WHAT DO YOU THINK??? Summary of the Forestry Provision of the 2014 Farm Bill. From the Congressional Research Service. Some states are urging certain areas be considered at the top of the list. Whats happening in your area? What needs to be addressed? Summary The Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79, the 2014 farm bill) was signed into law by President Obama on February 7, 2014, after both the House and Senate voted to approve a conference agreement. The 2014 farm bill establishes agricultural and food policy for the next several years, and also addresses several aspects of federal forestry policy. Forestry provisions were included in the Forestry title (Title VIII) of the 2014 farm bill as well as in some of the other titles. The 2014 farm bill generally repeals, reauthorizes, and modifies existing forestry assistance programs and provisions under two main authorities: the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act (CFAA; P.L. 95-313; 16 U.S.C. §§2101-2114), as amended, and the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA; P.L. 108-148; 16 U.S.C. §§6501-6591), as amended. Several forestry assistance programs were reauthorized through FY2018. However, many federal forestry assistance programs are permanently authorized, and thus do not require reauthorization in the farm bill. The farm bill also repeals programs that had expired or had never received appropriations. The 2014 farm bill includes provisions addressing the management of the National Forest System. For example, it permanently reauthorizes stewardship contracting and extends the good neighbor authority nationwide, both tools the Forest Service uses to conduct restoration and other forest management projects. The farm bill also authorizes the designation of treatment areas within the National Forest System due to insect or disease infestation, and allows for expedited project planning within those designated areas. In addition, the farm bill includes provisions to modify the existing public notice, comment, and appeals process for land and resource management plans. Congress considered other forestry provisions which were not included in the final law, but which might be debated in other legislation. Protecting communities from wildfire continues to be a priority for some, while controlling invasive species is a priority for others. How to address these issues was debated in terms of both federal assistance programs to nonfederal forest owners and management of the National Forest System. In addition, some wanted to change the funding mechanisms and amounts for several forestry assistance programs. Issues from this and previous farm bills may also become of interest again in the future, such as assisting forest-dependent communities in diversifying their economies or providing payments for ecosystem services— forest values that have not traditionally been sold in the marketplace.
Posted on: Tue, 27 May 2014 17:50:47 +0000
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