Prioritizing American Energy on National Forest Lands

Last week, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a new directive prioritizing land use efficiency when evaluating proposals for power generation projects on National Forest System Lands.  The policy strengthens American energy production and reduces reliance on foreign energy sources, like foreign adversary-manufactured solar panels, while protecting our lands for future generations.  

The Forest Service will develop new screening criteria that measure and prioritize the amount of energy produced per acre of land while ensuring projects are consistent with environmental stewardship, multiple-use principles, and economic benefits for rural communities.  Projects demonstrating higher land use efficiency, producing more power with less land disturbance, will be prioritized.  

We Don't Want To Waste Tax Payer Dollars

“America has the resources and ingenuity to power our future without depending on foreign adversaries,” Rollins said. “For too long, misguided federal policies have pushed unreliable energy projects that waste taxpayer dollars, and those days are over.” She also said every acre of federal land will now be managed “wisely.” 

USDA manages approximately 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands in 43 states, much of which could play a vital role in expanding domestic energy production and transmission capacity. Policies that discouraged the use of these lands for power generation in the past increased reliance on intermittent energy sources and limited U.S. energy independence.

Department Looks To Maximize Efforts

By focusing on land use efficiency, USDA said it will ensure that proposed energy projects maximize output per acre, reduce environmental impacts, and allow more National Forest System lands to remain available for multiple uses, such as outdoor recreation, grazing, timber, watershed protection, and wildlife conservation. Different generation types, including wind, solar, natural gas, and others, require varying amounts of land and have different environmental impacts, making efficiency-based screening a critical tool for balancing economic development with environmental stewardship.

Click Here to read Secretary Rollins' announcement.

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