GROUSE Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill creates a new program to help private landowners fix up their woods for wildlife. The government would pay for 75 percent of the costs to plant native trees and shrubs that provide food and cover for animals like grouse and other forest species.
• To qualify, a person must own at least 10 acres of forest that was recently logged or damaged by a natural disaster like a wildfire or tornado. The program is specifically for land that is being kept as a forest rather than being cleared for new buildings or development.
• Landowners can get help with the costs of labor, seeds, fertilizer, and seedlings. There is a limit on how much land can be covered, which is either 5 percent of the owner's total forest land or 250 acres, whichever is smaller.
• People who join the program would sign a contract for up to five years. They would also work with wildlife experts or foresters to create a specific plan to make sure the new plants actually help the local animals thrive.

Impact Analysis

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