Policy Priorities
Policy Priorities
The Forest Landowners Association advocates for federal policies supporting family forest owners, who manage the majority of U.S. forests. We collaborate with policymakers and stakeholders on tax, property rights, disaster recovery, and market access initiatives.
Our Policy Focus Areas:
Private Property Rights
We defend private property rights and landowner flexibility. This promotes forest health, wildlife habitats, environmental quality, and job creation – all vital to our nation.
Market Access
We support policies to enhance timber market access for landowners, both domestically and globally. We also promote their entry into emerging markets, fostering economic sustainability and effective forest management.
Regulatory Policies
We fight for regulatory policies that do not impose undue economic burdens on forest landowners.
Tax Certainty
We advocate for fair, consistent federal tax policies that enable private forest landowners to maintain practices yielding vital economic and environmental benefits.
Disaster Recovery
We support policies to enhance timber market access for landowners, both domestically and globally. We also promote their entry into emerging markets, fostering economic sustainability and effective forest management.
While these are our primary focus areas, we remain committed to collaborating with partner organizations on additional initiatives to ensure the health and resiliency of our forests.
FLA Policy News:
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“The EUDR Must Go”: Rep. Austin Scott Joins FLA in Calling Out Unworkable EU Regulation
The Forest Landowners Association (FLA) criticizes the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), a policy that—despite its stated environmental objectives—would impose sweeping, unworkable requirements on U.S. forest landowners and jeopardize market access for sustainably produced American wood products. For private forest landowners, the delay in implementation is not just a bureaucratic footnote; it is an acknowledgment…
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Forest Landowners Association Applauds USDA Farmer Bridge Payments, Urges Inclusion of Private Forest Landowners
Washington, DC — The Forest Landowners Association (FLA) welcomes the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s announcement of $12 billion in farmer bridge payments to assist American farmers impacted by unfair trade practices, and emphasized the importance of ensuring private forest landowners are included in this assistance. Private forest landowners are farmers, and timber is an agricultural commodity….
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Op-Ed Emphasizes the Need for the Disaster Reforestation Act
This article was published in the Washington Times on November 28, 2025. America’s Forests Are Under Threat. Congress Must Act Now. America’s private forests are a strategic national asset. They provide the raw materials for housing, paper, packaging, and renewable energy. They support millions of jobs and anchor rural economies. But that foundation is at…
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FLA Responds to EUDR Delay: A Necessary Pause on a Fundamentally Unworkable Regulation
The Forest Landowners Association (FLA) considers the European Parliament’s decision to delay implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) an important signal. While this delay is welcome news, it further confirms that the EUDR is an unworkable regulation that infringes on private property rights and creates unnecessary barriers to the European Union’s market for U.S….
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Environment | ESA | Issues | Property Rights
Revised Endangered Species Act Strengthens Regulatory Certainty for Forest Landowners
Washington, D.C. – The Forest Landowners Association (FLA) applauds the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) proposed rule revisions of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to provide greater regulatory certainty for private forest landowners. The four proposed revisions include: Through these changes, USFWS Director Brian Nesvik, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, and the Trump…
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FLA Praises Proposed EPA, Army Rule on WOTUS
WASHINGTON, DC — The Forest Landowners Association (FLA) praised the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army for issuing their proposed rule clarifying the definition of Waters of the United States and fully implementing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. The proposed rule aligns federal regulations with the Supreme…
