# 119-hr-3476: Forest Conservation Easement Program Act of 2025

119-hr-3476, Forest Conservation Easement Program Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Kelly, Trent [R-MS-1] (R-MS); status introduced (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3476
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-3476
- Congress: 119
- Title: Forest Conservation Easement Program Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-05-17
- Sponsor: Rep. Kelly, Trent [R-MS-1] (R-MS)
- Cosponsors: 17
- Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Creates a Forest Conservation Easement Program** to buy and manage easements that conserve and restore private and Tribal forest land. It focuses on protecting working-forest uses, habitat for listed species, biodiversity, and carbon storage. - Private and Tribal landowners can sell or enroll land under permanent or term easements and receive federal payments. Federal support generally covers about half to three quarters of easement value and the program reserves up to 10 percent of funds each year for beginning, socially disadvantaged, veteran, or limited-resource owners. - State, Tribal, and conservation organizations can be certified to acquire and manage easements under long-term agreements. Certified entities must show capacity, monitoring and enforcement ability, and accreditation such as Land Trust Accreditation to use their own terms and accept ongoing proposals. - The measure replaces the Healthy Forests Reserve Program Title V but keeps existing contracts and payments in force and allows those lands to move into the new program. Enrollment and payments prioritize endangered and threatened species, habitat restoration, reduced fragmentation, working-forest viability, and carbon sequestration while providing technical assistance and flexible easement terms. *Provides $100.0 million in mandatory annual funding for fiscal years 2026–2030 and increases federal outlays while directing that costs be offset.*

## Cosponsors (17)

- Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2] (D-NH), 2025-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1] (R-AL), 2025-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3] (R-MS), 2025-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2] (D-MS), 2025-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4] (D-PA), 2025-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] (D-NY), 2025-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9] (D-CA), 2025-06-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY), 2025-06-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] (R-GA), 2025-06-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Schrier, Kim [D-WA-8] (D-WA), 2025-06-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (D-ME), 2025-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (D-IL), 2025-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6] (D-MD), 2025-07-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] (D-VA), 2025-07-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5] (D-OR), 2025-07-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ezell, Mike [R-MS-4] (R-MS), 2025-07-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1] (D-NH), 2025-07-25T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Payments and cost shares for forest easements: benefit, high. If enacted, landowners would be paid the drop in land value for a permanent easement. A 30-year or state‑maximum easement would pay 50%–75% of that amount. The federal share would be 50% of easement value, or up to 75% for special forests and for beginning, socially disadvantaged, veteran, or limit…
- Enrollment options and protections for landowners: benefit, medium. If enacted, you could enroll land with a permanent easement, a 30‑year easement, or the longest allowed by your State. Tribal acreage could also use a 30‑year contract with the same pay as a 30‑year easement. A forest management plan would be required; USDA could reimburse plan costs. Enrollment wo…
- New forest easement program and funding: benefit, medium. If enacted, USDA would start a Forest Conservation Easement Program to keep forests working and protect habitat, water, and carbon. The bill would provide $100 million each year for FY2026 through FY2030. It would repeal the old Healthy Forests Reserve Program, but existing contracts and payments w…
- How projects are picked and managed: mixed, medium. If enacted, USDA would rank projects to get the most out of funds and give priority to working forests with a management plan. Cost alone could not win higher priority. USDA could certify eligible entities for long‑term agreements if they have the staff, plans, and accreditation. No more than 10% o…
- Rules on minerals and enforcement: mixed, low. If enacted, subsurface mineral work under an easement could occur only with USDA approval, no surface mining, limited impact, and full reclamation. Work must follow an approved plan and meet impervious‑surface limits. USDA could step in to enforce only if the easement holder fails to act, with noti…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act
- 119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4382: America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act
- 119-hr-6130: ASAP Act
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-3476 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3476)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102)
- [119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-909)
- [119-hr-4382: America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4382)
- [119-hr-6130: ASAP Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6130)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3476 (as of 2026-04-21).