FLA Opposes ESA Regulation Revisions
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FLA Opposes ESA Regulation Revisions

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….

Advocacy in Action: FLA’s Government Affairs Team Encourages Members to Share Their Stories
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Advocacy in Action: FLA’s Government Affairs Team Encourages Members to Share Their Stories

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…

FLA Weighs in on Spotted Owl Proposed Listing
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FLA Weighs in on Spotted Owl Proposed Listing

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…

Biden Administration Unveils Old Growth Inventory
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Biden Administration Unveils Old Growth Inventory

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…

Every Day is Earth Day for Private Forest Landowners
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Every Day is Earth Day for Private Forest Landowners

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…

Forest Landowners Association | Legislative Update
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Forest Landowners Association | Legislative Update

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…

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Streamlining Conservation Agreements and Permitting
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Streamlining Conservation Agreements and Permitting

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…

Senators Cassidy and Warnock Prioritize Forest Landowners Bill
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Senators Cassidy and Warnock Prioritize Forest Landowners Bill

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…

House Tax Bill Introduced to Help Forest Landowners Recover
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House Tax Bill Introduced to Help Forest Landowners Recover

WASHINGTON, DC –The Forest Landowners Association (FLA) commends the introduction of H.R. 655: 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 Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) and Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), would provide economic certainty that is…

FLA Keeps Watchful Eye On WOTUS
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FLA Keeps Watchful Eye On WOTUS

On December 30, the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S Department of the Armyreleased a notice of their final rule defining Waters of the United States (WOTUS). The final rule relies largely on pre-2015 guidance: starting with the 1986 regulations as a baseline and updated to include limitations by the Supreme Court on federal jurisdiction since…