The bill would create a Forest Conservation Easement Program run by the Secretary of Agriculture. The program would help eligible entities buy easements on private or Tribal forest land, and would pay landowners to restore and protect forest land through forest reserve easements. The bill’s stated goals include protecting forest habitat and biodiversity, improving watersheds, increasing carbon storage, and preventing development near military sites. It would replace the Healthy Forests Reserve Program while keeping existing agreements and payments in place.
Eligible landowners could voluntarily enroll land and receive payments for easements or approved restoration work. Eligible entities, such as state or local agencies, Tribes, and qualifying conservation organizations, could receive federal help to purchase forest land easements. The bill also sets aside, when practicable, 10 percent of program funds from 2026 through 2030 for certain beginning, socially disadvantaged, veteran, and limited-resource forest landowners.
The bill provides $100 million for the program for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030. For forest land easements, the federal share would generally be 50 percent of fair market value, and could be up to 75 percent in specified cases. For forest reserve easements, permanent easement payments would be based on the land’s change in fair market value. The bill says the costs of carrying it out should be offset.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.