Over the weekend, President Trump signed two executive orders aimed at bolstering domestic timber production and reducing reliance on foreign wood products. These directives seek to streamline federal policies, encourage active forest management, and address national security concerns associated with timber and lumber imports. These are the first executive orders directly related to forest management and we break down what’s in the EOs and implications below:
Executive Order 1: Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production
Agency Guidance: Within 30 days, the Departments of Interior and Agriculture are tasked with issuing updated guidance to facilitate increased timber production and improve forest management practices.
Streamlined Environmental Reviews: The order calls for expediting consultations under the Endangered Species Act to accelerate forestry projects.
Timber Targets: A plan is to be submitted within 90 days, setting annual timber sale targets from federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service over the next four years.
Executive Order 2: Addressing the Threat to National Security from Imports of Timber, Lumber
This order initiates a Section 232 investigation under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to assess the impact of timber and lumber imports on national security. The investigation will examine:
Domestic Demand and Production Capacity: Evaluating whether U.S. timber production can meet national demand.
Foreign Subsidies: Assessing how foreign government subsidies and trade practices affect the competitiveness of the U.S. timber industry.
Policy Recommendations: Considering measures such as tariffs, export controls, or incentives to strengthen domestic timber production and secure supply chains.
Both of these executive actions will require reports and progress updates from agencies, which will give stakeholders time to engage. While this sets the stage for Forest Service priorities, as it was released soon after the new agency chief was appointed, we expect this is only the beginning of forest and wildfire executive orders.
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