes to retain revenue received from the sale of timber. Allows authorized restoration activities in certain circumstances on non—Federal land.
- Authorizes a pilot conservation finance program
- Builds on the REPLANT Act by establishing dedicated staff for the Forest Service Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources program, expands technical assistance and workforce development training for nursery and tree establishment programs, and creates a grant program for State, Tribal, and private nurseries to improve nursery production capacity.
- Expands the reach of the Wood Innovations Grant Program by reducing the match requirement
- Establishes an Urban and Community Forestry Office within the Forest Service and a microforest grant program
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