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119-s-517119th Congress

Forest Data Modernization Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Ossoff, Jon [D-GA]

Introduced

Summary

Modernizing forest data collection to include national forest carbon accounting and modern remote sensing. This bill would expand the Forest Inventory and Analysis program to gather, standardize, and share forest resource data that explicitly includes forest carbon and below-ground carbon.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

More forest carbon data and tools

If enacted, the bill would require FIA to include forest carbon in its routine reports and in two-decade compilations. It would add a timber products output study and a national woodland owner survey to FIA data collection. It would also clarify that the program can use microwave, LiDAR, hyperspectral, high-resolution remote sensing, and machine learning for modeling.

More public forest data and rules

If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary to update the FIA strategic plan within 180 days and submit further updates every five years. It would require an annual FIA business report on progress, costs, priorities, and technology use. The Secretary would publish national FIA statistics every two years, and must include a clear description of the definition of "forest" and make data easy to access while protecting plot locations and nonaggregated owner and industry data under existing confidentiality law.

New data-request office and fees

If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary to set up an office or data platform to handle complex FIA data requests from outside organizations. The Secretary could charge fees to cover the cost of processing those requests, but fee amounts are discretionary and not specified.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Ossoff, Jon [D-GA]

GA • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]

    LA • R

    Sponsored 2/11/2025

  • Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA]

    GA • D

    Sponsored 2/25/2025

  • Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS]

    MS • R

    Sponsored 2/25/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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