Rural America gets $10M forestry training push—but broadband gap may limit reach
S. 1336 — Jobs in the Woods Act · Filed by Angus King (I-ME) · 9 cosponsors · Introduced Apr 8, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill creates a federal grant program offering $500,000 to $2 million per grant to nonprofits, states, tribes, local governments, and colleges in rural, low-income areas to train workers for forestry jobs. Grants prioritize regions losing young workers and programs that partner with schools and vocational colleges to place graduates in forestry careers. The program authorizes $10 million annually through 2029.
Why we flagged it
The bill establishes a straightforward federal grant program for forestry career training in underserved rural areas. It is a public investment in human capital and regional economic development, not a subsidy to private industry or a regulatory change.
What the text implies
- Broadband requirement (100 Mbps down, 20 Mbps up, <48 hrs outage/year) may exclude the most isolated rural areas that lack infrastructure, potentially limiting reach to already-better-served nonmetropolitan communities.
- Program success depends on forestry industry hiring demand; if timber markets decline or automation accelerates, job placement outcomes may fall short despite training investment.
- Emphasis on youth retention may create tension with regional economic realities if forestry wages remain uncompetitive relative to urban alternatives.
Who it affects
Rural and low-income communities gain direct access to workforce training and career pathways in a stable industry, addressing documented youth outmigration and aging workforce challenges. The program is transparent, competitive, and designed to build sustainable local capacity rather than subsidize private industry.
Who stands to gain
- rural nonprofits and educational institutions
- forestry operations and timber companies (indirect, via trained workforce supply)
Named in the bill
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Internal Revenue Code Section 45D, Higher Education Act, Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Indian Tribes, State governments, Local governments, Nonprofit organizations, Vocational and technical schools, Community colleges
Where it stands
9 cosponsors: 6 Democrats, 3 Republicans.
- Apr 8, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
- Apr 8, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry”
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 full bill text on Jun 8, 2026; 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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