NAHB Commends House Passage of Forestry Bill

Material Costs
Published
Contact: Alex Strong
[email protected]
Senior Director, Federal Legislative
(202) 266-8279

The House has passed NAHB-supported legislation that will contribute to better forest management practices, help strengthen the nation’s housing supply chain and promote affordable housing opportunities for all Americans.

The Fix Our Forests Act (H.R. 471) will help improve the U.S. forest management system by expediting environmental reviews and ending frivolous litigation that often grinds needed forest management projects to a halt.

Legal obstacles, as well as administrative barriers, have contributed to the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management’s inability to effectively manage their lands. Consequently, overgrown and poorly managed forests have dramatically increased the risk of catastrophic wildfire across the country, which are extremely destructive to Americans living in fire prone areas as well as to the forest ecosystem.

Better forest management has positive ecological benefits along with the economic benefit of increasing the supply of federal timber products. Despite America’s vast timber resources, the United States does not produce sufficient lumber to meet the housing industry’s demand, requiring costly imports.

Lumber and wood products are a major cost driver in housing affordability, accounting for approximately 15% of the cost of construction for a single-family house. Additional domestic supply can help stabilize what is otherwise a volatile market for wood products, giving builders greater price stability.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Workforce Development | Student Chapters

Jun 09, 2025

NAHB HBCU Student Leaders Expand Skills with Impressive Residential Construction Internships

This summer, two student leaders from NAHB's HBCU leadership program cohort are learning the intricacies of home building and achieving their professional dreams.

Legislative | Environmental Issues

Jun 06, 2025

Bill Championed by NAHB Would Address Major Flood Mapping Issue in California, Nationwide

Legislation that NAHB has been seeking for two years that would allow new housing developments to go forward in California and bring down insurance costs for home buyers and home owners was introduced in Congress today.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Jun 09, 2025

AI’s Role in Reshaping Employment: From Theory to Home Building Sector Impacts

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning and generative AI (GenAI), is reshaping industries, creating new economic opportunities, and raising critical questions about its long-term impact on jobs and economic growth.

Economics

Jun 06, 2025

U.S. Economy Added 139,000 Jobs in May

Despite ongoing economic and policy uncertainty, the labor market remains resilient, though early signs of softening are beginning to emerge. Job growth moderated in May, and employment figures for March and April were notably revised downward. The unemployment rate remained at 4.2%.

Economics

Jun 05, 2025

States with Highest and Fastest Rising Construction Wages, 2025

Wage growth in construction continued to decelerate in April on a national basis, but the differences across regional markets remain stark.