American Forests urges Congress to reject public land sales, forestry funding cuts in Senate reconciliation bill; legislation threatens conservation gains, climate progress ahead of June 16, 2025 vote

On June 16, 2025, the U.S. Senate released its version of the budget reconciliation bill, which included sweeping proposals that would have serious consequences for forests, public lands, and climate progress. Among the most alarming were provisions mandating the sale of millions of acres of public lands and rolling back critical investments for forests and communities. These proposals threaten to undermine decades of conservation gains, weaken public access and accelerate climate risk.

Read our response below.

American Forests urges Congress to reject efforts to sell public lands and cut forestry funding in the budget reconciliation bill.

The latest text of the Senate reconciliation bill continues to unnecessarily target Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) grant programs—initiatives that support working forests and expand tree canopy in the communities that need it most.

Although often characterized as climate and carbon investments, projects supported by these grants deliver a wide variety of concrete and meaningful benefits, including providing much-needed resources to family forest owners, Tribes, and communities of all sizes.

The Forest Landowner Support program assists private landowners and Tribes with resources to manage their forests and keep them as working lands. Projects within this program aim to reduce wildfire risks, spur reforestation, protect water supplies, build resilience to storms, and open new and more diversified revenue streams. Funds from these projects are injected directly into local economies through direct payments to landowners as well as consulting foresters, loggers, site prep crews, forest inventory crews, seedling nurseries, and other businesses.

Urban and Community Forestry grants are positively impacting communities in every state—from rural towns in Pennsylvania, Maine and South Dakota to more populated places like Boise, Reno, Louisville, Chattanooga, Jacksonville, Tulsa and Charlotte. Supporting more than 220 million Americans living in 70% of Congressional districts nationwide, these projects help communities combat extreme heat and air pollution, and prepare and recover from wildfires, floods and hurricanes. This infusion of funding also supports local businesses, creates good-paying jobs and expands economic opportunities tied to tourism and wood products.

These IRA grant programs address bipartisan priorities—strengthening rural communities, lowering energy bills and improving the health and safety of all Americans. Rescinding unobligated funds would undermine the Forest Service’s ability to support current grantees and needlessly jeopardize the successful implementation of projects already delivering results.

Furthermore, while some language to sell public lands has been scaled back, troubling provisions remain that would allow for the sale of federally owned lands. These measures threaten public access, conservation progress, and long-standing bipartisan support for public land stewardship.