Bill > S2643

This bill, called the "Seedlings for Sustainable Habitat Restoration Act of 2025," amends the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to expand the U.S. Forest Service's authority to collaborate on ecosystem restoration activities. Specifically, the bill authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Chief of the Forest Service, to enter into contracts, grants, and agreements with various entities including state forestry agencies, local private or nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions, Indian Tribes, and multistate coalitions. These partnerships would focus on two primary activities: collecting and maintaining native seeds (including from managed seed orchards) and producing seedlings for revegetation purposes. The bill also modifies the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program to explicitly include native seed collection and seedling production as eligible activities, and adds institutions of higher education as potential partners in these restoration efforts. By broadening the Forest Service's collaborative capabilities, the bill aims to support more comprehensive and diverse approaches to ecosystem restoration and landscape management.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2643/all-info