Farm Bill Primer: Forestry Title

Farm Bill Primer: Forestry Title

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Updated January 9, 2024
Farm Bill Primer: Forestry Title
Forest management generally, as well as forest research and
trusts) own the remaining 156 million acres. The federal
forestry assistance, is within the jurisdiction of the
government owns 238 million acres of forestland, and states
agriculture committees in Congress. Although most forestry
and other public entities own 84 million acres of forestland.
programs are permanently authorized, forestry often is
addressed in the periodic farm bills to reauthorize many
The federal government engages in four types of forestry
agriculture programs. Five of the past six farm bills
activities: managing federal forests; providing financial,
included a separate forestry title, including the most recent
technical, or other resources to promote forest ownership
farm bill, Title VIII of the Agricultural Improvement Act of
and stewardship and the forest products industry generally
2018 (P.L. 115-334; the 2018 farm bill). In November
(referred to as forestry assistance); sponsoring or
2023, Congress enacted a one-year extension of P.L. 115-
conducting research to advance the science of forestry; and
334 to cover FY2024 and crop year 2024 (P.L. 118-22,
engaging in international forestry assistance and research.
Division B, §102). This In Focus summarizes some of the
forestry provisions addressed in the 2018 farm bill and
The Forest Service (FS, within the U.S. Department of
issues Congress may debate in future farm bills.
Agriculture) is the principal federal forest management
agency. In addition to administering most forestry
Forestry in the United States
assistance programs, conducting forestry research, and
One-third of the land area in the United States is forestland
leading U.S. international forestry assistance and research
(765 million acres; see Figure 1). These lands provide
efforts, FS also is responsible for managing 19% of all U.S.
ecological services, including air and water resources; fish
forestlands (145 million acres) as part of the National
and wildlife habitat; opportunities for recreation and
Forest System (NFS). Many of FS’s land management,
cultural use; and timber resources for lumber, plywood,
assistance, and research programs have permanent
paper, and other materials, among other uses and benefits.
authorities and receive appropriations annually through the
discretionary appropriations process. Other federal agencies
Most forestland in the United States is privately owned
also manage forestlands, including the Department of the
(444 million acres, or 58%). Nonindustrial private
Interior’s Bureau of Land Management, National Park
landowners (i.e., private, noncorporate entities that do not
Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service.
own wood-processing facilities) own 288 million acres;

private corporate landowners (e.g., timber investment
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.
Note: The conterminous United States, Alaska, and Hawai are presented at different scales.
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Farm Bill Primer: Forestry Title
Forestry in the 2018 Farm Bill
may involve establishing new authorities or expanding
existing authorities to reduce the accumulation of
Title VIII of the 2018 farm bill repealed, modified,
vegetation—often referred to as hazardous fuels
reauthorized, and created several forestry research,
reduction—or other forest restoration activities.
assistance, and federal land management programs.
•
Because many forest risks span multiple ownership
Research. The forestry title of the 2018 farm bill
boundaries, Congress may use a future farm bill to consider
modified one and repealed several forestry research
new approaches to expand or facilitate cross-boundary
programs, including repealing a grant program to
forest management activities. This could be done by
support minority and female students studying forestry
authorizing and/or incentivizing various federal and
and a project demonstrating wood bioenergy.
nonfederal partnerships and collaborations. In contrast,
•
Congress may want to restrict those activities, for example,
Assistance. The 2018 farm bill repealed, modified, and
to target more specific concerns or areas.
reauthorized some forestry assistance programs. This
included providing explicit statutory authorization and
Congress also may use a new farm bill to continue
congressional direction for programs that had been
facilitating the development or advancement of wood
operating under existing but broad authorization, such as
products. In previous farm bills, and in other legislation,
the Landscape Scale Restoration Program. The law also
Congress established several programs to promote new
established, reauthorized, and modified assistance
markets and uses for woody biomass, in part to encourage
programs to promote wood innovation for energy use,
forest restoration and reduce wildfire threats. A new farm
building construction, and other purposes to facilitate
bill might extend, expand, alter, or terminate these
the removal of forest biomass on both federal and
programs or could replace them with alternative
nonfederal lands and to mitigate wildfire risk.
approaches.
•
Forests have the potential to mitigate climate risk but also
Federal Forest Management. The 2018 farm bill
may be impacted by changing climatic conditions. Forests
included provisions related to federal and tribal forest
sequester and store large amounts of carbon and have the
management, such as provisions modifying planning
potential to mitigate future greenhouse-gas emissions. The
requirements; establishing two watershed protection
effects of changing climatic conditions on forests is
programs; expanding the availability of agreements to
uncertain but include potential impacts to the range and
perform cross-boundary projects; reauthorizing and
distribution of tree species, changes in wildland fire
extending the Collaborative Forest Landscape
behavior, and uncertainties related to future carbon
Restoration Program; and adding or modifying FS’s
sequestration potential, among others.
authorities to lease, sell, or exchange NFS lands.
To address some of the uncertainties regarding climate
Forestry-related provisions also were included in other
impacts to forest management, Congress may consider
2018 farm bill titles. For example, the Conservation (Title
using a new farm bill to modify existing research programs
II), Research (Title VII), Energy (Title IX), and
or establish new ones, domestically and internationally.
Miscellaneous (Title XII) titles each contained provisions
Additionally, Congress could use a new farm bill to
related to forestry or forest ownership.
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, former CRS Specialist in Natural Resources
wildfire or insect or disease infestations. For nonfederal
Policy, originally authored this product.
forests, this may include establishing or modifying
assistance programs to enhance wildfire protection,
Anne A. Riddle, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
preparedness, and forest resiliency. For federal forests, this
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Farm Bill Primer: Forestry Title

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