Bill > HR1213

This bill, known as the Forest Data Modernization Act of 2025, amends the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 to significantly enhance the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. The bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to update the program's strategic plan to improve data collection and reporting on forests, with a particular focus on forest carbon tracking. Key provisions include implementing nationally consistent data collection protocols, integrating remote sensing technologies, expanding data collection to include renewable biomass supplies and carbon stocks, and improving statistical precision of forest estimates. The bill mandates the creation of new data collection methods like timber products output studies and national woodland owner surveys, and requires clear definitions of "forest" in all reporting. Additionally, the bill establishes an office or data platform to process complex external data requests, allows for fee collection for these services, and ensures data accessibility while maintaining confidentiality of specific details like plot locations and woodland owner information. The legislation also explicitly expands the use of advanced remote sensing technologies such as LiDAR, hyperspectral imaging, and machine learning to improve forest data collection and modeling.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1213/all-info