Forestry and Horticulture

The Forestry and Horticulture Subcommittee is a specialized division of the House Committee on Agriculture that focuses on two interconnected policy areas: forestry and horticulture. As a subcommittee, it conducts initial hearings and reviews legislation before matters move to the full committee, which has final authority to report bills to the House floor. This structure allows the subcommittee to develop expertise and prepare detailed groundwork on issues that might otherwise be lost in the broader agriculture agenda.

The subcommittee's jurisdiction covers forestry policies and all forests under the Agriculture Committee's purview, including regulatory issues affecting the nation's 150+ national forests managed by the U.S. Forest Service. On the horticulture side, it oversees policies relating to fruits, vegetables, nuts, ornamental plants, bees, organic agriculture, and marketing and promotion orders for these specialty crops. This combination reflects the economic importance of both sectors to American agriculture and rural communities.

Chaired by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), the subcommittee includes 11 members split between Republicans and Democrats, with Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-OR) serving as Ranking Member. The subcommittee is currently focused on developing the 2026 Farm Bill, with forestry and horticulture as two of the major titles under consideration. Recent legislative activity includes bills addressing wildfire management, forest health, rural school funding, and specialty crop production.