Strengthening the Nation's Forests, Communities, and Local Economies
Executive Order 14072, titled Strengthening the Nation's Forests, Communities, and Local Economies, directs federal agencies to prioritize the conservation, health, and resilience of mature and old-growth forests on Federal lands, with an emphasis on climate-smart forestry and sustainable forest products. The order sets out a multi-step plan to inventory and protect these forests, advance reforestation and seed/nursery capacity, and coordinate wildfire risk reduction. It also expands the use of nature-based solutions, strengthens efforts to combat international deforestation, and seeks to connect forest health with local economic development, including outdoor recreation and the sustainable forest product sector. While rooted in policy guidance, the order relies on existing law and funding (notably IIJA) and establishes actions to be taken in collaboration with State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments, private partners, and the public. In short, the order is a comprehensive push to safeguard mature and old-growth forests on federal lands, scale up reforestation and climate-smart management, address global deforestation, and link forest stewardship with job creation and resilient local economies.
Key Points
- 1Inventory and protect mature and old-growth forests on Federal lands within 1 year, including identifying these forests on Bureau of Land Management lands and National Forest System lands, and making the inventory publicly available. After the inventory, coordinate conservation and wildfire risk reduction, assess threats, and develop public-comment-robust policies for climate-smart management.
- 2Establish and pursue climate-smart reforestation targets by 2030, including setting agency-specific goals, increasing seed and cone/seedling capacity, and ensuring nursery readiness to meet anticipated demand.
- 3Promote climate-smart forest management and conservation, incorporating Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge, wildfire mitigation, and collaboration with states, Tribal Nations, private landowners, and other agencies to improve forest health, resilience, and local economic opportunities in sustainable forest products and outdoor recreation.
- 4Stop international deforestation through a whole-of-government approach: develop options and potential legislation to curb commodities linked to illegal or recently deforested lands, explore public-private partnerships to reduce unsustainably sourced commodities, and assess how foreign aid, trade, and investment programs can address deforestation risks and support forest communities, including Indigenous and local landholders.
- 5Deploy nature-based solutions across the Federal Government, including identifying opportunities, valuing ecosystem services in regulatory decisions, and incorporating nature-based approaches into climate and resilience strategies; ensure implementation is consistent with law and supported by science, with guidance and program changes as needed.