📋 Tender Overview
Forest Conservation Easement Program Act U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Roger Wicker (R-MS) are reintroducing the , which would help conserve working forests and give landowners more options to ensure their land is protected. said Senator Gillibrand. said Senator Wicker. The bill would expand the Healthy Forests Reserve Program and rename it the Forest Conservation Easement Program (FCEP), which would aim to: Prioritize keeping forests as forests, benefiting the economy and the environment; Help landowners restore and protect habitats for at-risk species while simultaneously increasing carbon sequestration; and Enhance the abilities of the Natural Resources Conservation Service so it can effectively conserve working forests through conservation easements. Landowners would be provided with two options for placing voluntary easements on their land: Forest Land Easements and Forest Reserve Easements. Under this program, eligible entities would be able to purchase development rights from willing private and tribal landowners to prevent conversions to non-forest uses while maintaining working forests. No existing federal forest easement program provides funding for land trusts, tribes, and NGOs to obtain and hold conservation easements. This legislation will fill a gap for programs that are essential to protect working forestlands. The legislation is supported by several organizations, including the Western New York Land Conservancy, Scenic Hudson, Adirondack Land Trust, Boone and Crockett Club, The Conservation Fund, Land Trust Alliance, Congressional Sportsmens Foundation, and American Forests. said Marisa Riggi, Executive Director of the Western New York Land Conservancy said Pete Lopez, Executive Director of Scenic Hudson. said Chris Jage, director of conservation, Adirondack Land Trust. said Simon Roosevelt, Vice-President of the Boone and Crockett Club. said Larry Selzer, president and CEO of The Conservation Fund. said Jennifer Miller Herzog, interim president and CEO of the Land Trust Alliance. said Jeff Crane, President and CEO of the Congressional Sportsmens Foundation. said Danielle Watson, senior director of policy at American Forests. The full text of the legislation can be found here. ###
