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Floor Speech

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Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the bipartisan Forest Legacy Management Flexibility Act, which would give States the option to designate accredited nonprofit land trusts to hold conservation easements purchased with Federal funding from the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Legacy Program.

As my colleagues may know, the Forest Legacy Program is a conservation program administered by the U.S. Forest Service, in partnership with State agencies, that encourages the protection of privately owned forestlands through conservation easements or land purchases.

Protection of private forests through FLP maintains a multitude of public benefits, including opportunities to hunt, fish, and camp; clean and abundant drinking water; habitats for fish and wildlife; and timber, fuel wood, and other forest products. Since its creation in 1990, FLP has conserved over 3 million acres of forestland and expanded across the country to 53 States and territories.

Current law requires that Federal or State governments hold conservation easements purchased under the Forest Legacy Program. This bill would amend this existing law to ensure that States have the option to designate accredited nonprofit land trusts to hold conservation easements purchased with Federal funding from the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Legacy Program.

I would like to thank Senator Sheehy for working with me on this crucial piece of legislation. I also want to extend my appreciation to Representatives Garamendi and Calvert for leading the House version of this bill. ______

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