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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rita Hite, president & CEO of the American Forest Foundation, issued this statement following the introduction of the Disaster Reforestation Act in the Senate: 

“Family forest owners need every tool available to them to recover in the face of natural disasters. These landowners play a critical role in keeping our forests healthy and productive, and they’re often those hit first and worst by extreme weather like wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and tornados. For example, Hurricane Helene damaged 8.9 million acres of forestland in Georgia alone, resulting in a $1.28 billion impact on timber resources. Thousands of landowners are now in desperate need of financing to recover the loss of the timber in their woodlands – which for many of them is their very livelihood. These rural Americans need our help. 

Alongside its sister bill in the House, this legislation would provide these landowners with much-needed tax relief to recover after disaster hits. We thank Senators Cassidy and Warnock for introducing this bill and urge both chambers to pass the Disaster Reforestation Act to equip family forest owners with the recovery assistance they need.” 

Currently, family forest owners cannot recoup the value of their timber lost in natural disasters, making it that much harder for these owners to reinvest in the recovery of their forest. The Disaster Reforestation Act aims to fix this by amending the tax code to allow forest owners to deduct the market value of their timber destroyed by natural disasters. For more information, visit forestfoundation.org.  

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About The American Forest Foundation 

The American Forest Foundation is a national conservation organization that empowers family forest owners to make meaningful conservation impact. The organization’s flagship program, the Family Forest Carbon Program, helps 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.