Seedlings for Sustainable Habitat Restoration Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4892
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Environmental Protection
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-01-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-16T08:08:01Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation aims to support ecosystem restoration on federal lands by expanding the U.S. Forest Service's ability to partner with outside organizations for collecting native seeds and growing seedlings used in revegetation projects.
Key provisions
- Amends Section 40804 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to let the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Forest Service Chief, sign contracts, grants, or agreements with state forestry agencies, local nonprofits, universities, Indian Tribes, and multistate groups specifically for native seed collection (including from managed orchards) and seedling production.
- Updates the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program under the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to explicitly include seed collection, maintenance, and seedling production as eligible activities.
- Adds institutions of higher education as eligible partners in the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program.
Significant changes to existing law
- Broadens the types of partners the Forest Service can work with for restoration work under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
- Expands the scope of the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program to cover seed and seedling activities and includes universities as new eligible entities.
Potential impacts
- Government agencies: Gives the Forest Service additional tools and partners to carry out restoration projects funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
- Citizens: May lead to more native plant material available for restoring forests and habitats, potentially improving long-term land health on public lands.
- International relations: No direct effects identified in the bill.
Main stakeholders affected
- U.S. Forest Service and other federal land management agencies.
- State forestry agencies, local nonprofits, universities, Indian Tribes, and multistate coalitions.
- Communities and organizations involved in forest and habitat restoration projects.
Notable legal, constitutional, or political implications
- The bill makes targeted amendments to two existing federal statutes without creating new programs or changing funding levels.
- It raises no apparent constitutional concerns and operates within Congress's authority over federal land management.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3]
Recent Actions
- 2026-01-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
- 2025-08-05: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-08-05: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-08-05: Introduced in House
- 2025-08-05: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Seedlings for Sustainable Habitat Restoration Act of 2025 — issued 2025-08-05 — PDF (3 pages)