The National Association of State Foresters submitted on May 10th, 2024, written testimony to the House Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies concerning FY 2025 USDA Forest Service Appropriations.
“State foresters deliver technical and financial assistance, along with forest health, water, and wildfire protection for more than two-thirds of the nation’s 751 million acres of forests. The Forest Service SP&TF mission area provides vital support to deliver these services, which contribute to the socioeconomic and environmental health of rural and urban areas. The comprehensive process for delivering these services is articulated in each State’s Forest Resource Assessment and Strategy (Forest Action Plan), authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill and continued in the 2018 Farm Bill. State SP&TF programs provide a significant return on federal investment by leveraging the boots-on-the-ground and financial resources of state agencies to deliver assistance to forest landowners, tribes, and communities. As federal and state governments continue to face financial challenges, state foresters, in partnership with the SP&TF mission area of the Forest Service, are best positioned to maximize the effectiveness of available resources by focusing work on priority forest issues where resources are needed most.”