Act to Save America's Forests
Official title: To amend the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 and related laws to strengthen the protection of native biodiversity and ban clearcu… Show full official titleShow less
Official title: To amend the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 and related laws to strengthen the protection of native biodiversity and ban clearcutting on Federal lands, to designate certain Federal lands as Ancient Forests, Roadless Areas, Watershed Protection Areas, and Special Areas where logging and other intrusive activities are prohibited, and for other purposes.
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.
Amends the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 to revise eligibility criteria for members of the land and resource management scientific committee. Revises the committee termination date to ten years after enactment of this Act.
Provides for conservation and restoration of native biodiversity in forested areas.
Prohibits clearcutting or other even-age logging operations on any stand or watershed on certain Federal land, National Forest System land, and National Wildlife Refuge System land. Provides for: (1) Federal enforcement; and (1) a private right of action.
Describes special areas as Federal forest land parcels possessing outstanding biological, scenic, recreational, or cultural values which may not meet the definitions of ancient forests, roadless areas, or watershed protection areas.
Designates specified special areas which shall be subject to restrictions on road construction and logging in the following States: (1) Alabama; (2) Alaska; (3) Arizona; (4) Arkansas; (5) California; (6) Colorado; (7) Georgia; (8) Idaho; (9) Illinois; (10) Michigan; (11) Minnesota; (12) Missouri; (13) Montana; (14) New Mexico; (15) North Carolina; (16) Ohio; (17) Oklahoma; (18) Oregon; (19) South Carolina; (20) South Dakota; (21) Tennessee; (22) Texas; (23) Vermont; (24) Virginia; (25) Wisconsin; and (26) Wyoming.
Provides for the appointment of a committee of independent scientists to recommend additional special areas.
Restricts road construction and logging on Federal land in ancient forests, special areas, roadless areas, and watershed protection areas. Provides for: (1) Federal enforcement; and (1) a private right of action.
- Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5279: Act to Save America's Forests. 107th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/107-HR-5279/
"H.R. 5279: Act to Save America's Forests." 107th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/107-HR-5279/.
H.R. 5279, 107th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/107-HR-5279/.
[H.R. 5279: Act to Save America's Forests](https://openamerica.io/bill/107-HR-5279/)