HR2405-119

What This Bill Does

The White Oak Resilience Act turns the existing White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition into a statutory public-private coordination hub for white oak restoration. It directs the Forest Service to establish five national-forest pilot projects and directs the Department of the Interior to assess Interior lands, report the results, and establish five additional restoration pilot projects. The bill also creates a non-regulatory White Oak and Upland Oak Habitat Regeneration Program with voluntary grants and technical assistance, requires a national strategy to expand Federal, State, Tribal, and private tree nursery capacity, authorizes research partnerships on white-oak genetics and reforestation methods, and creates a Natural Resources Conservation Service and Forest Service initiative for private landowners.

Who Benefits and How

Private forest landowners receive technical assistance and potential grant support to re-establish, manage, and naturally regenerate white oak. State forestry agencies, Tribal forestry programs, local governments, conservation organizations, and the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition benefit from a formal coordination channel for restoration policy and project priorities. Tree nurseries benefit from a national strategy that identifies seedling shortages, inventory gaps, infrastructure barriers, and opportunities to expand nursery capacity. Land-grant colleges, Indian Tribes, and forestry researchers benefit from authority to partner with USDA on white-oak genetics, seed banks, climate-adapted seed sourcing, abandoned mine land restoration, and economic research. Forest products manufacturers, including bourbon barrel and cooperage suppliers, benefit indirectly from a more resilient long-term white-oak supply.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Forest Service must stand up five pilot projects, coordinate with the coalition, adopt a restoration strategy, run grant and technical assistance programs, and create a nursery-capacity strategy without increasing Federal full-time equivalents. The Department of the Interior must assess white-oak potential on lands such as refuges and abandoned mine lands, publish a report, and carry out five pilot projects. The Natural Resources Conservation Service and Forest Service must jointly operate a formal initiative for white-oak technical assistance and nursery-stock improvement. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of authorized grants, research, pilot projects, and agency administration if appropriations are provided.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition as a voluntary Federal, State, Tribal, local, private, and nonprofit coordination body.
• Directs the Forest Service to create five national-forest white-oak restoration and natural-regeneration pilot projects.
• Requires the Department of the Interior to assess Interior lands and establish five pilot projects after reporting white-oak restoration potential.
• Creates the White Oak and Upland Oak Habitat Regeneration Program with voluntary grants and technical assistance.
• Requires USDA to develop a national tree-nursery strategy covering seedling shortages, seed diversity, reforestation opportunities, and infrastructure barriers.
• Authorizes research memoranda with Indian Tribes and land-grant colleges on genetics, seed banks, reforestation, climate-adapted seed sourcing, and abandoned mine lands.
• Establishes a formal NRCS and Forest Service white-oak initiative for private landowners and nursery-stock improvement.