Forest Legacy Management Flexibility Act
Sponsored By: Representative Garamendi
Introduced
Summary
State approval of qualified organizations to manage Forest Legacy conservation easements. This bill would let States ask the Secretary to authorize accredited third-party organizations to acquire, hold, and monitor conservation easements under the Forest Legacy Program, and it sets eligibility, accreditation, and reversion rules.
Show full summary
- States: At a State's request the Secretary would be able to authorize the State to approve qualified organizations to hold and manage Forest Legacy easements, replacing a Vermont-specific rule with an option for any State.
- Qualified organizations: Groups must meet Internal Revenue Code 170(h)(3) standards, operate principally for conservation, have no related AG or IRS enforcement actions, and keep accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission or an approved successor.
- Reversion and oversight: If an organization fails to carry out duties, alters an easement contrary to the program's needs, or improperly conveys it, the easement rights would revert to the State or to another State-approved qualified organization.
- Landowners and projects: Easements held by approved organizations must align with the State's applicable assessment of need for the conservation project.
- Program administration: The bill also updates cross-references, redesignates a subsection, and changes Vermont-specific language to apply more broadly to States.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More land trusts for forest easements
States would be able to ask the Agriculture Secretary to let them approve certain land trusts to hold Forest Legacy easements. These trusts would need IRS‑qualified charity status and land trust accreditation. They would also need a clean enforcement record on donated easements and show they can monitor and enforce the easement. If a trust fails its duties, changes the easement wrongly, or transfers it to a non‑qualified party, the easement would revert. The State could take it back or move it to another approved trust. The bill would also extend a Vermont‑only rule so it applies to any State.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Garamendi
CA • D
Cosponsors
Calvert
CA • R
Sponsored 4/9/2025
Bonamici
OR • D
Sponsored 4/9/2025
Harder (CA)
CA • D
Sponsored 4/9/2025
Mullin
CA • D
Sponsored 4/9/2025
Costa
CA • D
Sponsored 4/9/2025
Fitzpatrick
PA • R
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Tokuda
HI • D
Sponsored 4/29/2025
Gray
CA • D
Sponsored 6/9/2025
Riley (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Whitesides
CA • D
Sponsored 12/1/2025
Salinas
OR • D
Sponsored 4/6/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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