Data Call to Develop the Reforestation Target Required by Executive Order 14072

On April 22, 2022, the President signed Executive Order 14072 Strengthening the Nation's Forests, Communities, and Local Economies (87 FR 24851). Executive Order 14072 (EO 14072) generally provides that forest on Federal lands be managed “to promote their continued health and resilience; retain and enhance carbon storage; conserve biodiversity; mitigate the risk of wildfires; enhance climate resilience; enable subsistence and cultural uses; provide outdoor recreational opportunities; and promote sustainable local economic development.”

This Information Bulletin initiates a data call that specifically pertains to Section 2(d) of
EO 14072, which requires development of a “Federal goal that charges agencies to meet agency-specific reforestation targets by 2030, including an assessment of reforestation opportunities on Federal lands and through existing Federal programs and partnerships.”

To answer the data call, each State office is directed to develop a reforestation target for the period of 2023 - 2030 inclusive. The target will consist of baseline acres, which will be based on the 10-year average acreage reforested by State office, as reported in Public Land Statistics (PLS), multiplied by the eight-year period 2023 - 2030 (Table 1). The baseline level of reforestation depicted in the table is expected to continue, given current levels of annual appropriations. Additionally, the submitted target should include an analysis and identification of additional reforestation opportunities that include any expectations of above-baseline reforestation workload and any known unfunded backlog reforestation needs. It is likely that additional work above baseline is unfunded, so the estimate should include a description of the resources (e.g., personnel, seed), that would be needed to implement the additional opportunities. It is expected that the Public Domain and Oregon and California Grand Lands (O&C) Forest Management programs would lead this analysis, but also coordinate with other programs such as Burned Area Recovery, Abandoned Mine Lands, and Wildlife and Aquatics to capture reforestation opportunities those programs may have. When assessing opportunities, it is important to consider the viability of site conditions, choosing sites capable of producing forest as the dominant vegetation cover.

 Table 1.

State Office

Projected Acres Baseline

(2023 - 2030)

Alaska 

70 

Arizona 

0 

California 

700 

Colorado 

400 

Idaho 

1,900 

Montana and Dakotas 

800 

Nevada 

200 

New Mexico 

0 

Oregon and Washington (O&C) 

40,000 

Oregon and Washington (public domain) 

2,800 

Utah 

0 

Wyoming 

0 

In a memo to HQ-220 from each state office (including separation of O&C and OR/WA PD in the OR/WA submission), either confirm the baseline in the table or propose a different baseline with rationale and the above baseline opportunities. HQ-220 needs an acreage estimate and an estimate for the number of seedlings needed. A general estimate of the trees per acre that is customary for various regions is adequate and will be used to forecast nursery and seed production needs and compare them to existing capacity. For question, contact Wade Salverson, Public Domain Forester (HQ-220) wsalvers@blm.gov.