Jobs in the Woods Act

Key Points

• This bill would create a new grant program to help people in small, rural towns get trained for jobs in the timber and forestry industries. The goal is to help these communities grow their local economies by teaching workers the skills needed to manage forests and process wood products.
• To qualify for the training, a town must have fewer than 20,000 people and be considered a low-income area. These towns must also have reliable, high-speed internet so that workers and students can use modern technology and online resources during their training.
• The government would give out between $500,000 and $2 million to groups like local colleges, nonprofits, or Tribal governments to run these programs. These groups would focus on helping young people find careers in their hometowns instead of moving away for work.
• The program would prioritize training that helps older workers transition or helps schools teach students about forestry careers. It also focuses on making sure people who finish the training actually get hired by local businesses.
• Congress plans to set aside $10 million every year from 2025 through 2029 to pay for these grants. This funding is intended to address the problem of an aging workforce in the woods and keep rural timber industries strong.

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