Tom Vilsack Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) | Official Website
ORONO, Maine, July 25, 2024 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is allocating $190 million to assist private forest landowners in adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change while retaining working forestlands.
This new investment, revealed today at the University of Maine's Investing in America Town Hall, was facilitated by the Inflation Reduction Act, part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda and the largest climate investment in history.
“Climate change threatens people, communities, infrastructure, and natural resources across the country,” said Secretary Vilsack. “Healthy, resilient forests can better withstand climate change impacts and contribute to climate solutions by storing additional carbon. Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, we are partnering with states and nonprofits to reduce financial barriers for landowners interested in adopting climate-smart forestry practices and making their lands more resilient to climate change. These strategic investments represent our commitment to an all-lands, all-hands approach to investing in rural communities and mitigating the climate crisis.”
Of the total funding, $140 million is designated for state-endorsed cost-share programs for landowners. These payments aim to lower financial barriers for landowners to adapt their forests to changing climate conditions and enhance carbon storage on the landscape. For instance, a landowner may collaborate with states and non-profits to thin their private forestland strategically by removing small-diameter trees that compete for resources, allowing larger trees to grow bigger and sequester more carbon.
Additionally, $50 million will support programs that issue payments directly to landowners who adopt practices that increase carbon sequestration and storage within their forests. This funding opportunity incentivizes carbon stewardship by impacting how much carbon is stored and sequestered through forest management. Payments also provide financial incentives for maintaining land as forests rather than converting it for other uses. Eligible applicants include state forestry agencies or their equivalents and nonprofit organizations.
Private forest owners play a crucial role in addressing the climate crisis. They manage over 60% of forests in the United States; in Maine alone, they manage more than 90% of all forests. These privately managed forests are essential components of the carbon cycle and serve as significant climate solutions by absorbing vast quantities of carbon over decades.
The Forest Service remains committed to supporting landowners as they manage their forests amidst changing climates. Alongside these investments, the agency recently announced $145 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for projects connecting private forest landowners with emerging climate markets.
This funding advances environmental justice through President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims for 40% of overall benefits from certain federal investments related to climate, clean energy, and other areas flowing to disadvantaged communities marginalized by underinvestment and burdened by pollution.
For further information about this funding opportunity including eligibility criteria and application procedures visit the Forest Service’s Forest Landowner Support webpage.
USDA impacts Americans daily through various initiatives. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a focus on resilient local food production, fairer markets for producers ensuring access to nutritious food across communities building new income streams through climate-smart practices investing historically in rural infrastructure clean energy capabilities committing equity across departments removing systemic barriers fostering a workforce representative of America.
