The federal government is investing $188 million to conserve thousands of acres of working forestland across the country, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last month. The funding will support 34 projects in 22 states and one territory to sustain more than 245,000 acres of working forests.
"America's public and private forests provide critical habitat for wildlife, support outdoor recreation, provide families with food and other resources, protect clean water, and are vital to forest products economies," the USDA states in a June 29 press release. "They play a significant role in the local social and economic fabric, especially for disadvantaged and tribal communities, and support carbon sequestration and climate resilience."
President Joseph Biden's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is providing $100 million of the investment, and an additional $250 million for similar projects in 2024, the release reports. The Land and Water Conservation Fund is providing $88 million, according to the release. The funding supports the USDA's Forest Legacy program.
"These forests, identified by state, tribal, and non-profit partners as vital to local communities, are critical to the health of our planet and the livelihoods of millions of Americans," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the release. "As private forest landowners continue to face pressures to convert forests, the Forest Legacy program keeps working forests working."
The Forest Legacy program plays a crucial role in maintaining working forests amidst pressures to convert them for other purposes, the release reported. Vilsack acknowledged the contribution of President Biden's agenda in ensuring that these essential forested landscapes continue to provide economic and social benefits to the communities relying on them. The Forest Service announced the fiscal year 2023 Forest Legacy investments during an event in Rangeley, Maine.
"Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda," Vilsack said in the release, "we are ensuring that the most important forested landscapes continue to provide economic and social benefits to the communities that depend on them for their lives and livelihoods."
