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119-s-2566119th CongressWALLET

Forest Legacy Management Flexibility Act

Sponsored By: Senator Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

Introduced

Summary

Lets accredited, state‑approved nonprofits hold and manage Forest Legacy conservation easements. The bill would let States authorize qualified organizations to acquire, monitor, and enforce easements under the Forest Legacy Program while adding accreditation, IRS and Attorney General checks and a reversion rule if responsibilities lapse.

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  • States would gain explicit authority to approve third‑party organizations to hold easements, giving them more partners for conserving private forestland.
  • Qualified organizations would have to meet strict standards, including alignment with Internal Revenue Code rules for charitable easements, accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, and no certain enforcement actions by the IRS or Attorney General.
  • Private landowners could convey easements to these approved groups, and a reversion mechanism would return easement rights to the State or another approved holder if an organization cannot meet program or easement obligations.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Allow local groups to hold easements

If enacted, the bill would let a State ask the Secretary to approve local conservation groups to acquire, hold, and manage Forest Legacy conservation easements. Approved groups would need the special tax-deduction charity status under IRC 170(h), be organized mainly for conservation, have no related Attorney General or IRS enforcement history, and keep accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission or an approved successor. The group must show it can acquire, monitor, and enforce easements consistent with the State’s Forest Legacy assessment of need. If a group cannot carry out its duties, modifies an easement against program purposes, or transfers it to an unapproved party, the group's rights would end and the easement would revert to the State or to another Secretary-approved group.

Apply Vermont rule to all States

If enacted, the bill would change specific Forest Legacy text that now mentions only Vermont so it applies to any State for the cited paragraph. This could let landowners and groups in other States get the same statutory treatment that previously applied only in Vermont. If enacted, the change would take effect upon enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT]

    MT • R

    Sponsored 7/31/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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