Forest Conservation Easement Program Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill creates the Forest Conservation Easement Program, which would pay private landowners and Indian Tribes to keep their land as healthy forests instead of selling it for development.
• The program has two parts: one helps keep 'working forests' active for timber and jobs, while the other focuses on restoring land to help endangered animals and plants recover.
• The government would provide $100 million each year through 2029 to fund these agreements, covering up to 75% of the cost for special lands or disadvantaged owners.
• By keeping large areas of forest together, the policy aims to prevent 'fragmentation,' which happens when big forests are broken into small pieces that are less useful for wildlife and the environment.
• Landowners who participate can still use their land for things like sustainable logging or even underground mining, as long as they follow a plan to protect the trees and soil.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.