Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The SAWMILL Act establishes a federal loan guarantee program to support sawmills and wood-processing facilities in rural areas. The Secretary of Agriculture, working with the Secretary of the Interior, will identify federal lands that need ecological restoration through vegetation removal, then provide loan guarantees of up to $220 million total to help sawmills and wood processors establish, reopen, or expand operations within 250 miles of those lands. This approach aims to reduce the cost of federal forest restoration projects by creating a local market for the wood removed during restoration work. The two secretaries must identify eligible federal lands within one year and reassess priorities every five years. The program targets rural communities and helps connect ecological restoration needs with private wood-processing infrastructure.
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