President Donald Trump has issued an executive order directing federal agencies to expand U.S. timber production by 25% in four years. The increased harvesting is the center point of the administration’s strategy to reduce wildfire risk.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said an abundance of timber has created a national forest emergency, with risks of fire, insects and disease.
The order directs the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to increase timber output, simplify permitting and remove environmental review processes. It builds on Trump’s call to “unleash American energy” by removing “burdensome Biden-era regulations.”
Response: The timber industry is optimistic but still uncertain if the efforts will go far enough to tackle hurdles with regulations, litigation and the limited commercial viability of salvaged wood.
Earthjustice blasted the order as a handout to the industry, arguing the administration aims to cut down trees that serve as buffers against climate change.
Keep in mind: California’s national forests span about 20 million acres, or roughly 20% of the state’s total land mass. With the increased threat of wildfires, Republicans have long called for expanding the timber industry to thin the forests and reduce the risk.
But the state is already struggling with where to send the biomass from existing forest management projects. California has about 30 mills, down from a peak of more than 100 in the 1980s.
Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Bakersfield, and Agri-Pulse Founder Sara Wyant kicked off the Great Tomato Challenge on Monday. CDFA releases strategic plan
CDFA’s updated strategic plan uses climate-adapted strategies to inform department goals for the next five years.
The update includes a new department mission statement underscoring resilient food systems and the California Grown brand. To promote new and existing markets, CDFA intends to work further with state and federal partners such as GO-Biz and the Western United States Agricultural Trade Association.
CDFA is also orienting future technical assistance and training opportunities for CDFA staff around pest prevention and data collection.
Secretary Karen Ross said the five-year strategy aligns with the State Food and Agriculture Board’s Ag Vision for the Next Decade.
Rice industry eyes tariff protection following ITC report
The U.S. rice industry is exploring avenues to secure tariff protection from imported products after a report last month found extensive support from foreign governments is distorting the global market.
USA Rice Federation, which represents the sector, is aiming to use a fact-finding report published by the International Trade Commission as a springboard for import relief, Peter Bachmann, the group’s president and CEO, told Agri-Pulse.
Read our full report at Agri-Pulse.com.
On tap today on Capitol Hill: SNAP, ag nominees, trade
It’s a packed day on Capitol Hill: The House Agriculture Committee is examining the always-thorny issue of helping Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients find work and the Senate Ag Committee holds a confirmation hearing for two important nominees.
Stephen Vaden, nominated to be deputy secretary at USDA, will testify, as will Tyler Clarkson, nominated to be general counsel. Clarkson served as deputy general counsel during the first Trump administration, when Vaden was general counsel.
In addition, the Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on the Trump administration’s trade policy agenda, with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer the only witness.
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Emergency US food aid axed
There are new developments in the Trump administration’s effort to reduce or eliminate foreign aid. The UN World Food Program says the administration has canceled emergency food assistance in 14 countries.
“If implemented, this could amount to a death sentence for millions of people facing extreme hunger,” the WFP says in a statement.
The Associated Press reported Monday that about 60 cancellation letters had been sent over the past week. The countries affected include Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. The State Department had no immediate comment.
Trump delivers fresh tariff threat to China
President Donald Trump has warned Beijing that if it doesn’t drop its 34% retaliatory tariffs, the U.S. will hike duties on Chinese goods by another 50% starting Wednesday.
“Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
But, but, but: The president also teased talks with other partners on tariff reductions. “Negotiations with other countries, which have also requested meetings, will begin taking place immediately,” he wrote.
Why it matters: The scope of further retaliation on U.S. exports is still up in the air. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday offered Trump a “zero-for-zero” tariff deal on industrial goods. But she also reaffirmed her commitment to use all available tools to retaliate, if needed.
The bloc will send a list of countermeasures to U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs to members for approval this week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would eliminate some trade barriers during a meeting with Trump on Monday. “I think Israel can serve as a model for many countries who ought to do the same,” he said.
Maine sues USDA in continuation of transgender athlete fight
The state of Maine is suing Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, claiming that the department’s recent freeze on funding to the state has caught child nutrition funding.
The state’s attorney general, Aaron Frey, filed a complaint in federal court in Maine Monday against USDA and Rollins for “withholding funding used to feed children in schools, childcare centers, and after-school programming as well as disabled adults in congregate settings,” according to a news release from the AG’s office.
Rollins said April 2 the freeze was imposed over Maine’s policies regarding transgender athletes and told the state’s governor in a letter that food for children wouldn’t be affected. But the state said when the Maine Department of Education’s Child Nutrition Program tried to access “several sources of funding” the next day, it could not.
USDA did not respond to a request for comment.
Final word
“With a more pragmatic tone emerging in Sacramento, now is the time to make meaningful progress.” — Ag Council President Emily Rooney, who finds hope in the state streamlining water projects and reassessing climate mandates.
