Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08)
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08), introduced the bipartisan Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources (RNGR) Support Act of 2026. This bill would strengthen Washington State’s wildfire resiliency and the national reforestation pipeline by formalizing the United States Forest Service’s RNGR program. Congresswoman Schrier is joined in introducing this legislation by Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-01).
“As our forests face unprecedented threats brought on by wildfires, drought, and disease, we must take action to strengthen and streamline our national reforestation efforts,” said Congresswoman Schrier. “By codifying the Forest Service’s RNGR program, we can build a robust and effective national reforestation pipeline that supports the long-term health of our forests and public lands and improves our wildfire resilience.”
“Healthy forests are an irreplaceable piece of our rural communities, our economy, and our environment,” said Congressman Bergman. “That’s why I’m proud to help introduce the RNGR Support Act – a common-sense, bipartisan effort to strengthen America’s reforestation pipeline and expand nursery capacity, including supporting critical facilities like the J.W. Toumey Nursery right here in Michigan’s First District. This legislation will help ensure our states, tribes, and private partners have the resources they need to restore and sustain our forests for generations to come.”
Nationwide, forests face immense danger due to diseases, pests, and climate change. Exacerbated especially by wildfires, the National Forest System faces an extensive reforestation backlog, leaving millions of acres in need. Without proper recovery, ecosystems can be permanently altered, wildlife habitats compromised, and this land can face a heightened risk of catastrophic fire. All these factors culminate in the need to strengthen seed selection, nursery capacity, workforce, and other elements in the reforestation pipeline.
The RNGR program plays an integral role in addressing increased nursery demand for information regarding the implementation of native species in restoration, reforestation, and conservation projects across the country. While currently underfunded, the existing RNGR program provides crucial information and assistance and, as such, contributes to long-term goals such as sustainability in our nation’s forests, increased timber production, and improved air and water quality.
The RNGR Support Act would formally authorize the RNGR program and provide it with its own budget line item and funding. Taking this step will solidify the program’s footing and allow it to focus on technical and financial assistance to nurseries, research projects, and provide compelling and accessible online resources.
The RNGR Support Act would support reforestation efforts and forest health by:
- Expanding technical assistance and workforce development training to address specialized staff shortages across nursery and seed collection activities.
- Creating opportunities for State, Tribal, and private nurseries to apply for infrastructure improvement/expansion grants.
- Allowing RNGR to serve as a convener of nursery, tree improvement, and tree planting interests nationwide, including climate change mitigation, resilience, and adaptation.
- Establishing dedicated staff for RNGR to expand capacity and impact.
“The USDA Forest Service Reforestation, Nursery, and Genetic Resources Program (RNGR) represents a key but under-resourced program for providing technical training, coordination, and support to state, private, and tribal nursery efforts,” said George Geissler, Washington State Forester. “The RNGR Support Act will provide additional funding and resources for the RNGR Program while creating opportunities for state, private and tribal nurseries to apply for infrastructure improvements to help these nurseries across the country produce enough seedlings to adequately address the nation’s reforestation needs, while ensuring the seed and seedling supplies are genetically suited to meet the needs of a changing climate.”
“Post-wildfire areas make up the vast majority of today’s reforestation need. Without timely intervention, these areas are at a heightened risk of conversion and repeated high-severity fire, threatening watersheds, wildlife, and communities. It’s time to scale the full restoration pipeline, not just the planting—from seed collection to seedling cultivation, site prep, and everything in between,” said Rebecca Turner, Chief Policy and Partnerships Officer at American Forests. “The RNGR Support Act strengthens a critical piece of the pipeline by lifting up and leveraging state, Tribal, and private nurseries and increasing coordination across boundaries. American Forests commend Reps. Schrier and Bergman for championing this issue and for their commitment to the long-term health of our nation’s forests.”
“The Puget Sound Partnership is grateful to Congresswoman Schrier for introducing this important legislation,” said Larry Epstein, Puget Sound Partnership Deputy Director. “To recover Puget Sound, we need to dramatically scale up restoration and reforestation efforts, but right now, limited availability of native species can slow that work. This bill will help alleviate those bottlenecks, empower our state agency and tribal partners, and create jobs that will build the restoration workforce of the future.”
The RNGR Support Act of 2026 is endorsed by the Puget Sound Partnership, National Association of State Foresters, American Forests, Bipartisan Policy Center Action, American Forest Foundation, National Association of Forest Service Retirees, National Alliance of Forest Owners, Carbon 180, and American Chestnut Foundation.