{"bill":{"id":"118-hr-3424","congress":118,"type":"HR","number":3424,"title":"Forest Conservation Easement Program Act of 2023","originChamber":"House","introducedDate":"2023-05-17","sponsors":[{"bioguideId":"K000388","fullName":"Rep. Kelly, Trent [R-MS-1]","party":"R","state":"MS","district":1}],"cosponsorsCount":15,"latestAction":{"actionDate":"2023-06-23","text":"Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology."},"policyArea":"Public Lands and Natural Resources","subjects":["Ecology","Forests, forestry, trees","Land use and conservation","Public contracts and procurement","Public-private cooperation","State and local government operations","Watersheds","Wildlife conservation and habitat protection"],"actions":[{"date":"2023-06-23","text":"Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.","type":"Committee","chamber":"House committee actions","hasVote":false},{"date":"2023-05-17","text":"Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.","type":"IntroReferral","chamber":"House floor actions","hasVote":false},{"date":"2023-05-17","text":"Introduced in House","type":"IntroReferral","chamber":"Library of Congress","hasVote":false},{"date":"2023-05-17","text":"Introduced in House","type":"IntroReferral","chamber":"Library of Congress","hasVote":false}],"summary":" <p><strong>Forest Conservation Easement Program Act of 2023</strong></p> <p>This bill replaces the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) with a new forest conservation easement program. Both the HFRP and the new program provide for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to purchase easements on private land for forest conservation purposes.</p> <p>Under the new program, USDA must provide cost-share assistance to states, local governments, Indian tribes, or certain organizations for their purchase of forest conservation easements.</p> <p>The bill also sets aside program funding to purchase easements from certain classes of landowner, including beginning forest landowners, socially disadvantaged forest landowners, and veteran forest landowners.</p>","updateDate":"2025-12-05T08:51:03Z"},"markets":[],"stateBills":[],"meta":{"sources":["congress.gov"],"latencyMs":426,"ts":"2026-04-19T09:52:10.481Z"},"nextActions":{"inspect":[],"related":[{"description":"Search related legislation","method":"GET","url":"/api/public/query-gov?q=Forest%20Conservation%20Easement%20Program%20Act%20of%202023"}]}}