The White Oak Resilience Act

This bill creates a national push to bring back healthy white oak forests. It sets up a volunteer coalition of governments, tribes, and private groups to coordinate work and suggest policy fixes. The Forest Service must run five pilot projects in national forests (at least three on older, reserved forests) to restore white oak. The Interior Department must quickly review its lands, report within 90 days where white oak can grow, and then launch five pilot projects there too. Most of these authorities end seven years after the law takes effect .

USDA must start a non-regulatory program within 180 days to guide restoration using the best science, coordinate partners, and engage the public. It sets up voluntary grants and technical help managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, focusing on cost‑effective projects with measurable results and no net increase in federal staff. USDA also has to address a nationwide seedling shortage by creating, within one year, a strategy to boost nursery capacity and seed diversity. The bill supports research with Tribes and land‑grant colleges on seed banks, genetics, reforestation (including abandoned mine lands), and better planting methods. A formal USDA initiative will help landowners re‑establish and manage white oak and improve nursery stock. Agencies can use existing tools like good‑neighbor agreements and stewardship contracting to get work done .

Key points

• Who is affected: Forest landowners, Tribes, States, local communities, tree nurseries, and wildlife that depend on oak forests .
• What changes: Coordinated restoration across agencies and partners; five pilot projects each on Forest Service and Interior lands; new grants and technical assistance; a plan to fix seedling shortages; research partnerships; and a formal USDA initiative to help landowners and nurseries .
• When: Interior’s land review report is due in 90 days; USDA’s new program must start within 180 days; the nursery strategy is due within one year; most programs expire after seven years .