21-05-2025
Republican megabill targets money for forest owners
Programs to stave off wildfires and maintain timber production on privately owned forests are in line for steep cuts in the big Republican tax and spending bill.
In the fine print of the agriculture portion of the budget reconciliation bill, lawmakers included a provision to claw back as much as $190 million from the Forest Legacy Program and the Forest Landowner Support Program, relatively small initiatives that nonetheless are priorities for groups representing small forest owners.
The cuts — drawn from unobligated Inflation Reduction Act funds — come as state and private forestry efforts at the Agriculture Department are already in a fight for survival, shunned in unfolding Forest Service reorganization plans and targeted for sharp budget reductions by the Trump administration.
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At issue are two programs that received a big infusion of cash from the IRA, and showcase debate about how much the Forest Service should support work on land that isn't part of the national forest system.
