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Farm Bill Must Include Solutions for Family Forest Owners

Kristen Voorhees
Communications Director
American Forest Foundation

Coalition Releases Comprehensive Recommendations for Farm Bill Reauthorization to Protect and Improve U.S. Forests and Rural Landowners’ Quality of Life 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 17, 2023) – Forests in the Farm Bill (FIFB), a coalition of more than 70 forestry and conservation organizations, released today a set of recommendations focused on improving the forest-related sections of the upcoming Farm Bill. The coalition urges legislators to strengthen the Farm Bill’s ability to protect the health and wellbeing of U.S. forests while supporting rural American communities.  

“Rural landowners hold enormous potential to improve the health and wellbeing of our country’s forests – and the FIFB coalition’s recommendations will help realize that potential,” said Rita Hite, president and CEO of the American Forest Foundation. “By accepting the Coalition’s recommendations, Congress will remove the financial and administrative barriers that often stop landowners from realizing their full conservation potential and open the doors of opportunity for rural communities, provide more funding for meaningful forest conservation, and a stronger stance in climate resilience.”  

Farm Bill programs provide resources and information to support federal, state, local, Tribal, and private forest owners. Improving these programs will better enable critical forest management practices that reduce risk and increase resilience to wildfire, protect water supplies, improve wildlife habitat, and support forest products and environmental markets to bolster rural economies.