Sponsors (3)
The bill increases restoration capacity and workforce/research opportunities by expanding seed/seedling programs and allowing higher‑education partners, at the cost of modest new federal spending and added administrative and legal complexity for managing partnerships.
Rural communities and land managers will see faster, larger-scale post-disturbance reforestation because the bill expands production of seedlings for revegetation.
State forestry agencies, Tribal governments, universities, and local partners can receive federal grants or contracts to collect native seeds, improving capacity and coordination for ecological restoration projects.
Institutions of higher education gain eligibility to participate in CFLRP projects, creating new opportunities for research partnerships and workforce training in restoration and forestry.
Taxpayers and federal budgets could face increased costs or shifts in Forest Service spending because of the new federal grants and contracts for seed and seedling programs.
Federal agencies and local partners may incur additional administrative and coordination burdens as the Forest Service manages a broader set of eligible partners and projects.
Universities and nonprofit partners could face complicated intellectual property and data‑sharing negotiations when collaborating on seed collection and restoration research.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Allows the Forest Service to contract with states, tribes, nonprofits, colleges, and coalitions to collect native seed and produce seedlings, and adds colleges to eligible CFLRP participants.
Expands Forest Service authority to partner with state forestry agencies, tribes, colleges, nonprofits, and multistate coalitions to collect and store native seeds (including from managed seed orchards) and to produce seedlings for revegetation. It also adds institutions of higher education to the list of eligible participants in the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, enabling universities and colleges to join restoration collaborations.
Introduced August 1, 2025 by Ben Ray Luján · Last progress August 1, 2025