Disaster Reforestation Act

Legislation to Ensure Forest Landowners Recover After a Natural Disaster

The Disaster Reforestation Act is a critical first step toward providing a safety net for landowners by amending the tax code to allow them to deduct the value of their timber lost to natural disasters. This permanent solution would offer much-needed assurance to landowners, equipping them with the financial tools necessary to recover and restore their forests.

Why Is This Needed?

How Can You Help?

  • Contact your Members of Congress Urge them to support and cosponsor the legislation.
    • Reach out to your Network 
      • Encourage state and national associations to prioritize the Disaster Reforestation Act in their policy priorities and raise awareness of this policy solution with associates.
  • Support FLA’s Advocacy Tools
    • Join one of our state-engagement teams and contribute to FLA’s PAC so we can enhance the tools we need to elevate your challenges and commonsense solutions to lawmakers at every level.

The Forest Landowners Association is here to assist with the following: 

Who Supports the Disaster Reforestation Act?

Sponsors

House of Representatives

Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL)
Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA)

Cosponsors

House of Representatives

Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA)
Rep. Jerry Carl (R-AL)
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA)
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA)
Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL)
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA)
Rep. David Trone (D-MD)
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA)
Rep. Williams Timmons (R-SC)
Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA)
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA)
Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA)
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA)
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL)
Rep. David Scott (D-GA)
Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-OR)
Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA),
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR),
Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR)
Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA)
Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN)
Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL)
Rep. Marie Glusenkamp-Perez (D-WA)
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY)
Rep. Ann Kuster (D-NH)
Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS)
Rep. Don Davis (D-NC)
Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC)
Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS)
Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)




Senate

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA)

Senate

Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA)
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL)
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA)
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
Sen. Angus King (I-ME)
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)

Supporting Organizations

More than 60 national and state organizations have signed on to support the passage of the Disaster Reforestation Act. Access a Full List of Supporting Organizations. National organizations are showcased below.

“Natural disasters are an ever-present and growing threat to the long-term investments made by forest landowners—investments which benefit all Americans by contributing significantly to our economic wellbeing and providing valuable and necessary ecosystem services and products for rural and urban communities alike. SAF is proud to support the Disaster Reforestation Act, which calls for a common-sense and equitable revision to the tax code to help give forest landowners more certainty and incentivize keeping forests as forests.”

Danielle Watson, Director, Policy & Public Affairs at Society of American Foresters

Map of Current Support

“430 acres of our timberland was obliterated by a tornado in 2019. 90 percent was completely wiped out right down to the topsoil. While we were able to salvage a small portion of the timber, we were paid a trifling fraction of the true value of the 120 years of sustainable management.”

Peter Connor

FLA is rooted in grassroots advocacy as demonstrated by our SET to GO teams.

“More than 250 million acres of land owned by families and individuals are at risk of catastrophic devastation due the increased intensity of natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires. Our family forest owners, who care for the largest portion of U.S. forests, provide all Americans with wildlife habitat, clean air and water, and wood supplies. However, they are also the demographic of landowners who do not have access to affordable insurance like most farmers and are faced with significant economic loss after disasters that threaten the future of their land. We applaud Congresswoman Sewell and Congressman Carter for addressing these important issues for family forest owners with the introduction of the Disaster Reforestation Act.”

American Forest Foundation