WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 24, 2024) - Rita Hite, president & CEO of the American Forest Foundation, a conservation organization that empowers family forest owners to create meaningful conservation impact, released the following statement regarding the House Agriculture Committee’s advancement of the Farm Bill legislation package to the House floor:

“It is encouraging to see the movement of the Farm Bill in both chambers of Congress, and we applaud Chairman Thompson for a bill that includes a number of priorities that will support America’s rural forest owners as they care for and manage their land.

We also applaud Representative Pingree for her continued support of small landowners through her opening statement urging the inclusion of the Rural Forest Markets Act (RFMA) in the final bill package. In addition to the strong investments in forestry and conservation through the conservation title in the bill, this bill has the potential to unlock billions in much needed private financing to improve the health and resilience of our small, family-owned forests.

The Agriculture Committee’s action is an important step forward in providing rural Americans with the support to protect the health and wellbeing of their lands and communities. We look forward to also working with Senators Stabenow and Boozman as they advance their bill and bring us closer to a bipartisan package that works for rural America.

The Farm Bill is a crucial piece of legislation that affects all Americans across the political spectrum. AFF encourages members from both chambers, on both sides of the aisle, to work together to strengthen and pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that supports rural forest owners who are part of the backbone of our rural economies and are so critical to the clean air, water, wildlife, forest products, and recreation benefits that every American enjoys from our forests.”

Learn more about AFF’s full list of Farm Bill priorities.

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CONTACT: Kristen Voorhees, Communications Director, media@forestfoundation.org

About The American Forest Foundation

The American Forest Foundation is a national conservation organization that empowers family forest owners to make meaningful conservation impact. The organization’s flagship program, the Family Forest Carbon Program, helps landowners implement forest management practices to protect the health of their woodlands and help the planet. To learn more about the American Forest Foundation and the Family Forest Carbon Program, visit www.forestfoundation.org/carbon.