This month, several revisions to the Endangered Species Act regulations were finalized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. While some of the revisions are beneficial for landowners, others are a step backward in our efforts to achieve flexibility and collaborative conservation. Service Streamlines Conservation Agreements On April 11th, the Service finalized their proposal to…
This year, FLA launched an on-the ground initiative to meet with our State Engagement Team members and other interested parties in their home states to grow our grassroots engagement. Government Affairs on the Ground: FLA’s Grassroots Tour Amidst shifting markets, regulations and legislative landscapes, private forest landowners across the country are face mounting pressure and…
On June 21, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (the Services) published several proposed revisions to Endangered Species Act regulations. The two of most importance to our members are highlighted below. Both of these regulations will change the way that the Services approach species listings and critical habitat designations….
Advocating for policies that protect private forest landowners’ private property rights, economic viability, and forest legacy is the core of our work at the Forest Landowners Association (FLA). While FLA’s Government Affairs team is working to advance your interests with Congress and the Administration, our team needs landowners like you to tell their stories. When…
The spotted owl may be spelling trouble for forest landowners once again. In February, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a proposal to list two distinct population segments (DPSs) of the California spotted owl. In the proposal, the Coastal-Southern California DSP would be listed as endangered, and the Sierra Nevada DSP would be listed…
Last year the Biden administration announced Executive Order 14072: “Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities and Local Economies.”, which tasked the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management with defining and inventorying old growth and mature forests on federal lands. The order cited the importance of old growth’s carbon sequestration and storage for climate mitigation as…
Private forests provide clean air, clean water and essential wildlife habitat This Saturday, April 22 is Earth Day and for private forest landowners, it’s business as usual, as caretakers of our nation’s forests. America’s forest landowners work behind the scenes every day managing their forests not only to supply wood and paper products, but to…
A rule expanding the definition of bodies of waters subject to federal environmental protections remains in place after the House failed to override President Joe Biden’s veto of a measure that would have repealed it. On Tuesday, the House passed a disapproval resolution by a vote of 227-196. While this fell short of the two-thirds…
Update On April 10, FLA submitted comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding this proposal. While we are encouraged by the efforts of the Service to streamline permitting and conservation agreements, we urge the Service to consider additional revisions that would further improve the regulations and help landowners better achieve collaborative species conservation…
WASHINGTON, DC –The Forest Landowners Association (FLA) commends the introduction of S. 217: The Disaster Reforestation Act, bipartisan legislation designed to allow private forest landowners to recover from the loss of timber destroyed by natural disasters. The bill, sponsored by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), would provide the economic certainty that…