Order Code RL31065
Forestry Assistance Programs
Updated August 26, 2008
Ross W. Gorte
Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
Resources, Science, and Industry Division

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Forestry Assistance Programs
Summary
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has numerous programs to support
management of state and private forests. These programs are under the jurisdiction
of the Agriculture Committees and are often examined in the periodic legislation to
reauthorize agricultural programs, commonly known as farm bills. The 2008 farm
bill (P.L. 110-246) included a forestry title with numerous provisions, and forestry
activities were included in several other titles, as well. Congress might oversee the
implementation as well as the funding of these programs.
Forestry-specific assistance programs (as opposed to agriculture conservation
programs that include forestry activities) are all administered by the USDA Forest
Service (FS), with permanent authorization of funding as needed. Some programs
provide technical assistance — information, advice, and aid on specific projects.
Other programs provide financial assistance, typically through grants (with or without
matching contributions from recipients) or cost-sharing (with varying levels of
contributions from recipients). Many programs provide both.
Most of the programs provide assistance to the states. The state agencies can
use the assistance on state forestlands or to assist local governments or private
landowners. How the states use the funds is largely at the discretion of the states,
within the authorizations of each program; however, the 2008 farm bill added
national priorities for state assistance and state-wide assessments and strategies to
focus state efforts on achieving the national priorities. Funds are appropriated for
planning and implementing forestry and related land management practices — site
preparation for reforestation, tree planting, thinning, pruning, fertilizing, prescribed
burning, restoring watersheds, improving wildlife habitats, and other activities.
Other programs provide support for protecting forestlands from wildfires, insects and
diseases, and from clearing forests for nonforest uses (such as growing crops or
building houses). Two programs are designed specifically to assist landowners to
recover or restore forests following catastrophic events, such as wildfires. Additional
programs provide economic assistance for communities in or near federal forests
whose economies have traditionally relied on forests and forest resources. In
addition, International Forestry is often included as a forestry assistance program,
because it provides technical forestry help and because it has often been funded out
of FS appropriations for forestry assistance programs.
Finally, states are authorized to request consolidated payments, for flexibility
in program administration, and several coordinating or advisory groups exist to
coordinate programs or for specific purposes under one or more programs.
Funding for the forest management assistance programs — forest stewardship
and urban and community forestry — have fluctuated over the past five years. Forest
protection programs — forest health (for insect and disease identification and
control), fire assistance, and forest legacy (for easements to prevent forest clearing)
— grew substantially in 2001, and have remained at relatively high levels. Forest
recovery programs have not been funded in recent years. Funding for economic
assistance programs has declined after peaking in FY2001.

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Contents
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Assistance for Forest Management Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Forest Stewardship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Purposes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Rural Forestry Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Purposes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Financial, Technical, and Related Assistance to States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Urban and Community Forestry Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Purposes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Assistance for Forest Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Forest Health Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Purposes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Rural Fire Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Forest Legacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Purposes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Community Fire Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Community Forest and Open Space Conservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Assistance for Forest Recovery or Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Emergency Reforestation Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Emergency Forest Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Economic Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Economic Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Cooperative National Forest Products Marketing Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
International Forestry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Authorization and Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Related Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Consolidation of Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council . . . . 20
Forest Resource Coordinating Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Summary and Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
List of Tables
Table 1. USDA Forestry Assistance Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Table 2. Forestry Assistance Program Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Table 3. Appropriations for Forest Stewardship, FY2004-FY2008 . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Table 4. Appropriations for Urban and Community Forestry, FY2004-FY2008 10
Table 5. Appropriations for Forest Health Protection, FY2004-FY2008 . . . . . . 11
Table 6. Appropriations for Rural Fire Protection, FY2004-FY2008 . . . . . . . . 13
Table 7. Appropriations for Forest Legacy, FY2004-FY2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Table 8. Appropriations for Economic Action, FY2004-FY2008 . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Table 9. Appropriations for International Forestry, FY2004-FY2008 . . . . . . . . 20

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Forestry Assistance Programs
The federal government has numerous programs to support forest management
on state and private forestlands, primarily administered by the Forest Service (FS) in
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The House and Senate Agriculture
Committees often examine these programs in the periodic legislation to reauthorize
agriculture programs, commonly known as farm bills. The 2008 farm bill (P.L. 110-
246) contained a forestry title (as did three of the previous four farm bills) and
addressed forests and forestry practices in several other titles.1 Congress provides
annual appropriations for these programs, and may oversee implementation.
This report describes the current forestry assistance programs funded through
the State and Private Forestry (S&PF) branch of the FS.2 Following a brief overview,
this report presents basic information on the programs to assist forestry practices,
forest protection, forest recovery, and rural economies — the purposes of the
programs, types of activities funded, eligibility requirements, and authorized program
duration and funding level, with recent program appropriations.
Overview
Federal forestry assistance for nonfederal landowners has been a part of USDA
programs for more than a century. Initial forestry assistance efforts began with the
creation of the USDA Division of Forestry in 1881 (to complement forestry research
begun with funding in 1876). Forestry assistance and research programs grew
slowly, and in 1901 the Division was upgraded to the USDA Bureau of Forestry. In
1905, the USDA Bureau merged with the Interior Department’s Division of Forestry
(which administered the forest reserves, later renamed national forests) and became
the USDA — FS. Forestry assistance, the primary mission of the State and Private
Forestry (S&PF) branch, together with forestry research and management of the
National Forest System, comprise the three primary FS missions.
Authority for the forestry assistance programs was reestablished and coordinated
in the Clarke-McNary Act of 1924 (ch. 348, 43 Stat. 653). This law guided these
programs for more than half a century, until it was revised in the Cooperative
Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (CFAA, P.L. 95-313; 16 U.S.C. §§ 2101 et seq.).
The CFAA has been amended several times, including in the four most recent farm
bills. The Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 — the 1990 farm
1 See CRS Report RL33917, Forestry in the 2008 Farm Bill, by Ross W. Gorte.
2 Assistance for forestry practices is also available through many agricultural conservation
programs, generally under the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. For
information on these programs, see CRS Report RL32940, Agricultural Conservation
Programs: A Scorecard, by Tadlock Cowan and Renée Johnson.

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bill (P.L. 101-624) — added and rewrote several of the CFAA sections. The Federal
Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 — the 1996 farm bill (P.L. 104-
127) — made a few additions and modifications to the CFAA (as amended). The
Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 — the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-
171) — replaced two CFAA provisions (as amended) with a new provision, and
created another new program. Finally, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 — the 2008 farm bill (P.L. 110-246) — established national priorities and a
process for states to address them, while adding and modifying other programs.
There are currently more than a dozen forestry assistance programs, as shown
in Table 1. The programs are administered by the FS, with permanently authorized
funding but without specified funding levels. No forestry assistance programs have
mandatory spending; all require annual funding, and all are funded in the annual
Interior appropriations acts. Table 1 identifies the U.S. Code citation, the authorized
duration and level of funding, and FY2008 enacted funding for each program. Note
that some programs are combined for funding purposes. Programs are listed in
decreasing order of FY2008 appropriations, with the two new programs listed last.
Table 1. USDA Forestry Assistance Programs
Authorization
FY2008
Program
U.S. Code Citation
Enacted
Duration
Funding
Funding
Forest Health Protection
16 U.S.C. § 2104
permanent
as needed
$123 million
Rural Fire Protectiona
16 U.S.C. § 2106
permanent
as needed
$94 million
Forest Legacy
16 U.S.C. § 2103c
permanent
as needed
$52 million
Forest Stewardship
16 U.S.C. § 2103a
permanent
as needed
Rural Forestry Assistance
16 U.S.C. § 2102
permanent
as needed
$30 million
Assistance to States
16 U.S.C. § 2107
permanent
as needed
Urban Forestry
16 U.S.C. § 2105
permanent
as needed
$28 million
International Forestry
16 U.S.C. §§ 4501-4505
permanent
as needed
$7 million
Economic Action
7 U.S.C. §§ 6611-6617
permanent
as neededb
$4 million
Wood Product Marketing
16 U.S.C. § 2112
permanent
as needed
Emergency Reforestation
16 U.S.C. § 2106a
unspecified
unspecified
$0
Community Fire Protection
16 U.S.C. § 2106c
permanent
as neededc
$0
Community Forest and Open Space
16 U.S.C. § 2103d
permanent
as needed
$0
Conservation
Emergency Forest Restoration
16 U.S.C. §§ 2201-2204
permanent
as needed
$0
a. Includes both State Fire Assistance and Volunteer Fire Assistance programs. Authorized funding
is $35 million annually in cost sharing and “as needed” for other activities.
b. Up to 5% of FS receipts from sales and user fees, plus added funds “as needed.”
c. Authorized at $35 million annually for FY2002 — FY2007, “as needed” thereafter.

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Many forestry assistance programs are intended to provide assistance to the
states for undertaking forestry practices intended to improve timber productivity or
to enhance other resource values. These are shown in Table 2 as forest management
assistance programs.3 For the first time since at least 1978, no forestry program
exists to provide cost-sharing for forestry practices on private lands. However, the
2008 farm bill expanded the definition of authorized conservation practices for
agricultural conservation programs generally to include forestry practices, and thus
financial assistance to private forest landowners may be feasible through the
conservation programs.4
Some programs provide assistance for protecting forestlands from wildfire,
insects, diseases, and for preventing conversion of forests to nonforest uses (e.g.,
agriculture, residences). Table 2 shows these as forest protection programs. Forest
health and community fire protection activities can be applied on private lands with
the cooperation of the landowner. Most other forest protection programs provide
financial and/or technical assistance to government or quasi-government entities —
states, local governments, communities, volunteer fire departments, Indian tribes.
The new Community Forestry and Open Space Conservation program also allows
grants to nonprofit organizations.
Two programs provide funding directly to private landowners in response to
disasters. The Emergency Reforestation Program was created in 1990, and has not
been funded since 1993. The Emergency Forest Restoration Program was created in
the 2008 farm bill as an amendment to an existing agricultural conservation program
to assist landowners in recovering from natural disasters.
Two other programs provide assistance to communities whose economic well-
being has traditionally depended on federal forests. These are shown as economic
assistance programs in Table 2. In addition, International Forestry has been
included, because (a) it provides technical assistance to other nations on forestry
matters, and (b) it has often been funded out of FS — S&PF appropriations.
Table 2 also shows the type of assistance available under each program. Some
programs provide only technical assistance, which can range from relevant existing
information to advice and aid on specific projects. Other programs provide financial
assistance. Typically these programs are grants (with or without contributions from
recipients) or cost-sharing (with varying levels of matching contributions from
recipients), although two programs have other “financial” provisions: (1) Forest
Health Protection funds FS activities to survey and to control insects or diseases on
state or private lands (with the consent and cooperation of the landowner); and (2)
Forest Legacy includes federal purchase of lands or easements as well as grants to
states. Many programs include both technical and financial assistance.
3 The forestry program to provide financial assistance to private landowners for forest
management — the Forest Land Enhancement Program (that replaced the Forestry
Incentives and Stewardship Incentives Programs in 2002) — was not reauthorized in the
2008 farm bill.
4 For information on USDA conservation programs, see CRS Report RL34557,
Conservation Provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill, by Tadlock Cowan and Renée Johnson.

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Table 2. Forestry Assistance Program Activities
Type of
Eligible
Program
Primary Activities
Aid
Recipients
Forest Management Practices
tech. &
planning; tree planting; thinning; watershed
Forest Stewardship
states
financial
restoration; wildlife habitat improvement
tech. &
planning; produce & distribute tree seeds &
Rural Forestry Assistance
states
financial
seedlings; protect soils
tech. &
planning, organization, & management; data
Assistance to States
states
financial
collection & management
Urban & Community
tech. &
state & local govts.,
planning; education; tree planting &
Forestry
financial
private orgs.
maintenance
Forest Protection
tech. &
governments —
survey, prevent, retard, or control insects &
Forest Health Protection
financial
federal, state, & local
diseases
tech. &
states; volunteer fire
systems for fire prevention, control, & use;
Rural Fire Protection
financial
departments
fire equipment & training; etc.
purchase forestlands or easements for forests
Forest Legacy
financial
states
threatened with conversion to other uses
Community Fire
tech. &
planning; fuel reduction; education; wood
communities
Protection
financial
utilization & marketing
Community Forest &
local govts., Indian
purchase forestlands or easements for forests
financial
Open Space Conservation
tribes, nonprofit orgs.
threatened with conversion to other uses
Forest Recovery & Restoration
site preparation & tree planting for areas
Emergency Reforestation
financial
private landowners
with trees killed by natural disasters
Emergency Forest
restoration of forested areas damaged by
financial
private landowners
Restoration
natural disasters
Economic Assistance
tech. &
rural communities,
planning; training & education; loans for
Economic Action
financial
workers, firms
infrastructure & facilities
tech. &
states, firms, &
Wood Product Marketing
domestic & export marketing
financial
private landowners
planning & management; fire, insect, &
International Forestry
technical
other countries
disease prevention & control; rehabilitation

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Assistance for Forest Management Practices
Four forestry assistance programs provide financial and/or technical aid for
planning and implementing forestry practices (establishing and managing stands of
trees) on nonfederal lands. Two of the programs (Rural Assistance and Assistance
to States) have been funded through a third FS program (Forest Stewardship).
Historically, forestry assistance has included programs with cost-share assistance to
private landowners for forestry practices on their lands, but the forestry-specific
landowner assistance program created in the 2002 farm bill (the Forest Land
Enhancement Program) was not reauthorized in the 2008 farm bill.5
Forest Stewardship
Purposes. The Forest Stewardship program was created to improve timber
production and environmental protection on nonfederal forest lands. The Secretary
of Agriculture, acting through the FS,6 is authorized “to encourage the long-term
stewardship of nonindustrial private forest lands ....” These lands are defined as
“lands with existing tree cover, or suitable for growing trees, and owned by any
private individual, group, association, corporation, Indian tribe, or other private legal
entity.”7 Forest stewardship is not defined directly in the statute or indirectly by
reference to any listing of forest stewardship practices or standards.
Section 8001 of the 2008 farm bill added a set of national priorities for Forest
Stewardship of private forest conservation through federal support for state
assistance. National priorities, including for allocating funding, are:
! conserving and managing working forests for multiple values and
uses;
! protecting forests from threats, including “catastrophic wildfires,
hurricanes, tornados, windstorms, snow or ice storms, flooding,
5 The Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP) in the 2002 farm bill replaced the Forestry
Incentives Program (FIP) created in the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 and
the Stewardship Incentives Program (SIP) added in the 1990 farm bill. FLEP was created
with $100 million in mandatory spending through FY2007, but some funds were borrowed
to pay for firefighting and others were cancelled. Ultimately, only about half of the
mandatory funds were actually spent on landowner assistance. FIP appropriations had been
between $10 and $15 million annually through FY1994 and between $5 and $7 million
annually from FY1995 through FY2002 (except for $16.6 million in FY1999). SIP funding
was more sporadic, with funds between $15 and $20 million for FY1991 and FY1993
through FY1995, $6.5 million in FY1998, $4.5 million annually in FY1996 and FY1997,
and $3.0 million in FY2002, with no funding in the other years (FY1992 and FY1999 —
FY2001).
6 Throughout this report, the FS as the action agency is identified in lieu of the Secretary of
Agriculture, even though the laws typically specify action by the Secretary.
7 Typically, “nonindustrial private forest lands” exclude forest lands owned by companies
engaged in manufacturing wood products, but the definition for the forest stewardship
program, in 16 U.S.C. § 2103a(c), apparently allows the program to be available for timber
industry lands, as well.

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CRS-6
drought, invasive species, insect or disease outbreak, or
development,” and restoring appropriate forest types in response to
such threats; and
! enhancing public benefits from private forests, including air and
water quality, soil conservation, biological diversity, carbon storage,
forest products, forestry jobs, production of renewable energy,
wildlife, wildlife corridors, and wildlife habitat, and recreation.
Activities. The program provides technical assistance to private landowners
to help them evaluate alternative actions, including:
! managing and enhancing the productivity of timber, fish and wildlife
habitat, water quality, wetlands, recreational resources, and aesthetic
values;
! investing in practices to protect, maintain, and enhance resources;
! ensuring that afforestation, reforestation, improvement of poorly
stocked stands, timber stand improvement, practices to improve
seedling growth and survival, and growth enhancement practices
occur where needed to enhance and sustain the long-term
productivity of timber and nontimber forest resources; and
! protecting private forests from damage caused by fire, insects,
disease, and damaging weather.
Eligibility. The FS provides technical and financial aid to the states, which
provides information and assistance to private landowners. For states to be eligible
to receive funds, they must prepare:
a statewide assessment of forest resource conditions, including:
! the conditions and trends of forest resources in the state;
! threats to forest lands and resources, consistent with the national
priorities;
! any areas or regions of the state that are a priority; and
! any multi-state areas that are a regional priority; and
a long-term statewide forest resource strategy, including:
! strategies for addressing the threats to forest resources identified in
the assessment; and
! a description of the resources necessary for the state forester8 to
address the statewide strategy.
The assessments and strategies are to be updated “at such times as the Secretary
determines to be necessary,” and are to be coordinated with the state’s forest
stewardship coordinating committee (see below), wildlife agency, technical
committee (under § 1261 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. § 3861)), and
relevant federal land management agencies.
8 For all the programs discussed in this report, the term state forester means the state forester
or “equivalent state official.”

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CRS-7
Authorization and Appropriations. The Forest Stewardship program was
added as a new § 5 to the CFAA by § 1215 of the 1990 farm bill. It is codified at 16
U.S.C. § 2103a. Annual appropriations for Forest Stewardship were authorized at
$25 million annually for FY1991 — FY1995, with “such sums as may be necessary
thereafter ....” The authorization does not expire. Funding for statewide forest
resource assessments and strategies was authorized at $10 million annually for
FY2008 — FY2012, with up to another $10 million from other appropriations for
planning under the CFAA. Annual appropriations are shown in Table 3.
Table 3. Appropriations for Forest Stewardship,
FY2004-FY2008
(in millions)
FY2004
FY2005
FY2006
FY2007
FY2008
Forest Stewardship
$31.884
$32.320
$34.144
$41.947
$29.532
Rural Forestry Assistance
Purposes. The Rural Forestry Assistance program was created to assist in the
management and protection of nonfederal forests. The FS is authorized to assist
landowners in “protecting, maintaining, enhancing, restoring, and preserving”
forestlands and the values and uses they provide and in protecting forests from
insects, diseases, fire, and conversion to alternative uses. The program also assists
states in providing support for establishing and managing timber stands on
nonfederal lands and for protecting and improving soils and water yields.
Activities. The FS is authorized to provide “financial, technical, educational,
and related assistance” for “private forest land owners and managers, vendors, forest
resource operators, forest resource professionals, public agencies, and individuals to
enable such persons to carry out activities that are consistent with the purposes ...”
of the program. The program may also provide “financial, technical, and related
assistance” to the states to produce, distribute, and plant tree seeds and seedlings, to
assist forest management practices, and to protect soil fertility and water quality and
flows.
Eligibility. The FS provides assistance to state foresters for the entire program
and to state extension directors for assisting forest landowners. Assistance to private
landowners is through the state agencies.
Authorization and Appropriations. Rural Forestry Assistance was created
in § 3 of the CFAA, and rewritten in § 1213 of the 1990 farm bill. It is codified at
16 U.S.C. § 2102. The authorization of annual appropriations is “such sums as may
be necessary,” and does not expire. Since FY1993, the program has not been funded
separately, but rather has been included as part of the Forest Stewardship program.
(See above.)

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CRS-8
Financial, Technical, and Related Assistance to States
Purpose. The State Assistance program was created to foster coordination of
state and federal organizations in providing assistance to private landowners. The
FS is authorized to assist in developing “stronger and more efficient State
organizations,” to ensure that forest data are available and comparable, and to foster
adoption of new technologies.
Activities. The FS is authorized to provide “financial, technical, and related
assistance” to state foresters for improving organizational management and forest
data collection and use. Specifically, the program is to “enable them to better fulfill
their responsibilities for the protection and management on non-Federal forest lands
[including] ... assistance in matters related to organizational management, program
planning and management, budget and fiscal accounting services, personnel training
and management, information services, and recordkeeping.” The program may also
be used “in the assembly, analysis, display, and reporting of State forest resources
data, in the training of State forest resources planners, and in participating in natural
resources planning ...” In addition, the FS is authorized to create “a program of
technology implementation.”
Eligibility. The FS provides assistance to state foresters, and for technology
implementation, to “cooperators.”
Authorization and Appropriations. Financial, Technical, and Related
Assistance to States was established in § 8 of the CFAA, and renumbered as § 11 by
the 1990 farm bill; it is codified at 16 U.S.C. § 2107. The funding authorization is
for “such sums as may be necessary,” and does not expire. Since FY1993, the
program has not been funded separately, but rather has been included as part of the
Forest Stewardship program. (See above.)
Urban and Community Forestry Assistance
Purposes. The Urban and Community Forestry Assistance program was
created to expand knowledge and awareness of the value of urban trees and to
encourage the maintenance and expansion of urban tree cover. The FS is to:
! improve understanding of the benefits of preserving existing tree
cover in urban areas and communities;
! encourage owners of private residences and commercial properties
to maintain trees and expand forest cover on their properties;
! provide education programs and technical assistance to state and
local organizations in maintaining forested lands and individual
trees;
! provide assistance through competitive matching grants for urban
and community forestry projects;
! implement a tree planting program to support urban open space
programs, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, conserve energy, and
improve air quality;
! promote demonstration projects;

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CRS-9
! enhance the technical skills and understanding of sound tree
maintenance and arboricultural practices of individuals involved
with urban and community forests and trees; and
! expand existing research and educational efforts.
Activities. The FS is authorized to provide financial, technical, and related
assistance to state foresters and to establish and support state information and
technical assistance programs to encourage “cooperative efforts to plan urban forestry
programs and to plant, protect, and maintain, and utilize wood from, trees in open
spaces, greenbelts, roadside screens, parks, woodlands, curb areas, and residential
developments ...” The FS is also authorized to cooperate directly with local
governments and with interested members of the public. The Urban and Community
Forestry program is directed to:
! assist urban areas and communities in inventorying their forest
resources and identifying tree planting opportunities;
! assist state and local organizations in organizing and conducting
urban and community forestry projects and programs;
! improve education and technical support in selecting appropriate tree
species, providing for proper tree planting, maintenance, and
protection, protecting individual trees, preserving open spaces, and
identifying opportunities for expanding tree cover;
! assist in developing state and local tree management plans; and
! increase public understanding of the energy conservation, economic,
social, environmental, and psychological values of trees and open
space in urban and community environments.
In addition, the FS is to establish an “urban and community forestry challenge
cost-share program” for competitive grants to eligible communities and organizations
for up to 50% of project costs. State foresters make recommendations on project
proposals, and the FS awards grants based on criteria developed in consultation with
the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (established under
§ 9(g) of the CFAA, and described later in this report).
Eligibility. No criteria for eligibility are specified in law. Apparently, any
community, private nonprofit organization, or individual can apply for assistance.
Authorization and Appropriations. Urban and Community Forestry was
established in § 6 of the CFAA, and rewritten and renumbered as § 9 in § 1219 of the
1990 farm bill. It is codified at 16 U.S.C. § 2105. The authorization of
appropriations was $30 million annually for FY1991 — FY1995 and “such sums as
may be necessary thereafter ...,” and does not expire. The slow decline in annual
appropriations for FY2004 — FY2008 is shown in Table 4.

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CRS-10
Table 4. Appropriations for Urban and Community Forestry,
FY2004-FY2008
(in millions)
FY2004
FY2005
FY2006
FY2007
FY2008
Urban & Community Forestry
$34.864
$31.950
$28.413
$30.130
$27.691
Assistance for Forest Protection
There are currently five authorized programs to provide financial and technical
assistance for protecting nonfederal forests. Two programs are funded in multiple
expanded budget line items. Forest Health and Rural Fire Protection both have two
funding components, and both receive funds through S&PF appropriations and
Wildland Fire Management appropriations. To date, the Community Fire Protection
program has not been funded separately (though states can use Rural Fire Protection
funds for the program). Lastly, the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation
program was created in the 2008 farm bill. The programs are discussed below in
descending order of FY2008 funding.
Forest Health Protection
Purposes. The Forest Health Protection program was created to protect trees,
forests, and wood products, directly on the national forests and in cooperation with
others on other lands. The FS is authorized to:
! enhance the growth and maintenance of trees and forests;
! promote the stability of forest-related industries and employment
through the protection of forest resources;
! aid in forest fire prevention and control;
! conserve forest cover on watersheds, shelterbelts, and windbreaks;
! protect outdoor recreation opportunities and other forest resources;
and
! extend timber supplies by protecting wood products, stored wood,
and wood in use.
Activities. The FS is authorized, directly for the national forests and in
cooperation with others for other lands, to:
! conduct surveys of insect infestations, disease conditions, and man-
made stresses affecting trees, and to monitor changes;
! determine measures needed to prevent, retard, control, or suppress
insect infestations and disease epidemics;
! plan, organize, direct, and perform those measures;
! provide information, advice, and assistance for maintaining healthy
forests and coordinate use of pesticides and other toxic substances;
! develop technologies and test research results prior to full-scale
application; and

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CRS-11
! promote silvicultural and management techniques to protect or
improve forest health.
Eligibility. The FS can act on its own lands. On other lands, operations “to
prevent, retard, control, or suppress insects or diseases ... shall not be conducted
without the consent, cooperation, and participation [including financial contributions]
of the entity having ownership of or jurisdiction over the affected land.”
Appropriations may not be used to pay for cutting or removing dead or dying trees,
unless necessary to prevent the spread of the epidemic, or to compensate for property
injured, damaged, or destroyed. The Secretary may also, by contract or agreement,
provide financial assistance to state foresters or private organizations to monitor
forest health and protect forest lands. Finally, the Secretary, in cooperation with state
foresters, may provide 50%-75% cost shares to cooperators who have established
acceptable integrated pest management strategies for gypsy moths, southern pine
beetles, spruce budworms, or other major insect infestations.
Authorization and Appropriations. Forest Health Protection was created
as § 5 of the CFAA, and rewritten and renumbered as § 8 in § 1218 of the 1990 farm
bill. It is codified at 16 U.S.C. § 2104. Annual appropriations are authorized at
“such sums as may be necessary,” except for a $10 million annual authorization for
cost-sharing to cooperators on integrated pest management strategies. The funding
authorization does not expire. Annual appropriations for the forest health protection
program are shown in Table 5. The table distinguishes funds for federal lands from
cooperative (nonfederal) lands, and includes funding through the Wildland Fire
Management account as well as through the S&PF account. Appropriations rose
substantially after the severe fire season in the summer of 2000; during the 1990s,
Forest Health Protection funding averaged about $50 million annually, compared to
$125 million annually over the past five years.
Table 5. Appropriations for Forest Health Protection,
FY2004-FY2008
(in millions)
FY2004
FY2005
FY2006
FY2007
FY2008
Federal lands
$68.643
$69.028
$67.942
$68.742
$68.140
Cooperative lands
54.619
57.490
56.757
56.957
54.395
Total
$123.262
$128.618a
$124.699
$125.699
$122.535
a. Included $2.100 million of emergency supplemental funds provided for unspecified lands.
Rural Fire Protection
Purpose. Rural Fire Protection (technically, Rural Fire Prevention and
Control) was created to assist in preventing and controlling wildfires, to protect
human lives, crops and livestock, property and other improvements, and natural
resources in rural areas. The FS is authorized to coordinate efforts and to “provide
prompt and adequate assistance whenever a rural fire emergency overwhelms, or
threatens to overwhelm, the firefighting capability” of states or local agencies. The

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CRS-12
program has two components, with separate funding accounts: state fire assistance
and rural volunteer fire assistance.
Activities. The FS, in cooperation with state foresters, is to develop systems
and methods, and assist in their implementation, for fire prevention, fire control, and
prescribed fire use by state foresters, and through them, by other agencies and
organizations, including rural volunteer fire departments. The FS is also authorized
to provide 50% cost-share assistance “to conduct preparedness and mobilization
activities, including training, equipping, and otherwise enabling State and local
firefighting agencies to respond to requests for fire suppression assistance.” Finally,
the FS is to cooperate with the General Services Administration (GSA) to “encourage
the use of excess personal property ... by State and local fire forces receiving
assistance...”
Eligibility. The Secretary is authorized to provide financial, technical, and
related assistance to state foresters and to rural volunteer fire departments. The latter
are defined as “any organized, not for profit, fire protection organization that
provides service primarily to a community or city” of up to 10,000 people, “whose
firefighting personnel is 80 percent or more volunteer, and that is recognized as a fire
department by the laws of the State ....”
Authorization and Appropriations. The Rural Fire Protection program
was established as § 7 of the CFAA, and renumbered as § 10 by the 1990 farm bill.
It is codified at 16 U.S.C. § 2106. Annual appropriations are authorized at “such
sums as may be needed” for most activities. Up to $70 million annually, of which
half is available only for state foresters and half only for rural volunteer fire
departments, is reserved for cost-share assistance. The funding authorization does
not expire. Annual appropriations rose steadily from $17 million in FY1996 to $24
million in FY2000, then jumped to $113 million in FY2001. Since FY2004,
appropriations have remained relatively high, generally at $79 million or more
annually, as shown in Table 6.
Congress also continues to appropriate funds for Volunteer Fire Assistance
grants. This program was authorized as the Rural Community Fire Protection
program in § 27 of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-
86), which added a new § 816 to the Agriculture Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-524; the 1970
farm bill), which in turn added a new paragraph 13 to § 306(a) of the 1961
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (P.L. 87-128; the 1961 farm bill).
It was codified at 7 U.S.C. § 1926(a)(13). However, the program was eliminated,
and replaced by an unrelated program, in § 741(a)(4) and (5) of the 1996 farm bill
(P.L. 104-127). Congress continued to fund the program under the Rural Housing
Service in the annual Agriculture appropriations acts through FY1998. Since
FY1999, the program has been funded under Cooperative Fire Protection in the
S&PF branch in the annual Interior appropriations acts, apparently under the broader
authorization for Rural Fire Protection. Appropriations averaged about $2 million
annually in the late 1990s, but have risen substantially since, averaging $13 to nearly
$14 million annually. Table 6 shows appropriations for both state and volunteer fire
assistance programs, and includes funding through the Wildland Fire Management
account as well as through the S&PF account.

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CRS-13
Table 6. Appropriations for Rural Fire Protection,
FY2004-FY2008
(in millions)
FY2004
FY2005
FY2006
FY2007
FY2008
State Fire Assistance
$109.298
$93.099
$78.711
$79.116
$80.572
Volunteer Fire Assistance
13.175
13.806
13.685
13.685
13.679
Total
$146.526a
$126.905b
$92.396
$92.802
$94.251
a. Includes $24.053 million of emergency supplemental funds provided for unspecified programs.
b. Includes $20.000 million of emergency supplemental funds provided for unspecified programs.
Forest Legacy
Purposes. The Forest Legacy program was created to protect forests that
might soon be cleared for nonforest uses, such as for agriculture or residences. The
FS is to establish a program for “ascertaining and protecting environmentally
important forest areas that are threatened by conversion to nonforest uses and ... for
promoting forest land protection and other conservation opportunities. Such purposes
shall also include the protection of important scenic, cultural, fish, wildlife, and
recreational resources, riparian areas, and other ecological values.”
Activities. The FS is authorized to “acquire from willing landowners lands
and interests therein, including conservation easements and rights of public access
....” The FS is also authorized to provide grants to states to carry out the program.
The FS may delegate management of the lands or interests acquired “only to
another governmental agency.” For easements or other interests acquired, the
landowner is required to manage the property “consistent with purposes for which
the land was entered in the Forest Legacy Program .... Hunting, fishing, hiking, and
similar recreational uses shall not be considered inconsistent with the purposes of this
program.” Activities may include “forest management activities, including timber
management, ... insofar as the Secretary deems such activities consistent with the
purposes” of the program.
Eligibility. The law establishes a three-step process for acquiring lands or
easements. First, in consultation with state forest stewardship coordinating
committees (established under §19(b) of the CFAA and described below), the FS
establishes criteria for identifying eligible areas in each state, which “shall have
significant environmental values or shall be threatened by present or future
conversion to nonforest uses.” Then, also in consultation with the state committees,
the FS selects appropriate areas giving “priority to lands which can be effectively
protected and managed, and which have important scenic or recreational values;
riparian areas; fish and wildlife values, including threatened and endangered species;
or other ecological values.” Finally, private landowners with lands in eligible areas
may submit applications for participation to the FS. In addition, the FS may, at the
request of participating states, provide grants to the states to carry out the program.

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CRS-14
Authorization and Appropriations. The Forest Legacy program was added
as a new § 7 to the CFAA by § 1217 of the 1990 farm bill. It is codified at 16 U.S.C.
§ 2103c. The subsection authorizing “optional State grants” was added by § 374 of
the 1996 farm bill. The authorization of appropriations is for “such sums as may be
necessary,” and does not expire. Appropriations averaged $3 million annually for
FY1996 — FY1998, rose substantially, and have since declined slowly from the peak
of $68.4 million in FY2003, as shown in Table 7.
Table 7. Appropriations for Forest Legacy, FY2004-FY2008
(in millions)
FY2004
FY2005
FY2006
FY2007
FY2008
Forest Legacy
$64.134
$57.134
$56.524
$56.536
$52.317
Community Fire Protection
Purpose. Community Fire Protection was created to assist communities in
reducing threats from wildfires. The FS is to establish a program to focus federal
efforts on promoting firefighting efficiency, to augment federal fire protection efforts,
to expand homeowner and community outreach and education, and to establish
defensible space around private homes and property.
Activities. The FS, cooperating with and implemented through state foresters,
may act on nonfederal lands, with the landowner’s consent, in:
! fuel hazard mitigation and prevention;
! invasive species management;
! wildfire and community protection planning;
! community and landowner education;
! market development and expansion;
! improved wood utilization; and
! special restoration projects.
Eligibility. The FS may act, through state foresters, on nonfederal lands with
the landowner’s consent. It is unclear whether or when a community might be
eligible for assistance or federal action.
Authorization and Appropriations. The Community Fire Protection
program was established as § 10A of the CFAA in § 8003 of the 2002 farm bill. It
is codified at 16 U.S.C. § 2106c. Appropriations were authorized at $35 million
annually for FY2002 — FY2007, and “such sums as are necessary” thereafter. The
authorization does not expire. To date, Congress has not appropriated funds for this
program, although states can use Rural Fire Assistance funds to fulfill the purposes
of the program.

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CRS-15
Community Forest and Open Space Conservation
Purpose. The Community Forest and Open Space Conservation program was
established to provide financial assistance to local governments, tribes, and nonprofit
organizations for preventing the conversion of forestland to nonforest uses, such as
crop production or residential construction.
Activities. The FS is authorized to award grants to eligible entities to purchase
fee simple title to private forestlands that (1) are threatened by conversion to
nonforest uses, and (2) provide public economic, recreational, environmental, or
educational benefits to communities or serve as models of effective private forest
stewardship. Grant recipients must provide at least 50% of the appraised cost, and
are to manage the lands consistent with the purposes of the acquisition and for public
access.
Eligibility. Eligible entities apply to state foresters (or equivalent tribal
officials) for grants with a description of the lands to be acquired and a plan that
describes the benefits and management of the lands. State foresters submit a list of
projects to the FS. The FS may allocate up to 10% of appropriated funds to state
foresters for program administration.
Authorization and Appropriations. The Community Forest and Open
Space Conservation program was established as a new § 7A of the CFAA in § 8003
of the 2008 farm bill. It is codified at 16 U.S.C. § 2103d. The authorization of
appropriations is “such sums as are necessary,” and does not expire.
Assistance for Forest Recovery or Restoration
Two programs — one new and one long-standing — are authorized to provide
financial assistance to landowners whose private lands have been damaged by natural
disasters.9 Neither program has provided funding for landowners in recent years —
the long-standing program has not received any appropriations in 15 years, while the
new program was created in the 2008 farm bill.
9 In addition to these two programs, a temporary Emergency Forestry Conservation Reserve
Program was created to provide assistance to nonindustrial private forest landowners who
experienced a loss of 35% or more in merchantable timber from the 2005 hurricanes
(Hurricane Katrina et al.). The program (as amended) provided $504.1 million from the
Commodity Credit Corporation through the Farm Service Agency for 10-year contracts to
establish temporary vegetative cover and to restore the land. Although the program was
added to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP; 16 U.S.C. § 3831) created in the 1985
farm bill, it was exempted from the county acreage and maximum enrollment limitations of
the CRP. The program was created in § 107 of the Department of Defense, Emergency
Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic
Influenza Act, 2006 (P.L. 109-148). The 2008 farm bill (§ 2106(b)) renumbered the
provision as § 1231A, instead of § 1231(k), of the 1985 farm bill.

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CRS-16
Emergency Reforestation Assistance
Purpose. The Emergency Reforestation Assistance program was created to
reforest stands damaged by natural disasters. The FS can provide seedlings or
reimburse some reforestation costs to eligible landowners.
Activities. The FS has the discretion to provide either tree seedlings or
reimbursement of up to 65% of reforestation costs for tree stands with at least 35%
mortality from wildfire, damaging weather, defined as “drought, hail, excessive
moisture, freeze, tornado, hurricane, excessive wind, or any combination thereof;”
or a related condition, defined as “insect infestations, disease, or other deterioration
of a tree stand that is accelerated or exacerbated by damaging weather.”
Eligibility. Eligible landowners include (a) persons who produce annual
commercial crops from up to 500 acres of trees; (b) persons who own up to 1,000
acres of forestland; and (c) persons who own 1,000 — 5,000 acres of forestland, if
the Secretary determines the person to be eligible. To be eligible, the landowner
must not have “qualifying gross revenues” of more than $2 million; “qualifying gross
revenues” generally include gross revenues from farming, ranching, and forestry
operations.10 The FS is prohibited from making payments of more than $25,000 (or
equivalent value in tree seedlings) to a landowner in any fiscal year, and from
providing payments to persons who receive other payments or assistance for forestry
practices.
Authorization and Appropriations. Emergency reforestation assistance
was established by § 1271 of the 1990 farm bill, and is codified at 16 U.S.C. § 2106a.
The authorization includes no reference to funding level or expiration date. It was
enacted to allow compensation to landowners who suffered substantial damage when
Hurricane Hugo hit South Carolina in late 1989. Congress has not appropriated any
funds for the program since FY1993; the last appropriations were for assistance
related to Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki.
Emergency Forest Restoration
Purpose. The Emergency Forest Restoration program was created to assist
private forestland owners “to address damage caused by a natural disaster ... on
nonindustrial private forest land ....”
Activities. The FS may provide up to 75% of the cost of emergency measures
that “would restore forest health and forest-related resources” and where the damage
“if not treated (i) would impair or endanger the natural resources on the land; and (ii)
would materially affect future use of the land ....” Natural disasters include
10 Qualifying gross revenues defined at 16 U.S.C. § 2106a(d)(3) as
“(A) if a majority of the person’s annual income is received from farming, ranching,
and forestry operations, the gross revenue from the person’s from farming, ranching, and
forestry operations; and
“(B) if less than a majority of the person’s annual income is received from farming,
ranching, and forestry operations, the person’s gross revenue from all sources....”

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CRS-17
“wildfires, hurricanes or excessive winds, drought, ice storms or blizzards, floods,
or other resource-impacting events, as determined by the Secretary.”
Eligibility. Eligible recipients include owners of “nonindustrial private forest
land,” defined as rural land that “(A) has existing tree cover (or had tree cover
immediately before the natural disaster and is suitable for growing trees); and (B) is
owned by any nonindustrial private individual, group, association, corporation, or
other private legal entity, that has definitive decision-making authority over the
land.”
Authorization and Appropriations. The Emergency Forest Restoration
program was created by § 8203 of the 2008 farm bill, adding a new § 407 to Title IV
(Emergency Conservation Program) of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-
324). It is codified at 16 U.S.C. § 2207. Authorized funding is at “such funds as may
be necessary” and does not terminate.
Economic Assistance
Two programs are currently authorized to provide economic assistance for
communities that have traditionally depended on federal forests (especially federal
timber harvests), although both have been funded under a single expanded budget
line item.
Economic Action
Purpose. The Economic Action Program (EAP) was created to assist
communities and their leaders in improving the efficiency and marketing of natural
resource-based industries and in diversifying rural community economic bases. The
FS is authorized to assist rural communities “that are located in or near National
Forest System land and that are economically dependent upon natural resources or
are likely to be economically disadvantaged by Federal or private sector land
management practices ....”
Activities. The FS may establish “rural forestry and economic diversification
action teams to prepare an action plan to provide technical assistance to economically
disadvantaged communities.” The teams are to be designed “to meet the unique
needs of the requesting rural community.” They are to be directed by a FS employee,
and may include personnel from other federal and state agencies and from the private
sector. The program can include training and education for businesses, officials, and
individuals, and loans to expand or improve existing infrastructure and facilities and
to support “new industries or commercial ventures unrelated to National Forest
System resources.”
Eligibility. “Economically disadvantaged rural communities” may request
assistance. A rural community is defined as “any town, township, municipality, or
other similar unit of general purpose local government, or any area represented by
a not-for-profit corporation or institution organized ... to promote broad based
economic development ... as approved by the Secretary” that:

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! has a population of no more than 10,000 people;
! is in a county in which at least 15% of total primary and secondary
income is derived from forestry, wood products, or other forest-
related industry (such as recreation, livestock grazing, or tourism);
and
! is within the boundary, or within 100 miles of the boundary, of a
national forest.
A rural community can also be “any county that is not contained within a
Metropolitan Statistical Area” that meets the income and location requirements
identified above. An economically disadvantaged area is defined as an area suffering
“economic hardship due to the loss of jobs or income” derived from forestry or
forest-related enterprises.
Authorization and Appropriations. The EAP was established by the
National Forest-Dependent Rural Communities Economic Diversification Act of
1990, in §§ 2372-2379 of the 1990 farm bill. It is codified at 7 U.S.C. §§ 6611-6617.
Annual appropriations are authorized at “an amount not to exceed 5 percent of” FS
user fees and resource sale receipts, plus “such additional sums as may be necessary.”
The authorization does not expire.11
Annual appropriations for the EAP (including Pacific Northwest Assistance)
have fluctuated widely over time. Funding reached nearly $40 million in FY1991,
fell below $23 million in FY1993, then averaged about $32 million annually in the
mid 1990s. It fell to about $27 million annually in the late 1990s, then jumped to
$63.6 million in FY2001 to provide additional compensation for communities
affected by severe wildfires during the summer of 2000. Subsequent appropriations
have declined, as shown in Table 8. The Bush Administration continues to propose
terminating appropriations for the program.
Table 8. Appropriations for Economic Action, FY2004-FY2008
(in millions)
FY2004
FY2005
FY2006
FY2007
FY2008
Economic Action
$25.606
$19.032
$9.537
$0.000
$4.206
Cooperative National Forest Products Marketing Program
Purpose. The Cooperative National Forest Products Marketing Program was
created to authorize the FS to provide assistance to improve the marketing of forest
products, especially for small- and medium-sized producers.
11 For many years, a similar Pacific Northwest Assistance program was funded in support
of President Clinton’s Forest Plan for a Sustainable Economy and a Sustainable
Environment. Congress enacted funds to support this program in the FY1994 Interior
appropriations act, and continued funding the program through FY2002. Beginning in
FY2003, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees recommended that such efforts
be continued within the Economic Action program.

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Activities. The program includes two components. Technical assistance can
be provided directly to states, landowners, and small- to medium-sized firms on ways
to improve domestic and export marketing. Also, states can apply for matching
grants to support state and regional marketing efforts targeted at assisting small- to
medium-sized firms and nonindustrial private landowners.
Eligibility. For technical assistance, no criteria for eligibility are specified in
law. Apparently, any state, landowner, or “small-sized to medium-sized forest
products firms” can apply for assistance. For financial assistance, eligible states must
have a targeted forest products marketing effort, or be participating in a targeted
regional effort.
Authorization and Appropriations. The Cooperative National Forest
Products Marketing Program was added as a new § 15 in the CFAA by § 4403 of the
Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-418). It was renumbered
as § 18 by the 1990 farm bill, and is codified at 16 U.S.C. § 2112. The authorization
of appropriations was $5 million annually for FY1988 — FY1991. It has not been
reauthorized. However, since FY1993, Congress has continued to fund this program
as part of the EAP. (See above.)
International Forestry
Purpose. The International Forestry Program was created for the FS to
provide technical assistance to other nations, especially in the tropics, on forest
management for “sustainable development and global environmental stability ....”
Activities. The FS may provide help to other nations for conserving forests;
managing forest plantations; rehabilitating damaged forestlands; preventing and
controlling insects, diseases, and other damaging agents; using wood; conserving
rangelands; and protecting wildlife and fish habitat. Assistance can include sharing
technical and managerial skills, providing education and training opportunities,
cooperating on and exchanging scientific research, and cooperating with domestic
and international organizations for these purposes.
Eligibility. Assistance is provided to countries “that receive assistance from
the U.S. Agency for International Development [AID] only at the request, or with the
concurrence, of the Administrator” of AID. Also, the FS is directed to focus efforts
“on key countries which could have a substantial impact on emissions of greenhouse
gases related to global warming.”
Authorization and Appropriations. The International Forestry Program
was established in the International Forestry Cooperation Act of 1990, Title VI of the
Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of
FY1991 (P.L. 101-513), as amended by the Hawaii Tropical Forest Recovery Act
(P.L. 102-574).12 It is codified at 16 U.S.C. §§ 4501-4505. The authorization of
12 International cooperation in forestry had been a long-established tradition in the FS, dating
(continued...)

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appropriations is “such sums as may be necessary,” and does not expire. In addition,
the FS’s Office of International Forestry and Institutes of Tropical Forestry were
authorized in § 2405 and § 2407 of the 1990 farm bill, and are codified at 7 U.S.C.
§ 6704 and § 6706, respectively. The 1990 farm bill also directed a separate budget
line for FS international cooperation and assistance. Appropriations were transferred
from other FS programs for FY1992 and FY1993, then enacted at nearly $7 million
for FY1994 and FY1995. For FY1996 — FY2000, the FS was directed to use funds
from other S&PF accounts for international programs. Since FY2001, Congress has
enacted a separate appropriation for International Forestry. Funding since FY2004
is shown in Table 9.
Table 9. Appropriations for International Forestry,
FY2004-FY2008
(in millions)
FY2004
FY2005
FY2006
FY2007
FY2008
International Forestry
$5.926
$6.410
$6.886
$6.886
$7.383
Related Provisions
In addition to these several cooperative forestry assistance programs, the CFAA
authorizes consolidated payments to the states (i.e., a single payment for all the
programs) and establishes three groups to oversee certain programs. The 2008 farm
bill replaced an existing oversight committee with a new structure and purposes.
These are described below.
Consolidation of Payments. Consolidated payments are authorized in § 9
of the CFAA, renumbered as § 12 and amended by the 1990 farm bill, and codified
at 16 U.S.C. § 2108. To provide flexibility in implementing programs, states may
request consolidated payments for all the authorized cooperative forestry assistance
programs.
The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council. The
National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council was created under the
CFAA, as rewritten in § 1219 of the 1990 farm bill; it is codified at 16 U.S.C. §
2105(g). The Council is to evaluate implementation of the national urban and
community forestry action plan and to develop criteria and submit recommendations
for the urban and community forestry challenge cost-share program. The Council is
composed of 15 members, appointed by the Secretary, representing:
! national nonprofit forestry and conservation citizen organizations
(2);
! state, county, and city or town governments (1 each);
! forest products, nursery, or related industry (1);
12 (...continued)
back to the early 1900s, but was not formally authorized until 1990.

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! urban forestry, landscape, or design consultant (1);
! academic institutions, with relevant expertise (2);
! state forestry (or equivalent) agencies (1);
! professional renewable natural resource or arboricultural society (1);
! USDA Extension Service (1);
! USDA Forest Service (1); and
! others with expertise and experience in urban and community
forestry and who are not governmental officers or employees, at least
one of whom is a resident of a community of fewer than 50,000
people (2).
Forest Resource Coordinating Committee. The Forest Resource
Coordinating Committee was created in § 8005 of the 2008 farm bill, replacing the
USDA Coordinating Committee established in § 19 of the CFAA; it is codified at 16
U.S.C. § 2113(a). This committee is to assist in coordinating forestry assistance
programs within USDA and with states and the private sector, to clarify individual
agency responsibilities, and to advise on funding allocations (including competitive
allocations). The Committee is chaired by the FS Chief. It is composed of:
! the Chief of the Forest Service;
! the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service;
! the Director of the Farm Service Agency;
! the Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture;
! at least three state foresters from geographically diverse regions;
! a representative of a state fish and wildlife agency;
! an owner of nonindustrial forest land;
! a forest industry representative;
! a conservation organization representative;
! a land-grant university or college representative;
! a private forestry consultant;
! a representative from a State Technical Committee established under
§ 1261 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. §3861); and
! such other persons as determined by the Secretary to be appropriate.
State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committees. State Forest
Stewardship Coordinating Committees were directed to be created by the Secretary
of Agriculture, in consultation with each state forester, in § 1222 of the 1990 farm
bill, which added a new § 19 to the CFAA; the direction is codified at 16 U.S.C. §
2113(b). Each state coordinating committee is to consult with other USDA and state
committees on cooperative forestry programs and to make recommendations on
priorities and responsibilities and on priorities for the forest legacy program. Each
state coordinating committee is chaired by the state forester, and composed of federal
representatives from “the Forest Service, Soil Conservation Service, Agricultural
Stabilization and Conservation Service, and Extension Service,” and of others
appointed by the state forester to represent:
! local government;
! consulting foresters;
! environmental organizations;
! the forest products industry;

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! forest landowners;
! land trust organizations (if applicable);
! conservation organizations;
! the state’s fish and wildlife agency; and
! the State Technical Committee established under § 1261 of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. § 3861).
Summary and Conclusions
The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers numerous programs to support
the management of state and private forestlands. Several programs provide financial
and/or technical assistance through the states for planning and implementing forest
management practices (e.g., tree planting, site preparation for reforestation, thinning,
pruning, fertilizing, prescribed burning, and other activities) and sometimes practices
to enhance other resources (e.g., restoring watersheds, improving wildlife habitat, and
other activities. Some programs have been combined through the appropriations
process.
Additional programs provide financial and technical support for protecting
nonfederal forests from wildfire, insects, diseases, and clearing for nonforest uses.
These programs cover many continuing threats to forests, although global climate
change could exacerbate the effects of these threats. Furthermore, for the Forest
Health program, more funds are used to protect federal lands than cooperative lands.
Forest Legacy can help prevent forest clearing. The Community Fire Protection
program can assist communities prepare for wildfires, while the two emergency
programs can help landowners restore forests after the disaster. These programs, as
well as many of the forest management programs noted above, can help to protect
and restore state and private forestlands from catastrophic wildfires and other
damaging agents.
Other forestry assistance programs address rural economic development for
communities in or near federal forests. Each program appears to authorize some
unique activities, but some responsibilities appear to overlap. It is unclear the extent
to which these activities duplicate efforts of other USDA agencies which emphasize
rural economic development, and which agency might be most efficient and effective
at providing such economic assistance.
Appropriations for forestry assistance programs has been declining in recent
years. In response to the severe wildfires in the summer of 2000, funding more than
doubled, from $213.3 million in FY2000 to a peak of $493.8 million, in FY2001.
Funding was $426.3 million in FY2004, $433.0 million in FY2005 and $375.4
million in FY2006,13 $347.1 million in FY2007, and $330.6 million in FY2008. The
largest sustained increases have been for the forest protection programs — forest
health (for insect and disease identification and control), wildfire assistance, and
forest legacy (for easements to prevent forest clearing). Forest management
13 Including $37.0 million and $30.0 million, respectively, in unspecified S&PF emergency
supplemental funding in response to Hurricane Katrina and other disasters.

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assistance funding has seen less change — forest stewardship funding (for state
forestry programs) has grown slowly (with a modest jump in FY2007 and a drop in
FY2008), while urban and community forestry has declined slowly from a peak in
FY2002. After peaking in FY2001, economic assistance funding has declined
substantially, in response to President Bush’s persistent proposals to terminate the
programs. In contrast, funding for international forestry has continued to grow
slowly over the past five years.
crsphpgw

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