Biden-Harris Administration Invests $150M to Connect Underserved and Small Acreage Forest Landowners to Emerging Climate Markets as part of Investing in America Agenda

BRUNSWICK, Ga., August 22, 2023

USDA Forest Service to Provide $150 Million for Underserved Forest Landowners to Access Climate Markets

Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service will allocate $150 million from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to assist underserved and small acreage forest landowners in connecting to emerging voluntary climate markets. This funding opportunity, which is the largest climate investment in history, aims to provide economic opportunities for landowners while incentivizing improved forest health and management. Secretary Vilsack made this announcement at the Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Conference, marking the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act. This initiative builds upon the investments made in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for forest health treatments, including the provision of competitive grants to non-Federal forest landowners.

Importance of Forests in Addressing Climate Change

Forests are powerful tools in the fight against climate change. Voluntary private-sector markets are now emerging, offering economic incentives for maintaining healthy and productive forests through reforestation, improved forest management, and other sustainable practices. However, many small-acreage and underserved private forest owners have been unable to participate due to high acreage requirements and prohibitive start-up costs. The announced investments aim to expand access to these markets, enabling underserved and small-acreage forest landowners to contribute to climate change mitigation while also supporting rural economies, preserving land ownership for future generations, and protecting private forestlands from increasing development pressure.

Quotes from Secretary Vilsack and Forest Service Chief Randy Moore

“Healthy, resilient forests store carbon, provide critical habitat for wildlife, and grow forest resources that are the lifeblood of communities across the country,” said Secretary Vilsack. “Thanks to the historic resources made possible by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, private landowners, regardless of their background or means, will have an opportunity to be part of the solution to the climate crisis.”

“Working forests are the cornerstone of local economies and play a key role in mitigating the effects of climate change,” said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. “By helping underserved and small acreage landowners access new economic opportunities, we can ensure that working forests remain intact. Without financial incentives, these landowners may lack the resources to manage forests for long-term health and resilience, which can lead to increased vulnerability to pests, diseases, catastrophic wildfires, loss of wildlife habitat, and reduced water quality for downstream users.”

The Inflation Reduction Act and its Impact

The Inflation Reduction Act represents the largest investment in climate action and resilience in history. It is part of the Biden-Harris Investing in America agenda, which aims to rebuild the American economy from the middle out and bottom-up by focusing on infrastructure development, driving private sector manufacturing investments, creating well-paying jobs, and building a clean energy economy to address the climate crisis and enhance community resilience.

The Inflation Reduction Act also aligns with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which seeks to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of federal climate, clean energy, and other investments to disadvantaged communities that face pollution and underinvestment.

Funding Opportunities and Future Initiatives

Eligible entities for the Forest Service’s new Landowner Support for Forest Resilience Program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, include Tribal governments and organizations, states, local governments, public and private non-profits, and for-profit entities. Detailed information on eligibility, deadlines, and proposal requirements for the first phase of this program can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/state-private-forestry/coop-forestry/ira-forest-landowner-support.

The USDA Forest Service also anticipates future funding opportunities, including one specifically targeted to engage tribal nations.

About USDA and its Initiatives

The USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in numerous positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the USDA is transforming America’s food system by prioritizing resilient local and regional food production, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, creating new markets and income streams for farmers and producers through climate-smart practices, making historic investments in rural infrastructure and clean energy capabilities, and promoting equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce that reflects the diversity of America. To learn more about the USDA’s initiatives, visit www.usda.gov.

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The USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 15: Life on Land
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 13 Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
• SDG 15 Target 15.2: Promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
• SDG 17 Target 17.16: Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 13 Target 13.1: Number of forest landowners connected to emerging voluntary climate markets
• Indicator for SDG 15 Target 15.2: Increase in the number of small-acreage forest landowners engaging in sustainable forest management practices
• Indicator for SDG 17 Target 17.16: Amount of funding allocated to support underserved and small-acreage forest landowners in accessing climate markets

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: usda.gov

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