Farm Bill Primer: Forestry Title

June 22, 2017

Farm Bill Primer: Forestry Title

Forest management generally, as well as forest research and

forestry assistance, is within the jurisdiction of the

agriculture committees in Congress. Although most forestry

programs are permanently authorized, forestry often is

addressed in the periodic farm bills to reauthorize many

agriculture programs. Four of the past five farm bills

included a separate forestry title, including the most recent

farm bill, the Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79; the

2014 farm bill). This report summarizes some of the

forestry provisions addressed in the 2014 farm bill and

issues Congress may debate in future farm bills.

National Forest System (NFS), which consists of 145

million acres of forestland and 48 million acres of

grasslands and woodlands. FS also provides technical and

financial assistance—primarily through state forestry

agencies—to nonfederal landowners. In addition, FS

conducts research to advance the science of forestry and

engages in international forestry assistance and research

efforts. Many of FS’s land management, assistance, and

research programs have permanent authorities and receive

appropriations annually through the discretionary

appropriations process.

Forestry in the United States

Forestry in the 2014 Farm Bill

One-third of the land area in the United States is forestland

(766 million acres, see Figure 1). These lands provide

wood for lumber, plywood, paper, and other materials, as

well as a host of ecological services, including recreation,

clean water, and wildlife habitat, among other things. The

federal government owns 238 million acres (31%) of the

forestland; 230 million (30%) acres are owned by states,

other public entities, and private corporate landowners (e.g.,

timber investment trusts). The remaining 298 million acres

(39%) are owned by nonindustrial private landowners (i.e.,

private, noncorporate entities that do not own woodprocessing facilities).

The Forest Service (FS) is housed within the U.S.

Department of Agriculture and is the principal federal forest

management agency of the United States. FS manages 19%

of all U.S. forestlands. FS administers the 193 million acre

Title VIII of the 2014 farm bill repealed, modified,

reauthorized, and created several new forestry assistance,

research, and federal land management programs. The

following sections summarize many of those provisions.

Forestry Assistance

The 2014 farm bill repealed a number of assistance

programs that had not been authorized for several years

(e.g., the Forest Land Enhancement Program), had not

received appropriations in several years (e.g., the

Watershed Forestry Assistance Program), or had never

received appropriations (e.g., the Tribal Watershed Forestry

Assistance Program).

Figure 1. Forest Cover Across the United States

Source: Congressional Research Service.

https://crsreports.congress.gov

Farm Bill Primer: Forestry Title

Several other assistance programs were reauthorized

through FY2018, such as the Rural Revitalization

Technologies Program and the Office of International

Forestry. The 2014 farm bill reauthorized funding, through

FY2018, for FS to continue providing assistance for

statewide forest resource assessments and enacted minor

program modifications. The farm bill also removed

mandatory funding for the Healthy Forests Reserve

Program but authorized appropriations of up to $12 million

annually (through FY2018) for the program and made some

changes to the program.

Forestry Research

The 2014 farm bill directed FS to revise the strategic plan

for forest inventory and analysis under the Forest and

Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 (16

U.S.C. 1642(e)). The strategic plan outlines the

methodology and goals of the Forest Inventory and

Analysis Program, which describes the nationwide extent of

forest resources and related data.

Forestry on Federal Lands

The 2014 farm bill established a process for designating

landscape-scale treatment areas in at least one national

forest in each state where there is declining forest health or

the risk of declining forest health due to insect and disease

infestation, if requested by the governor of the state.

Approximately 47 million acres across 36 states have

received this designation. The 2014 farm bill authorized FS

to prioritize and perform restoration projects in those areas.

The farm bill also established a Categorical Exclusion (CE)

under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that

may be available for those projects under specified

conditions.

The 2014 farm bill permanently authorized two federal land

management programs: stewardship contracting and the

Good Neighbor Authority (GNA). Stewardship contracting

authorizes FS and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

to enter into dual service and timber sale contracts for up to

10 years to achieve certain specified land management

objectives. The GNA, which was permanently authorized

and extended nationwide, allows FS and BLM to enter into

agreements with state agencies to conduct watershed

restoration and protection projects on neighboring national

forest or BLM lands. Previously, the GNA was authorized

only in Colorado and Utah.

Forestry Provisions in Other 2014 Farm Bill Titles

Forestry-related provisions also are included in other farm

bill titles. For example, the Conservation (Title II),

Research (Title VII), Energy (Title IX), and Miscellaneous

(Title XII) titles each contain provisions related to forestry

or forest ownership.

Potential Forestry Provisions in a Future

Farm Bill

The need to consider reauthorizing many of the agricultural

programs is a prime reason for Congress to consider

periodic farm bills. Even though many forestry programs

are permanently authorized, the farm bill presents an

opportunity to modify existing programs and possibly

establish new options for forestry research, management of

federal lands, and assistance to nonfederal forest owners.

Congress may use a future farm bill to address concerns

related to forest health management on both federal and

nonfederal lands. For example, this could include programs

to reduce the risk of catastrophic disturbance events, such

as an uncharacteristically severe wildfire or insect or

disease infestations. For nonfederal forests, this may

include establishing or modifying assistance programs to

enhance wildfire protection, preparedness, and forest

resiliency. For federal forests, this may involve establishing

new authorities or expanding existing authorities to reduce

hazardous fuel levels or other forest restoration activities.

Congress also may use the farm bill to address issues

related to funding federal wildfire suppression operations

(see CRS Report R44966, Wildfire Suppression Spending:

Background, Issues, and Legislation in the 115th Congress,

for more information).

Congress may use the next farm bill to address any

unforeseen issues with provisions enacted in the 2014 farm

bill. For example, the GNA has an adjacency requirement

that many believe is restricting the application of the

program, and some support clarifying the legislative

language. Similarly, many would like Congress to address

issues with the stewardship contracting authority, such as

contract cancellation ceilings and revenue-sharing

requirements. The farm bill also may provide an

opportunity for Congress to modify or expand the insect

and disease treatment area authorities and designations.

In addition, the next farm bill may address other forestry

and federal land issues and programs, such as the

Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program. This

FS program provides funding for 23 landscape-scale

restoration projects in priority landscapes for 10 years.

Some would like to expand the program to include

additional projects, whereas others would like to phase out

the program. Congress also may address assistance issues,

such as outreach, education, research, and market

opportunities for traditional and nontraditional forest

products. For example, Congress may include programs to

incentivize the use of wood residue for renewable energy or

to expand the use of wood in construction applications (e.g.,

tall wood buildings).

Several of the forestry issues that were debated but

ultimately not included in the enacted 2014 farm bill could

resurface in future farm bills or other legislation. For

example, the House-passed version of the 2014 farm bill

(H.R. 2642) proposed to eliminate the permanent

authorizations for several programs (e.g., the Forest Legacy

Program) by establishing a sunset date. The enacted 2014

farm bill did not include these provisions, but funding

authority issues could be the subject of future deliberations.

Related CRS Reports

CRS Report R43431, Forestry Provisions in the 2014 Farm

Bill (P.L. 113-79); CRS Report RL31065, Forestry

Assistance Programs.

Katie Hoover, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy

https://crsreports.congress.gov

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Farm Bill Primer: Forestry Title

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