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Congress has passed its $790 billion economic stimulus package and showed strong support for family forests. The package includes $250 million for US Forest Service, State and Private Forestry programs. This funding is to be spent on hazardous fuels, forest health, ecosystem improvement, and biomass utilization projects that are "shovel ready" and create jobs.

The package also includes incentives for renewable energy production from forests.

The American Forest Foundation applauded Congress' action in support of family forest owners and the communities that rely on these forests for economic security and environmental benefits. Click here for the Foundation's letter thanking Congress for their support.

-AFF Thank You - Stimulus Conference Report

-AFF's Bingaman Stimulus Amendment Letter

-AFF's 2009 Stimulus Recommendation Letter

The House Appropriations Committee has taken action on the stimulus package, including $550 million for private forest-related programs with in the USDA Forest Service.

- The Foundation’s letter thanking the Committee Leadership

The Foundation also gathered Coalition support for forest funding in the Stimulus package.

- Coalition letter

As President-elect Obama transitions into the presidency, the Foundation provided recommendations on near-term actions to conserve America's family forests, educate the next generation of conservationists, create new green jobs, address climate change, and improve energy security.

-AFF's Letter to President-elect Obama

America's forests cover approximately one-third of our nation, equivalent in size to our agricultural lands.  These forest lands are owned by nearly 10 million individuals as compared to only 2 million members of the farming community. The 2008 Farm Bill, passed by Congress in June 2008, gives the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Farm Service Agency, and the USDA Forest Service, all agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, new and improved programs to help family forest owners conserve and manage their forests.  Now, because of the work of the American Tree Farm System, in partnership with the Forests in the Farm Bill Coalition, forest owners are eligible for much of the conservation, energy, and forestry programs in the Farm Bill, just as farmers and ranchers. Through these new and improved programs, qualifying landowners can receive both technical and financial assistance to deal with forest management concerns like wildfire, insects and disease, and wildlife management.

Action Alert: Help Maintain New 2008 Farm Bill Opportunities for Family Forest Owners - Get Involved at the Local and State Level
To make sure these new 2008 Farm Bill programs, particularly those administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, actually work on the ground, forest owners need to participate and speak up at working group and committee meetings that will help decide how the Farm Bill programs are implemented. In particular, the groups influence how funds are spent in programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, and the Conservation Stewardship Program.

-Join your State Technical Committee and get involved.

-Summary of 2008 Farm Bill opportunities for Family Forest Owners.

-Tree Farm's Comments on the new Community Forest Open Space Program.

-Tree Farm's Comments on the Implementation of the 2008 Farm Bill.

-Tree Farm's Comments on the Implementation of the Farm Bill's Energy Programs.

-Tree Farm's Comments on the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

-Review the letter