Sponsors (2)
The bill expands U.S. reforestation capacity, workforce development, and climate‑resilient planting—but does so by reallocating trust‑fund dollars, potentially excluding some private growers, increasing administrative burdens, and risking genetic overharvest unless safeguards are enforced.
State forestry agencies, Tribes, and qualified nurseries will receive grants and face shorter seed‑collection permit timelines, increasing the supply of native seedlings and speeding reforestation projects on National Forest System lands.
Nursery and reforestation workers, and small nursery businesses, will get technical assistance, training, and workforce development support, improving skills, job prospects, and local supply-chain capacity.
The bill promotes research and information sharing on climate‑resilient genetics and enables international collaboration, which can improve the long‑term survival of replanted forests and bring additional technical expertise to U.S. and partner-country restoration efforts.
Expanding seed collection on National Forest System lands could lead to overharvesting of genetic material if not tightly managed, potentially harming native plant populations and local ecosystem resilience.
The bill authorizes up to $5 million per year from the Reforestation Trust Fund, reducing unobligated balances and diverting limited federal trust fund resources that might otherwise support other programs or priorities.
Some private growers and for‑profit nurseries without the specified experience requirements will be ineligible for grants, leaving smaller or newer businesses without access to support and potentially concentrating benefits among established providers.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Creates a Forest Service program and competitive grant program to support nurseries, seed orchards, and seed collection with technical help and up to $5M/year from the Reforestation Trust Fund.
Introduced February 25, 2026 by Kim Schrier · Last progress February 25, 2026
Provides a USDA Forest Service program to strengthen reforestation capacity by supporting nurseries, seed orchards, and seed-collection efforts. It requires partnerships, training, technical and financial assistance, faster seed-permit processing on National Forest System lands, and a competitive grant program to be set up within two years, with up to $5 million per year authorized from unobligated Reforestation Trust Fund balances.