The Forest Society recently joined the other members of the Forests in the Farm Bill Coalition (FIFB) in sending a letter to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee in support of the Coalition’s Farm Bill priorities. Read the letter by clicking HERE.
Of New Hampshire’s 5.74 million acres, over 4.8 million acres, or nearly 84%, are forested. These areas provide immense social, economic, and environmental benefits to our state. Just the economic value of the forest-based economy here is estimated at $2.259 billion each year. What is perhaps not as well-known is that over 76% of our forests are owned privately and the vast majority of those (68% or 3.2 million acres) are owned by individuals and families. Businesses own over 400,000 acres of forestland while federal, local and state government own over 24% of New Hampshire’s forests or 1.2 million acres.
Such a heavy concentration of private forestland ownership requires government policies, which offer family forest owners the resources and incentives they need to keep their lands forested. In addition, they need adequate support to be able to manage their land in a way that protects water supplies, improves wildlife habitat, and results in healthy forests.
The FIFB priorities seek to meet those goals. Currently, the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate are considering competing versions of the Farm Bill reauthorization. In fact, the U.S. House narrowly approved its version on June 21 by a vote of 213-211. The U.S. Senate is expected to approve its version this week but on a much larger bi-partisan vote.
The House and Senate will next have to attempt to reach a compromise on a consensus version. We would encourage anyone who believes the federal government must maintain its commitment to the conservation of these critically important forest resources to contact the members of the New Hampshire Congressional delegation. Ask them to support a final Farm Bill that includes the following essential components:
- An overall increase in the Conservation Title funding. This section of the Farm Bill took a significant cut during the authorization of the last farm bill.
- Authorize Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) funding at $500 million per year. The program provides financial assistance to eligible partners for purchasing agricultural land easements that protect the agricultural use and conservation values of eligible land.
- Restore mandatory funding of $12 million annually for Healthy Forest Reserve Program. The HFRP helps landowners restore, enhance and protect forestland resources on private lands through easements and financial assistance. Unfortunately, it has been woefully underfunded since the program was first established in 2003.
- At a minimum, maintain current funding levels of $250 million annually for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The RCPP encourages partnerships on regional or watershed scale designed to address critical issues like improving habitat for fish and wildlife, water quality or climate resilience.
- Maintain, but then gradually increase, funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). This program provides financial assistance to private landowners for voluntary conservation practices. For example, removing selected trees or understory vegetation to achieve desired forest conditions or to obtain ecosystem services. Maintaining EQIP funding means providing at least $1.75 billion annually.
Reauthorize, revise and increase funding for the Community Wood Energy Program. Congress actually first created the program in the 2014 Farm Bill. It is a competitive grant program that aims to assist state and local governments with the costs of installing high-efficiency, biomass-fueled energy systems, such as combined heat and power (CHP). It expires at the end of 2018. Senator Jeanne Shaheen is leading an effort in the U.S. Senate to expand the program’s eligibility to private entities and to create markets for low-grade wood by providing $25 million in annual funding to support capital investment, through matching grants, in facilities and systems that use these materials.