The Agriculture Department will spend more than $100 million to protect state- and private-owned forests, officials said, as the Trump administration breathes life into a program that sometimes had to fight for survival.
USDA said it would support projects in 10 states through the Forest Legacy Program, which helps localities maintain forests through easements and land purchases.
“Just like our farms and ranches, working forests are part of the backbone of rural America — providing jobs, timber, clean water, and places for families to hunt, fish, camp, hike and make lifelong memories,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a news release.
The projects, totaling $110 million, cover 177,000 acres in Arkansas, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Oregon and South Carolina. Additional projects were announced in May.
