WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) in reintroducing The Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act of 2025 that would help private landowners, timber cutting and hauling businesses, and local municipalities respond to forest-related disasters—including those related to the pine beetle that has destroyed thousands of acres of forestland in the south. Last year in Alabama, southern pine beetles damaged approximately 3.1 million trees, costing foresters over $87 million in economic losses throughout the state. This bill would strengthen existing federal programs, give the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) tools to combat the ongoing pine beetle infestation, and provide a mechanism for financial relief for producers.
“Southern pine beetles have a disastrous impact on our forests, killing pine trees and decimating the economic value of our timber,” said Sen. Tuberville. “Infected trees are not marketable, and our landowners are struggling to survive due to these pests. Foresters are our ultimate conservationists and play a critical role in promoting forest health. I’m proud to join Senator Hyde-Smith in The Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act of 2025 to empower the USDA and landowners to remove damaged trees without burdensome government regulations and be eligible for compensation to ease their losses. I’ll continue fighting for commonsense policies that support our foresters.”
“The end of drought conditions didn’t end the pine beetle infestation or lessen costs to combat them. There is a real need to tailor USDA disaster programs to truly help states like Mississippi where most of its forests are privately owned or within city limits. Most of these folks do not have the upfront money to carry out timely or thorough eradication work,” said Sen. Hyde-Smith. “The Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act addresses these issues effectively.”
“The key to limiting the damage caused by an outbreak of southern pine beetles is early detection and rapid response,”said Chris Isaacson, President & CEO, Alabama Forestry Association. “This bill will provide resources needed in a timely manner for landowners and harvesting professionals to implement control measures to limit further damage. We appreciate Senator Tuberville’s support of Alabama’s forest landowners and harvesting professionals and his commitment to keep Alabama’s forests healthy and growing.”
“We appreciate and support Senator Tuberville’s efforts to help landowners recover from the impacts of the destruction caused by Southern pine beetles in Alabama,” said Rick Oates, State Forester in Alabama. “Once these insects attack a stand, the financial loss can be substantial. This bill, if passed, will be highly beneficial to landowners who suffer devastating losses and will also serve as a valuable way to protect the health of all of Alabama’s forests.”
Sens. Tuberville and Hyde-Smith were joined by Sens. Katie Britt (R-AL), John Kennedy (R-LA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and John Ossoff (D-GA) in cosponsoring the legislation.
Read full text of the bill here and a section-by-section summary here.
BACKGROUND:
Specifically, The Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act would:
- Authorize an 85 percent cost-share payment to landowners to cover the cost of tree removal, commercial thinning, and related activities.
- Establish a 50 percent cost-share payment to incentivize loggers, haulers, and tree removal services to carry out this work, which is a business expense that typically yields little profit.
- Make landowners eligible for the USDA Emergency Loan program in order to access financing to do emergency work up front rather than wait for cost-share payment after work is completed. Upon receipt of a cost-share payment, landowners would have the option to apply it to the remaining principal of their loan.
- Authorizes USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Office Committees, rather than the FSA National Office, to administer program assistance immediately following natural disaster designations and confirmed pine beetle infestations.
- Authorize USDA to make grants to states and municipalities for infested tree removal and related activities.
In a 2023 Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee hearing, Sen. Tuberville spoke with USDA officials about the importance of protecting Alabama’s forestry industry against southern pine beetles.
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
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