Sponsors (18)
The bill creates a new, multi‑year federal funding stream to expand forest conservation easements and protect existing contracts—benefiting many landowners and local environments—while committing significant CCC resources that could crowd out other farm programs and leave some owners excluded or unable to renegotiate payments.
Farmers and private forest landowners receive new, predictable payments to place forestland into conservation easements (up to $100M/year; $500M total 2026–2030), creating a steady income stream for conservation.
Owners with existing Healthy Forests Reserve Program contracts keep their agreements and required payments intact, and the bill allows federal funds to finish pre‑enactment obligations, avoiding abrupt funding gaps for ongoing easements.
Forested land and nearby communities benefit from long‑term protection of timber, wildlife habitat, and water quality through newly supported conservation easements.
Taxpayers fund roughly $500M over five years via Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) resources, which increases federal spending priorities and could pressure the deficit or crowd out other priorities.
Using CCC authorities for these easements may redirect funds away from other farm support programs and Farm Bill easement priorities, potentially reducing payments or services for other commodity or easement programs.
Some forest owners may be excluded by eligibility or implementation rules (and by repeal of Title V authorities), leaving portions of the forest‑owning public without access to these new payments or future enrollment opportunities.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Creates a new forest conservation easement program funded at $100M per year (FY2026–2030) via CCC authorities and repeals the statutory Healthy Forests Reserve Program while preserving existing contracts.
Official title: To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the forest conservation easement program, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 17, 2025 by Trent Kelly · Last progress May 17, 2025
Creates a new Forest Conservation Easement Program in the Food Security Act framework, funds it with $100 million per year from Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) authorities for fiscal years 2026–2030, and reorganizes existing statutory subtitles to make room for the new program. Repeals the Healthy Forests Reserve Program statutory Title V but preserves and allows completion of previously executed contracts and authorizes using the new program's CCC funds to finish those obligations; includes a nonbinding statement that program costs should be offset.