To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to carry out activities to provide for white oak restoration, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill creates a coordinated federal initiative to restore white oak forests across the United States. White oak is a commercially valuable hardwood used in barrel-making, furniture, and flooring industries. The bill establishes pilot projects, research programs, and a coalition to address declining white oak populations and seedling shortages.
Who Benefits and How
Timber and forestry industries benefit from federal investments to increase white oak supply and seedling availability. Land-grant universities receive research funding and partnership opportunities. The barrel and stave industry (used for whiskey and wine aging) benefits from long-term supply security. Private landowners receive free technical assistance for white oak management.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal agencies (USDA, Interior) must establish and coordinate new programs without additional staff. Taxpayers fund the research, pilot projects, and grants, though no specific appropriation amounts are specified.
Key Provisions
- Establishes 5 Forest Service pilot projects and 5 Interior Department pilot projects for white oak restoration
- Creates a national strategy to address white oak seedling shortages in nurseries
- Funds research on white oak genetics, disease resistance, and reforestation methods
- Provides technical assistance to private landowners for white oak management
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Establishes a coordinated federal effort to restore and regenerate white oak forests in the United States through pilot programs, research initiatives, coalition building, and technical assistance to landowners.
Key Policy Areas
Agriculture, Forestry, Conservation, Research
Primary Purpose
Establishes a coordinated federal effort to restore and regenerate white oak forests in the United States through pilot programs, research initiatives, coalition building, and technical assistance to landowners.
Policy Domains
White Oak Resiliency Act of 2025
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Timber industry
- Barrel and stave industry
- Land-grant universities
- Private forest landowners
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Federal agencies (USDA, Interior)
- Taxpayers
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. McConnell (for himself and Mr. Warner) introduced the following …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Borrowers in income-driven repayment, Borrowers rehabilitating defaulted loans, Delinquent student loan borrowers
Positive-direction: Borrowers in income-driven repayment, Borrowers rehabilitating defaulted loans, Delinquent student loan borrowers
Negative-direction: Fraudulent loan applicants
Federal student loan program, IRS, Public service workers
Positive-direction: Public service workers
Negative-direction: Federal student loan program, IRS, USDA Forest Service
Historically Black land-grant universities (1890 Institutions), Land-grant colleges and universities (1862, 1890, 1994 Institutions), Tribal colleges (1994 Institutions)
Private landowners with white oak timber resources, Timber and forestry companies involved in white oak management
Cooperage and barrel manufacturing industry (bourbon, wine)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary_of_interior"
- → Secretary of the Interior
- "the_secretary_of_agriculture"
- → Secretary of Agriculture
Note: The Secretary refers to Secretary of Agriculture in most sections but means Secretary of the Interior in Section 5
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
An 1862 Institution, 1890 Institution, or 1994 Institution as defined in relevant agricultural education statutes
Land under the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, including National Wildlife Refuge System units and abandoned mine land
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology