Forestry in the 2008 Farm Bill (CRS Report for Congress)
Premium Purchase PDF for $24.95 (19 pages)
add to cart or
subscribe for unlimited access
Pro Premium subscribers have free access to our full library of CRS reports.
Subscribe today, or
request a demo to learn more.
| Release Date |
Revised Jan. 15, 2009 |
| Report Number |
RL33917 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Ross W. Gorte, Resources, Science, and Industry Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
-
Premium Revised June 23, 2008 (20 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised Jan. 25, 2008 (14 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised Aug. 20, 2007 (12 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium March 14, 2007 (9 pages, $24.95)
add
|
Summary:
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 farm bill) became law P.L. 110-246 when the House and Senate voted to override President Bush's veto on June 18, 2008. The conference agreement on the bill (H.R. 2419) had been enacted, vetoed by the President, and overridden (P.L. 110-234), but inadvertently excluded the trade title. Both chambers repassed the conference agreement (with the trade title) as H.R. 6124; it was again vetoed and again overridden as P.L. 110-246.
The 2008 farm bill contained a forestry title and forestry provisions in other titles. General forestry legislation is within the jurisdiction of the Agriculture Committees, and past farm bills have included provisions addressing forestry, especially on private lands. Most federal forestry programs are permanently authorized, and thus do not require reauthorization in the farm bill.
The forestry title (Title VIII) of the 2008 farm bill amended the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-313; 16 U.S.C. §§ 2101-2114) in several ways. It added national priorities for forestry assistance, required statewide forest assessments, created a new community forest and open space conservation program (to protect forests threatened with conversion to non-forest uses), established a new Coordinating Committee, added an Emergency Forest Restoration Program, and authorized competitive allocation for some forestry assistance funding. The title also directed cooperation and collaboration with Indian tribes, amended the Lacey Act to restrict imports of illegally logged wood products, authorized changes to certain national forest timber contracts, and provided grants to Hispanic-serving institutions. In addition, it reauthorized and extended four existing programs.
Other titles also contained provisions affecting forestry. The conservation title (Title II) modified most programs to include forestry activities and directed the creation of infrastructure for environmental services markets (including carbon markets). The trade title (Title III) included a section requiring lumber importers to report on imports and fees paid, to assure implementation of the 2006 U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement. The energy title (Title IX) included woody biomass in many programs. Finally, the tax title (Title XV) included provisions to authorize new tax-exempt forest conservation bonds, to modify income deductions for qualified timber income, and to modernize and clarify the tax treatment of timber real estate investment trusts (REITs).
Other forestry provisions were suggested by various interests, and might be considered in the next farm bill. Funding is one issue, as half the mandatory spending for the Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP) was cancelled and the program was not reauthorized. Protecting communities from wildfire continues to be a priority for some, while controlling invasive species is a priority for others. Assisting forest-dependent communities in diversifying their economies has also been debated. Finally, some have expressed interest in trying to provide payments for ecosystem servicesâforest values that have not traditionally been sold in the marketplace.
