The "White Oak Resiliency Act of 2025" aims to restore white oak populations across the United States through a multi-faceted approach involving federal agencies, private entities, and research institutions. It establishes the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition , a voluntary group tasked with coordinating restoration efforts, making policy recommendations, and reporting to Congress on its activities. The Act mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to establish five Forest Service pilot projects in national forests for white oak restoration and natural regeneration. Concurrently, the Secretary of the Interior must conduct an assessment of white oak presence and restoration potential on covered lands, followed by five pilot projects to restore and naturally regenerate white oak. A nonregulatory White Oak and Upland Oak Habitat Regeneration Program will be established by the Secretary of Agriculture to identify, prioritize, and implement restoration activities, collaborating with the Coalition. This program includes a voluntary grant and technical assistance component, to be administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, supporting partnerships for white oak restoration. To address critical supply issues, the bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a national strategy to increase the capacity of white oak tree nurseries , leveraging expertise from land-grant colleges. Furthermore, it mandates significant research initiatives through partnerships with land-grant colleges, focusing on white oak genetics, stress tolerance, seed banks, reforestation methods, and disease resistance. Finally, the Natural Resources Conservation Service will establish an initiative to re-establish and improve white oak forests, offering technical assistance to private landowners.
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Timeline
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Environmental Protection
White Oak Resiliency Act of 2025
USA119th CongressS-476| Senate
| Updated: 2/6/2025
The "White Oak Resiliency Act of 2025" aims to restore white oak populations across the United States through a multi-faceted approach involving federal agencies, private entities, and research institutions. It establishes the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition , a voluntary group tasked with coordinating restoration efforts, making policy recommendations, and reporting to Congress on its activities. The Act mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to establish five Forest Service pilot projects in national forests for white oak restoration and natural regeneration. Concurrently, the Secretary of the Interior must conduct an assessment of white oak presence and restoration potential on covered lands, followed by five pilot projects to restore and naturally regenerate white oak. A nonregulatory White Oak and Upland Oak Habitat Regeneration Program will be established by the Secretary of Agriculture to identify, prioritize, and implement restoration activities, collaborating with the Coalition. This program includes a voluntary grant and technical assistance component, to be administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, supporting partnerships for white oak restoration. To address critical supply issues, the bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a national strategy to increase the capacity of white oak tree nurseries , leveraging expertise from land-grant colleges. Furthermore, it mandates significant research initiatives through partnerships with land-grant colleges, focusing on white oak genetics, stress tolerance, seed banks, reforestation methods, and disease resistance. Finally, the Natural Resources Conservation Service will establish an initiative to re-establish and improve white oak forests, offering technical assistance to private landowners.