AI Overview
In 2025, the U.S. is using artificial intelligence (AI) to advance forestry restoration through enhanced disaster recovery, improved data-driven conservation, and partnerships with private organizations.
A major driver is the USDA's new AI Strategy for 2025–2026, which aims to integrate AI responsibly across its mission areas, including forest and land management.
Federal
initiatives using AI in 2025
· Post-disaster
recovery: The American Relief Act of 2025 provided over $6.3
billion to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for disaster recovery from 2022–2024.
A portion of this funding is designated for enhancing information technology,
including the use of AI, to make planning and implementation faster and more
efficient.
· Geospatial
analysis: The USDA's AI Strategy outlines the use of AI for geospatial
analysis, including using computer vision to monitor forest health, predict
wildfires, and assess disaster damage from satellite data. This technology
allows for the rapid re-assessment of vast areas, such as the 200,000 acres of
longleaf pine restoration sites in Florida impacted by Hurricane Michael.
· Active forest
management: The USDA is monitoring studies on using AI and unmanned
aircraft (drones) for timber sale preparation, monitoring, and boundary
management. This is part of its National Active Forest Management Strategy,
which also aims to simplify permitting and reduce contracting burdens.
· Conservation
planning: AI is used to improve data accuracy and decision-making for
conservation projects.
o The Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) held an AI webinar in July 2025 for its
Conservation Innovation Grants program, which funds solutions to resource
challenges.
o Mississippi State
University's AI Task Force has developed strategies for using AI in forestry
and natural resource management, which include creating virtual models for
forestry.
· Ecosystem research: AI-enhanced models are used to understand factors influencing plant growth, detect insufficient biodiversity, and create "digital twins"—virtual replicas of forest ecosystems for simulation and monitoring.
AI
funding and partnerships
· Inflation Reduction Act
(IRA): In fiscal year 2025, the USFS is awarding IRA funding for
large-scale, tribal, and small tract forest legacy projects. Though not
explicitly for AI, the IRA's focus on climate-smart practices indirectly
supports the development of AI tools for forest management by providing funding
to state and private partners.
· AI Innovation
Fund: The USDA's Agricultural Research Service is funding 4 to 6
AI-related research proposals in 2025, with awards of up to $100,000 each.
These funds must be used in FY2025, encouraging rapid innovation.
· Private and nonprofit partnerships: The World Resources Institute is leveraging AI to measure the growth of individual trees using satellite imagery. This technology can bring transparency to the restoration sector and attract private investment by creating financial structures that reward successful restoration efforts.
Restoration
projects funded in 2025
Beyond
AI, the US is funding numerous conventional restoration projects in 2025, which
often incorporate advanced technology.
· Forest Legacy
Program: In 2025, the USFS is funding the permanent conservation of over
259,000 acres in 18 states for timber supply, recreation, and habitat
protection.
· Landscape Scale
Restoration: This program is funding 19 projects totaling about $7 million
to restore forests across different land ownerships. One such project in
Georgia is using drones to assist with prescribed burns and wildfire
suppression.
· Expanding timber production: The USDA announced a $200 million investment in May 2025 to expand timber production, with the USFS committing to increasing harvests by 25%. This includes using innovative wood products like cross-laminated timber.
In 2025, the U.S. is employing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to restore forests by using predictive analytics for wildfires, monitoring forest health via satellite, and managing natural resources. These AI initiatives operate in parallel with significant disaster relief funding and policy shifts that prioritize timber production and risk mitigation.
AI
and technology for forestry in 2025
· Predictive modeling for
wildfires: The U.S. Forest Service and its partners use AI to forecast
fire risks by analyzing real-time data from satellites, drones, and ground
sensors. This allows agencies to allocate resources, deploy equipment, and plan
prescribed burns more proactively and efficiently.
· Satellite and drone
monitoring: AI algorithms analyze data from high-resolution satellite and
drone imagery to monitor vegetation health, track post-fire recovery, and map
the spread of invasive species. AI-driven monitoring can detect problems like
pest infestations or disease outbreaks at early stages, enabling a faster
response.
· AI-driven forest
management: Tools using AI help forest managers with data-driven
decision-making for sustainable practices. Examples include optimizing harvest
planning, simulating future forest conditions, and planning for climate change
resilience.
· Targeted weed
control: For vegetation management, autonomous robotic systems with
AI-powered vision identify and selectively target weeds. This reduces the use
of herbicides, protects habitats, and decreases labor costs.
· Digital
twins: This emerging AI innovation creates virtual replicas of forest
ecosystems to simulate their growth and monitor their long-term health. The
models track indicators like
· canopy height and biodiversity to help assess ecological changes over time.
Policy
shifts and funding
The
approach to forestry restoration in 2025 has also been shaped by new policies
and substantial disaster relief funding.
· Executive orders to
expand timber production: In early 2025, President Trump signed an
executive order directing a 25% increase in timber production from national
lands. In April, the USDA issued a memorandum empowering the U.S. Forest
Service to expedite actions to reduce wildfire risk, citing a "national
forest emergency".
· American Relief Act of
2025: This act provides over $6.35 billion in supplemental funding for the
U.S. Forest Service, mostly for recovery from major disasters in 2022–2024.
o The funding supports
infrastructure repair and restoration of lands damaged by natural disasters.
o It also allocates $14
million to address spruce budworm in the Northeast and $75 million for fuel
breaks in Pacific regions to mitigate wildfire risk.
· Expedited environmental review: The proposed "Fix Our Forests Act" (H.R. 471) seeks to speed up forest management projects by streamlining review processes under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and limiting litigation.
Investments
in large-scale projects
In
2025, the U.S. Forest Service invested millions in nationwide restoration
projects through programs like the Landscape Scale Restoration program.
· Ecological
restoration: The Forest Service is utilizing funds from the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law to restore the health of over 90,000 acres through
stewardship agreements with partners like Trout Unlimited.
· Working forest
conservation: The Forest Legacy Program is conserving over 259,000 acres
of important working forestlands in 18 states through competitive grants. This
supports both rural economies and environmental goals.
· Partnerships and collaboration: Federal investments support projects that involve state, tribal, and private landowners, addressing issues like invasive species, wildfire risk, and watershed health across management jurisdictions.
https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+the+us+doing+to+restore+us+forestry+2025+ai
Comments
The goal is to increase timber production and reduce US forest fires. Timber production will require Lumber Mills to be available to produce US building materials to support US Home Building.
The US is re-shoring the Timber Industry to reduce Imports. The US has been importing Timber from Canada and needs to provide jobs in the US and become more self-sufficient to reduce the $1 trillion UD Trade Deficit.
The US needs to increase the supply of single-family homes to allow US Citizens and Families to be able to be “homeowners”. The US Families who pay off their mortgages before age 65 will ensure a successful retirement.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
No comments:
Post a Comment