The White Oak Resilience Act

The White Oak Resilience Act would establish a comprehensive federal initiative to restore white oak trees across the United States. The bill creates the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition, bringing together federal agencies, states, tribal governments, and private organizations to coordinate restoration efforts and recommend policy changes to reduce regulatory barriers. It would direct the Forest Service and Department of the Interior to conduct pilot restoration projects on federal lands, including national forests and wildlife refuges.

The bill addresses a critical bottleneck in reforestation by requiring the Department of Agriculture to develop a national plan identifying tree nursery shortages by region and the specific obstacles preventing expansion of seedling production. It would also authorize voluntary grant programs managed through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to help private landowners with technical assistance and financial support for white oak habitat restoration. Additionally, the bill funds research partnerships with tribal governments and land-grant colleges to develop hardier white oak varieties and improve planting techniques for future climate conditions.