National Coalition Urges Congress to Act on Critical Support for Private Forest Landowners Before Year-End
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Forest Landowners Association today joined a coalition of leading forestry, conservation, and landowner organizations in urging Congress to take action before the end of the year to address the growing economic and disaster challenges facing America’s private forest landowners.
Read the full coalition letter to Congress here.
The coalition letter calls on Congress to provide targeted economic and disaster assistance to family forest owners who are facing prolonged market contraction, mill closures, declining timber prices, and devastating losses from wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, and other natural disasters.
“America’s private forest landowners are facing challenges that cannot be solved by simply waiting for markets to recover,” said Scott Jones, CEO of the Forest Landowners Association. “When a mill closes or a disaster destroys a forest, landowners can lose years or decades of investment with few of the recovery tools available to other agricultural producers. Congress has an opportunity to provide meaningful, targeted assistance that will help keep family forestry businesses on the land and ensure the nation’s working forests remain healthy, productive, and resilient.”
The coalition is urging Congress to provide $1 billion in additional funding for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program, which is currently out of resources and will be needed to respond to the continuing impacts of 2026 disasters. The groups are also calling for $500 million in direct economic assistance to help family forest landowners withstand ongoing market disruptions and mill closures.
In addition to immediate economic and disaster assistance, the letter calls for $200 million in supplemental funding for U.S. Forest Service State, Private, and Tribal programs, $1 billion in new funding for the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program, and enactment of the Save America’s Family Forests Act (S. 4442/H.R. 8538).
“Private forest landowners provide a critical source of timber and other benefits for communities and the broader American economy,” Jones said. “Supporting these landowners is an investment in the future of America’s working forests, rural communities, domestic wood supply, and forest resilience. We appreciate the organizations that joined us in bringing these priorities directly to Congress, and we urge lawmakers to act while there is still a critical window to deliver meaningful assistance this year.”
The letter was signed by the American Forest Foundation, American Forests, American Loggers Council, Association of Consulting Foresters, Forest Landowners Association, National Association of State Foresters, National Woodland Owners Association, Society of American Foresters, Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Network, The Conservation Fund, and The Nature Conservancy.
As the 119th Congress approaches its conclusion, FLA will continue working with lawmakers and forestry partners to advance policies that provide private forest landowners with the tools needed to recover from disasters, navigate difficult markets, and maintain healthy, productive, and resilient working forests.
Read the full coalition letter and recommendations to Congress.
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