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February 24, 2022
Farm Bill Primer: Forestry Title
Forest management generally, as well as forest research and
owns 238 million acres of forestland, and states and other
forestry assistance, is within the jurisdiction of the
public entities own 84 million acres of forestland.
agriculture committees in Congress. Although most forestry
programs are permanently authorized, forestry often is
The federal government engages in four types of forestry
addressed in the periodic farm bills to reauthorize many
activities: managing federal forests; providing financial,
agriculture programs. Five of the past six farm bills
technical, or other resources to promote forest ownership
included a separate forestry title, including the most recent
and stewardship and the forest products industry generally
farm bill, Title VIII of the Agricultural Improvement Act of
(referred to as forestry assistance); sponsoring or
2018 (P.L. 115-334; the 2018 farm bill). This In Focus
conducting research to advance the science of forestry; and
summarizes some of the forestry provisions addressed in
engaging in international forestry assistance and research.
the 2018 farm bill and issues Congress may debate in future
farm bills.
The Forest Service (FS, within the U.S. Department of
Agriculture) is the principal federal forest management
Forestry in the United States
agency. In addition to administering most forestry
One-third of the land area in the United States is forestland
assistance programs, conducting forestry research, and
(765 million acres; see Figure 1). These lands provide
leading U.S. international forestry assistance and research
ecological services, including air and water resources; fish
efforts, FS also is responsible for managing 19% of all U.S.
and wildlife habitat; opportunities for recreation and
forestlands (145 million acres) as part of the National
cultural use; and timber resources for lumber, plywood,
Forest System (NFS). Many of FS’s land management,
paper, and other materials, among other uses and benefits.
assistance, and research programs have permanent
authorities and receive appropriations annually through the
Most forestland in the U.S. is privately owned (444 million
discretionary appropriations process. Other federal agencies
acres, or 58%). Nonindustrial private landowners (i.e.,
also manage forestlands, including the Department of the
private, noncorporate entities that do not own wood-
Interior’s Bureau of Land Management, National Park
processing facilities) own 288 million acres; private
Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service.
corporate landowners (e.g., timber investment trusts) own
the remaining 156 million acres. The federal government
Figure 1. Forest Cover Across the United States
Source: Congressional Research Service, using data from the U.S. Forest Service and the State of Alaska.
Notes: The conterminous United States, Alaska, and Hawai are presented at different scales.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Farm Bill Primer: Forestry Title
Forestry in the 2018 Farm Bill
preparedness, and forest resiliency. For federal forests, this
may involve establishing new authorities or expanding
Title VIII of the 2018 farm bill repealed, modified,
existing authorities to reduce the accumulation of
reauthorized, and created several forestry research,
vegetation—often referred to as hazardous fuels
assistance, and federal land management programs.
reduction—or other forest restoration activities.
Research. The forestry title of the 2018 farm bill
Because many forest risks span multiple ownership
modified one and repealed several forestry research
boundaries, Congress may use a future farm bill to consider
programs, including repealing a grant program to
new approaches to expand or facilitate cross-boundary
support minority and female students studying forestry
forest management activities. This could be done by
and a project demonstrating wood bioenergy.
authorizing and/or incentivizing various federal and
nonfederal partnerships and collaborations. In contrast,
Assistance. The 2018 farm bill repealed, modified, and
Congress may want to restrict those activities, for example,
reauthorized some forestry assistance programs. This
to target more specific concerns or areas.
included providing explicit statutory authorization and
congressional direction for programs that had been
Congress also may use a new farm bill to continue
operating under existing but broad authorization, such as
facilitating the development or advancement of wood
the Landscape Scale Restoration Program. The law also
products. In previous farm bills, and in other legislation,
established, reauthorized, and modified assistance
Congress established several programs to promote new
programs to promote wood innovation for energy use,
markets and uses for woody biomass, in part to encourage
building construction, and other purposes to facilitate
forest restoration and reduce wildfire threats. A new farm
the removal of forest biomass on both federal and
bill might extend, expand, alter, or terminate these
nonfederal lands and to mitigate wildfire risk.
programs or could replace them with alternative
approaches.
Federal Forest Management. The 2018 farm bill
Forests have the potential to mitigate climate risk but also
included provisions related to federal and tribal forest
may be impacted by changing climatic conditions. Forests
management, such as provisions modifying planning
sequester and store large amounts of carbon and have the
requirements; establishing two watershed protection
potential to mitigate future greenhouse-gas emissions. The
programs; expanding the availability of agreements to
effects of changing climatic conditions on forests is
perform cross-boundary projects; reauthorizing and
uncertain but include potential impacts to the range and
extending the Collaborative Forest Landscape
distribution of tree species, changes in wildland fire
Restoration Program; and adding or modifying FS’s
behavior, and uncertainties related to future carbon
authorities to lease, sell, or exchange NFS lands.
sequestration potential, among others.
Forestry-related provisions also were included in other
To address some of the uncertainties regarding climate
2018 farm bill titles. For example, the Conservation (Title
impacts to forest management, Congress may consider
II), Research (Title VII), Energy (Title IX), and
using a new farm bill to modify existing research programs
Miscellaneous (Title XII) titles each contained provisions
or establish new ones, domestically and internationally.
related to forestry or forest ownership.
Additionally, Congress could use a new farm bill to
establish programs to increase or optimize carbon
Considerations for a Future Farm Bill
sequestration on both federal and nonfederal lands, through
market or nonmarket mechanisms. Relatedly, Congress may
Congress may use a future farm bill to modify existing
consider modifying the amount or type of resources
programs or funding authorizations, or to establish new
invested in forest inventorying and monitoring, which could
options for forestry research, assistance to nonfederal forest
provide benefits related to the establishment and
owners, and management of federal forestlands. In addition,
implementation of programs to promote forest carbon
Congress may use a new farm bill to address any
sequestration. In particular, advancements in forest carbon
unforeseen issues with provisions enacted in the
lifecycle accounting may improve understanding of the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58).
carbon footprint of wood products relative to other
The IIJA authorized, provided program direction, and
products.
appropriated funding for several FS assistance and research
programs and activities. Alternatively, Congress may elect
Related CRS Reports
not to address forestry issues in a new farm bill if, for
CRS Report R45219, Forest Service Assistance Programs.
example, Congress determines existing authorities and
programs adequately address the nation’s forestry needs.
CRS Report R46976, U.S. Forest Ownership and
Management: Background and Issues for Congress
Congress also could use a new farm bill to address any
concerns related to forest health management generally on
CRS Report R45696, Forest Management Provisions
both federal and nonfederal lands. For example, this could
Enacted in the 115th Congress
include programs to reduce the risk of catastrophic
disturbance events, such as an uncharacteristically severe
Katie Hoover, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
wildfire or insect or disease infestations. For nonfederal
forests, this may include establishing or modifying
IF12054
assistance programs to enhance wildfire protection,
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Farm Bill Primer: Forestry Title
Disclaimer
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