NASF worked with key partner organizations on a letter advocating for increased USDA Forest Service Forest Stewardship Program funding. The letter draws attention to the frightening level of expiring plans the Forest Stewardship Program will experience in the upcoming years.
“Currently, there are over 20 million acres nationwide managed under the Forest Stewardship Program. In 2023, the program led to the development of 12,000 new management plans covering over 1.32 million acres. This represents only a fraction of the landowners and less than 6% of existing forested acres that could benefit from the program with additional Congressional support. Even more critical, however, is that the Forest Stewardship Program will see close to 7 million acres leave the program over the next three years due to expiring plans, assuming continued level funding.”