Forest stewardship expands to include tribal partners, longer contracts
H.R. 7951 — Long-Term Good Neighbor Authority Act · Filed by David Valadao (R-CA) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Mar 16, 2026 · Hearing held
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What it does
This bill amends two federal laws to expand the 'Good Neighbor Authority' program, which allows the U.S. Forest Service to contract with state governors, Indian tribes, and counties to perform restoration and recreation work on federal forests. The bill extends the maximum contract term from the current limit to 20 years and formally includes Indian tribes as eligible partners alongside governors and counties in both the Agricultural Act of 2014 and the EXPLORE Act.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is to broaden eligibility for and extend the duration of Good Neighbor Authority agreements, a cooperative forest management tool. It is a straightforward expansion of an existing program to include tribal partners and longer-term commitments.
What the text implies
- Tribal inclusion in Good Neighbor Authority may shift forest management priorities toward cultural and ecological stewardship models that differ from state/county approaches, potentially affecting timber harvest rates and recreation access.
- 20-year contract terms create long-term fiscal and operational commitments for state, tribal, and county governments; budget constraints or political changes could strain implementation.
- The bill does not specify funding mechanisms or appropriations; expansion of eligible partners and contract duration may outpace available resources, creating unfunded mandates or competition for existing funds.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill expands participation in forest stewardship to include Indian tribes (who have historical and cultural stakes in forest management) and extends contract terms to enable longer-term, more stable restoration work. Citizens benefit from more diverse local partners managing public forests and from the continuity that 20-year agreements enable, though the actual public benefit depends on implementation and appropriations.
Named in the bill
U.S. Forest Service, Agricultural Act of 2014, EXPLORE Act, Indian tribes, State governors, County governments, Section 8206, Section 351
Where it stands
1 cosponsor: 1 Democrats.
- Mar 16, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Mar 16, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Agriculture and House Committee on Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period…”
- Mar 26, 2026 — Hearing held · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Hearings Held”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,627 characters) on Aug 19, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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