Jobs in the Woods Act
The Jobs in the Woods Act would require the Secretary of Agriculture to create a competitive grant program within one year to fund career pathway training programs for forestry operations and related forestry product industries in eligible rural areas. Grants would run up to four years and range from $500,000 to $2,000,000 per grant. Eligible entities include nonprofits, states, Indian Tribes, local governments, and institutions of higher education. Eligible areas are rural, low-income nonmetropolitan areas (as defined by the tax code), areas with broadband access plans, or areas with populations of 50,000 or fewer. Applications must show capacity, need, reach, sustainability, and implementation plans, with priority given to projects addressing aging of the forestry workforce, youth migration, partnerships with schools, and the ability to assist with workforce placement. The program would be funded at $10 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2030. In short, the bill seeks to build a federally funded pipeline of forestry careers in rural areas by supporting multi-year training programs linked to local schools and higher education, with a focus on aging workers and youth engagement.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a competitive grant program under the Department of Agriculture to fund career pathway training in forestry operations and forestry product industries.
- 2Grant terms and size: up to 4 years per grant, with individual grants between $500,000 and $2,000,000.
- 3Eligible recipients: nonprofits, states, Indian Tribes, local governments, and institutions of higher education.
- 4Eligible areas: nonmetropolitan low-income areas, areas with broadband access plans, or areas with populations of 50,000 or fewer.
- 5Priority considerations: aging workforce and youth migration, partnerships with secondary schools or vocational/technical schools or junior/community colleges, and demonstrated ability to aid in forestry workforce placement and hiring.