Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)
Headline: Carter leads bipartisan effort to support family forest landowners
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), alongside Reps. Terri Sewell (D-AL), Aaron Bean (R-FL), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Greg Steube (R-FL), Greg Murphy (R-NC), and Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), this week introduced the bipartisan Save America’s Family Forests Act of 2026, a bill to help family forest landowners recover more quickly from natural disasters and keep working forests productive.
Under current law, landowners may deduct only up to $10,000 in reforestation expenses upfront, with the remaining costs recovered over seven years. The Save America’s Family Forests Act of 2026 would modernize this treatment by allowing faster cost recovery following natural disasters, helping ensure timely replanting and continued forest productivity.
This legislation builds on the success of expensing provisions such as bonus depreciation and Section 179 equipment expensing included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Applying these same principles to reforestation helps ensure forest landowners can reinvest quickly and keep working forests productive.
This Save America’s Family Forests Act of 2026 would:
- Fully and immediately expense reforestation costs following a federally declared natural disaster.
- Remove the $10,000 cap and eliminate long recovery periods under the current law.
- Improve access to the capital needed to quickly replant and restore forests.
“Georgia’s family forest landowners are essential to our economy and our way of life,” said Rep. Carter. “It’s the number one state for forestry, supporting rural jobs, strengthening supply chains, and keeping our environment healthy and resilient. Foresters need our support; right now, in my district, wildfires in Brantley County have burned over 20,000 acres. By building on proven expensing policies, this bill ensures they can recover quickly after disasters and continue managing healthy, productive forests.”
“Alabama’s Black Belt and rural communities depend on healthy, working forests for jobs and economic opportunity. As wildfires and severe weather events become more frequent, we must help landowners recover and rebuild. I’m honored to join my colleagues in advancing this bipartisan effort to support family forest landowners,” said Rep. Sewell.
“Floridians are seeing the impact of wildfires right now, with thousands of acres burning across Northeast Florida and nearby communities. Family forest landowners need the ability to recover quickly and keep their land productive,” said Rep. Bean. “I’m proud to join this effort to support Florida’s forestry families and strengthen our natural resources.”
“After catastrophic wildfires and other natural disasters, forest landowners face unnecessary delays in reforesting due to outdated tax policy,” said Rep. Thompson. “The Save America’s Family Forests Act provides the certainty landowners need to reinvest quickly, restore forest cover, and keep these landscapes healthy. Proud to serve as a co-lead of this bipartisan legislation to strengthen our natural resources.”
“In Florida, our family forests face constant threats from hurricanes and severe flooding that can wipe out years of timber production overnight. When disaster strikes, family forest landowners need tax relief when replanting costs hit, not years later,” said Rep. Steube. “That’s why I’m co-leading the Save America’s Family Forests Act. This bill extends proven expensing policies to family forests in the wake of natural disasters so can recover faster, supply affordable timber, and support rural economies.”
“North Carolina’s family forest landowners face growing risks from storms and natural disasters, especially after the devastation of Hurricane Helene, and they need commonsense tax policy that supports recovery,” said Rep. Murphy. “The Save America’s Family Forests Act helps keep working forests productive and in family hands by accelerating reforestation investment when it matters most, while also supporting efforts to expand domestic timber production and strengthen our rural economies.”
“Rural communities across America need champions who understand what’s at stake. This legislation gives forest landowners the tools to act fast, protect their investment, and keep their land productive for generations to come,” said Rep. Moran. “America’s timber industry needs parity when it comes to relief and recovery from natural disasters. This bill ensures the tax code is working for them, not against.”
“Georgia’s forestry sector is one of the strongest in the nation, driven by family forest landowners who are committed to keeping their land productive. After a natural disaster, the ability to quickly recover and replant is critical not only for landowners, but for the entire forest products supply chain. This legislation builds on proven expensing policies to provide the certainty needed for timely reinvestment,” said Tim Lowrimore, President, CEO, Georgia Forestry Association. “We thank Congressman Buddy Carter and Senator Raphael Warnock for their leadership in advancing solutions that keep Georgia’s working forests healthy and productive.”
“Georgia’s agricultural community, including timber producers, has faced major losses from Hurricanes Michael and Helene. These disasters highlight the vulnerability of our working lands and the need for policies that enable faster recovery. The Save America’s Family Forests Act offers a practical solution, by allowing full and immediate expensing of reforestation costs,” said Tom McCall, President, Georgia Farm Bureau Federation. “This bill enables farmers, timber producers, and forest landowners to reinvest without delay, strengthen rural economies, and keep working forests productive for future generations.”
“Family forest landowners play a vital role in keeping America’s working forests healthy, resilient, and productive, but recovering from natural disasters can create significant financial challenges. The Save America’s Family Forests Act provides a commonsense solution by allowing landowners to reinvest more quickly in reforestation when it matters most,” said Scott Jones, CEO, Forest Landowners Association. “By building on proven expensing policies, this legislation will help ensure our forests remain a strong foundation for rural economies, domestic timber production, and long-term environmental stewardship.”
“America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners care deeply for the land they’ve been entrusted with. When natural disasters strike, recovery is not just about rebuilding, it’s about continued improvement to ensure sustainability. We appreciate members of Congress who have worked in a bipartisan manner to create the Save America’s Family Forests Act,” said Dr. John Newton, VP of Public Policy, American Farm Bureau Federation. “It builds on proven policies to give forest landowners the flexibility they need to replant and recover without unnecessary delay.”
“Private working forests play a vital role providing wildlife habitat and access for sportsmen and women, but as recent natural disasters have shown, recovery costs can impede forest restoration,” said John Culclasure, Director of Forest Policy, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “We thank the bill sponsors for introducing the Save America’s Family Forests Act to modernize federal tax policy to help landowners keep forests working sustainably for wildlife, rural communities, and opportunities for hunters and anglers.”
Read bill text here.
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