HYDE-SMITH REINTRODUCES EMERGENCY PINE BEETLE RESPONSE LEGISLATION

HYDE-SMITH REINTRODUCES EMERGENCY PINE BEETLE RESPONSE LEGISLATION

Bipartisan Legislation to Help Landowners, Communities, Industry Overcome Pine Beetle Infestations

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today reintroduced her bipartisan bill to help private landowners, timber cutting and hauling businesses, and local municipalities respond to forest-related disasters, including the pine beetle that has laid waste to vast swaths of southern forests.

The Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act of 2025 would strengthen existing federal programs and give the U.S. Department of Agriculture tools to combat the ongoing pine beetle infestation.

"The end of drought conditions didn't end the pine beetle infestation or lessen costs to combat them. There is a real need to tailor USDA disaster programs to truly help states like Mississippi where most of its forests are privately owned or within city limits. Most of these folks do not have the upfront money to carry out timely or thorough eradication work," Senator Hyde-Smith said. "The Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act addresses these issues effectively."

The Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act (section-by-section) would:

• Authorize an 85 percent cost-share payment to landowners to cover the cost of tree removal, commercial thinning, and related activities.
• Establish a 50 percent cost-share payment to incentivize loggers, haulers, and tree removal services to carry out this work, which is a business expense that typically yields little profit.
• Make landowners eligible for the USDA Emergency Loan program in order to access financing to do emergency work up front rather than wait for cost-share payment after work is completed. Upon receipt of a cost-share payment, landowners would have the option to apply it to the remaining principal of their loan.
• Authorizes USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Office Committees, rather than the FSA National Office, to administer program assistance immediately following natural disaster designations and confirmed pine beetle infestations.
• Authorize USDA to make grants to states and municipalities for infested tree removal and related activities.

Unlike the 2024 bill, this legislation updates eligible disasters beyond drought to the "natural disasters" definition under the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978, which include wildfires, hurricanes or excessive winds, ice storms or blizzards, floods, or other resource-impacting events within 12 months prior.

Hyde-Smith first introduced the measure in February 2024 after the state lost more than 160,000 acres of timber from drought and pine beetle infestations, which equated to $176 million in damages. Nationally, pine beetles are widespread in southeastern and western forests, causing significant ecological and economic harm.

Original Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act of 2025 cosponsors include U.S. Senators John Ossoff (D-Ga.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).

"Georgia's forestry industry has long dealt with the threat of infestation, made worse by natural disasters like Hurricane Helene," Senator Ossoff said. "We are introducing this bipartisan legislation to ensure one of Georgia's most important industries has the resources to fight southern pine beetle infestation."

"Pine beetle infestations devastate forests to the tune of millions of dollars in economic losses, particularly in states like Alabama. Outbreaks spread fast and have a direct impact on those whose livelihoods depend on healthy pine forests for timber production. I am proud to support this important legislation that strengthens existing federal programs and helps Alabama landowners respond when facing this disaster," Senator Britt said.

"Louisiana's timber industry creates more than 37,000 jobs in our state and supplies the rest of our country with much-needed wood products. That's why it's so important that we beat back this pine beetle infestation and make sure Louisianians and other Americans who work in the timber field don't get hung out to dry," said Senator Kennedy.

"Southern pine beetles have a disastrous impact on our forests, killing pine trees and decimating the economic value of our timber," said Senator Tuberville. "Infected trees are not marketable, and our landowners are struggling to survive due to these pests. Foresters are our ultimate conservationists and play a critical role in promoting forest health. I'm proud to join Senator Hyde-Smith in the Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act of 2025 to empower the USDA and landowners to remove damaged trees without burdensome government regulations and be eligible for compensation to ease their losses. I'll continue fighting for commonsense policies that support our foresters."

"Pine beetles destroy millions of acres of Wyoming forests, hurting our timber industry, fueling more intense wildfires, and creating dangerous falling tree hazards along trails, roads, and powerlines," said Senator Lummis. "A timely and effective response is essential to ensure Wyoming's communities and critical industries receive the support they need during these outbreaks."

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