CONTACT: Kris Voorhees, Senior Director of Communications, media@forestfoundation.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Forest Landowners Association (FLA), American Forest Foundation (AFF), and National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) sent a joint letter today to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent urging the Trump administration to include private forest landowners, family forestry businesses, and timber product manufacturers in efforts to address unfair trade practices.

Private forest landowners and family forestry businesses provide 90% of the nation’s domestic timber harvest and are the backbone of many rural communities, with more than 21 million American families stewarding forests nationwide. These landowners sustain rural economies by providing raw materials for housing, energy and other products while maintaining the long-term health and resiliency of the nation’s forests.

In the letter, the organizations wrote:

“Our sector faces unprecedented pressures, including mill closures, market disruptions, natural disasters and limited access to safety net tools compared to traditional agriculture. Without trade policies that strengthen our position domestically and globally, these challenges threaten the viability of private working forests and the communities they support.”

The letter calls on the administration to:

• Explicitly include U.S. timber producers, private forest landowners and family forestry businesses in trade relief discussions and actions.
• Structure trade agreements and related actions to strengthen U.S. timber and product markets and expand exports.
• Provide policy and economic support that sustain long-term investments in forest management, expand market growth and access, and respond to market disruptions and natural disasters.
• By prioritizing support for private forest landowners and family forestry businesses, the Trump administration can level the playing field for U.S. timber producers, ensuring they receive the same recognition and support as other American commodities. Doing so will protect rural jobs, strengthen the resiliency of working forests and secure a stable, sustainable domestic timber supply for generations to come.

Statements from the organizations:

Rita Hite, CEO, American Forest Foundation
“Family forests fuel rural economies and keep our country’s lands healthy and productive. Strengthening and diversifying all markets for forests, including private forests in trade relief, and prioritizing rural landowners and their businesses ensures these woodlands can continue to contribute to the domestic timber supply while keeping our air and water clean and supporting wildlife. Now is the time for the administration to unlock the economic and conservation potential of these families and their forests—for rural lives, livelihoods and landscapes.”

Scott Jones, CEO, Forest Landowners Association
“Private forest landowners and family forestry businesses are the backbone of rural America, providing the raw materials that fuel housing, energy and manufacturing across the country. Yet our sector faces unique challenges—from natural disasters to market disruptions—and we lack the same safety net tools available to other commodities. By including timber producers in trade relief and policy solutions, the Trump administration can level the playing field, protect rural jobs and ensure our working forests remain resilient for generations to come.”

Dave Tenny, CEO, National Alliance of Forest Owners
“America’s private working forests depend on strong, predictable markets to keep forests healthy and rural communities thriving. When trade policy disrupts market access, it doesn’t just harm forest owners and mills—it weakens the economic engine that sustains rural jobs, supports forest health and resilience, and keeps forests as forests. Including the forest and forest products sector in trade relief recognizes our essential role in providing the lumber to build our homes and delivering lasting economic and environmental benefits for our country.”

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About The American Forest Foundation
The American Forest Foundation is a national organization that empowers family forest owners to deliver meaningful conservation impact. The organization’s programs, the Family Forest Carbon Program and the American Tree Farm System, help landowners implement forest management practices to care for the health and productivity of their woodlands. To learn more about the American Forest Foundation and the Family Forest Carbon Program, visit www.forestfoundation.org.