[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 132 (Thursday, July 31, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S4999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mr. Sheehy):
  S. 2566. A bill to amend the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 
1978 to authorize States to approve certain organizations to acquire, 
hold, and manage conservation easements under the Forest Legacy 
Program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the bipartisan 
Forest Legacy Management Flexibility Act, which would give States the 
option to designate accredited nonprofit land trusts to hold 
conservation easements purchased with Federal funding from the U.S. 
Forest Service's Forest Legacy Program.
  As my colleagues may know, the Forest Legacy Program is a 
conservation program administered by the U.S. Forest Service, in 
partnership with State agencies, that encourages the protection of 
privately owned forestlands through conservation easements or land 
purchases.
  Protection of private forests through FLP maintains a multitude of 
public benefits, including opportunities to hunt, fish, and camp; clean 
and abundant drinking water; habitats for fish and wildlife; and 
timber, fuel wood, and other forest products. Since its creation in 
1990, FLP has conserved over 3 million acres of forestland and expanded 
across the country to 53 States and territories.
  Current law requires that Federal or State governments hold 
conservation easements purchased under the Forest Legacy Program. This 
bill would amend this existing law to ensure that States have the 
option to designate accredited nonprofit land trusts to hold 
conservation easements purchased with Federal funding from the U.S. 
Forest Service's Forest Legacy Program.
  I would like to thank Senator Sheehy for working with me on this 
crucial piece of legislation. I also want to extend my appreciation to 
Representatives Garamendi and Calvert for leading the House version of 
this bill.
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