Statement: AFF Statement on the House Agriculture Committee’s Vote to Advance a Bipartisan Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rita Hite, president & CEO of the American Forest Foundation, released the following statement regarding the House Agriculture Committee’s advancement of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567):
“The Farm Bill is critical to the health and wellbeing of America’s forests and family forest owners. One in four rural Americans own private forests and look to federal programs and policies that support natural resources, wildlife habitat, and water quality. We appreciate the Committee’s commitment to family forest owners in the Farm, Food, and National Security Act.
In addition to the strong investments in conservation and forestry in the bill reported today, we continue to recognize bipartisan support for incorporating additional provisions to unlock much needed private financing to improve the health and resilience of our small, family-owned forests; improve the tax code to more accurately reflect the loss of timber due to emergencies; and empower family forest owners to more fully participate in bioenergy and wildfire mitigation efforts.
We hope that Members of Congress will prioritize passage of a bipartisan Farm Bill that works for American families and our country’s forests.”
The bill passed today contains numerous provisions that will support family forest owners as they navigate the challenges of maintaining and managing their forests. This includes the new Forest Conservation Easement Program; improvements to forest data collection and the Emergency Forest Restoration Program; and continued investments in wood innovation and voluntary conservation programs like the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, Conservation Reserve Program, and Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
Learn more about AFF’s policy priorities here.
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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.
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