Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Leger Fernández, alongside U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.),  introduced the Seedlings for Sustainable Habitat Restoration Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that allows funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support the development of seedling nurseries at state forestry agencies, local private or non-profit entities, and institutions of higher education.

While the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides funding for tree planting programs, it does not address the need for expanded nursery capacity. Without capital funds to increase the tree nursery capacity, seedling supplies will not keep pace with critical reforestation efforts underway across the nation’s threatened habitats. The Seedlings for Sustainable Habitat Restoration Act allows for the rapid expansion of critical nurseries around the country and provides the native seedlings that are urgently needed to support reforestation and habitat restoration programs at the U.S. Forest Service and other federal, state, and local agencies.

“Our communities and landscapes continue to bear the scars of devastating wildfires that desperately need reforestation. The Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon burn scar alone requires twelve million seedlings for reforestation. Our current production of native seedlings can’t keep up,” said Rep. Leger Fernández. “The Seedlings for Sustainable Habitat Restoration Act is a crucial step forward to help strengthen reforestation efforts. By empowering the Forest Service to engage with a diverse range of partners—from state forestry agencies to institutions of higher education—we can address the critical need for native seedling production and reforestation.”

“In New Mexico and across the country, our forests play a vital role in every community,” said Senator Luján. “Tragically, over the last 20 years, our country has lost tree cover at an alarming rate, disrupting our ecosystem and the critical benefits it provides. That’s why I’m leading this bipartisan legislation that addresses this shortage by allowing funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to be used to support the development of seedling nurseries and the rapid expansion of crucial seedlings nationwide. This bill will support critical reforestation and habitat restoration programs, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to get it passed.”

“Texas is home to roughly 60 million acres of forest land, more than any other contiguous state,” said Senator Cornyn. “From drought to wildfires, Texas is no stranger to the toll natural disasters and invasive species can take on this vital ecosystem, and this bill will help support forest restoration efforts and seedling growth from the Piney Woods to the Mesquite woodlands and beyond.”

“Our forests provide clean air and water, protect communities from flooding, and support important habitats in New Mexico. That’s why we need to do everything we can to restore healthy and resilient forests,” said Senator Heinrich. “Our Seedlings for Sustainable Habitat Restoration Act does exactly this by strengthening support for local nurseries, like the John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center in Mora, to supply more seedlings that will grow into climate resilient trees.”

“This bill will provide New Mexico with much-needed support to develop our state nursery and increase the production of drought-tolerant tree seedlings,” said Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department Cabinet Secretary Melanie Kenderdine. “This legislation will help us grow and plant trees that will stabilize burned watersheds and reduce damage from post-wildfire flooding.”

“The needs of New Mexico in reforestation are immense and this bill will provide New Mexico State University with much-needed support to continue and expand our production of tree seedlings at the John T Harrington Forestry Research Center,” said NMSU President Valerio Ferme. “This legislation will enable the New Mexico Reforestation Center collaborative to leverage the capacity of three universities and a state agency to provide greater assistance with the massive need to reforest our burned landscapes not only in the state but throughout the western region.”

Full text of the bill is available here.