Campton, N.H. – Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander introduced the Forest Conservation Easement Program Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation to conserve working forests and give landowners more options to ensure their land is protected. Goodlander is leading this legislation alongside Representative Trent Kelly (MS-01). U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) are leading companion legislation in the Senate.
“New Hampshire’s forests are a national treasure. For hundreds of years, our working forests have been essential to our economy and our way of life. Today, they are the source of thousands of good jobs and billions of dollars for our state’s economy, clean drinking water, and the most beautiful land in America. We must do more to protect them,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “I am proud to lead this bipartisan legislation to conserve our forest land and ensure our working forests are preserved for centuries to come.”
Working forests are a key economic and environmental resource. The bipartisan legislation would support local jobs – particularly those in rural areas – by preserving working forests and providing new opportunities to expand forest conservation for Tribes, land trusts, and local governments. By filling a critical funding gap, this legislation would help keep private forestland intact and sustainably managed for timber.
Nationally, private forests filter nearly 30% of the nation’s drinking water; provide habitat for 60% of at-risk species; support 2.5 million jobs; and account for 90% of the nation’s harvests for forest products.
The bill would expand the Healthy Forests Reserve Program and rename it the Forest Conservation Easement Program (FCEP), which would aim to:
- Prioritize keeping forests as forests, benefiting the economy and the environment;
- Help landowners restore and protect habitats for at-risk species while simultaneously increasing carbon sequestration; and
- Enhance the abilities of the Natural Resources Conservation Service so it can effectively conserve working forests through conservation easements. Landowners would be provided with two options for placing voluntary easements on their land: Forest Land Easements and Forest Reserve Easements.
- Under this program, eligible entities would be able to purchase development rights from willing private and tribal landowners to prevent conversions to non-forest uses while maintaining working forests. No existing federal forest easement program provides funding for land trusts, tribes, and NGOs to obtain and hold conservation easements. This legislation will fill a gap for programs that are essential to protect working forestlands.
The full text of the legislation can be found here.
This legislation is endorsed by the Society for the Protection of NH Forests, NH Land Trust Coalition, New England Land Trust Alliance, Wagner Forest Management, Lyme Timber Company, Northern Forest Center, The Conservation Fund, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and Appalachian Mountain Club.
Congresswoman Goodlander is a fierce advocate for New Hampshire’s agriculture industry and workforce. Last month, she hosted a roundtable discussion in Groveton with local foresters and farmers to discuss the challenges they face and how Congress can help address problems and deliver on what matters most.
