Healthy forests are our best defense against the effects of climate change. The REPLANT Act provides dedicated permanent funding needed to restore and maintain the natural infrastructure values of our national forests. REPLANT, included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, enables the Forest Service to catch up and keep up with reforestation.

Healthy trees sequester carbon like a sponge. Trees store carbon mostly in their trunks until they die, and carbon is reabsorbed into the soil as part of the decomposition process, known as decay. Nearby healthy trees absorb carbon from the soil to grow. When a tree burns, that carbon is released back into the atmosphere, depriving the soil of vital nutrients. Reforestation is necessary when burned-over forests aren’t able to regrow on their own. Burn scars contribute to dangerous mudslides and floods that damage natural water sources and kill wildlife. 2020 wildfires added more than a million acres to the backlog of national forest waiting to be reforested. With 4 million acres in backlog, the REPLANT Act plans to plant and grow 1.2 billion trees per decade, providing nearly 50 thousand jobs to rural America.

American Forests President and Chief Executive Officer Jad Daley said it best about America’s national forests: “… our forested lands are the beating heart of our green infrastructure, cleaning our air and water, stabilizing our climate and providing natural security for people and wildlife. As with our nation’s other deteriorating infrastructure, we must invest immediately in repairing ongoing damage to these priceless lands in order to avoid catastrophic community losses when reforestation is delayed after wildfire, drought and other disasters.”

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