Posted: June 3, 2025 | Local News & Updates
Spring in North Carolina brings more than wildflowers and warmer days—it’s also budget season in Raleigh. This April, the NC Senate’s proposed budget quietly called for eliminating the North Carolina Office of Environmental Education (EE). Thanks to strong advocacy, this week the NC House voted to keep environmental education alive by moving the Office into the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. While we’re grateful for this win, the budget still needs final approval through the Conference Committee, and now is the time to make your voice heard.
The Office of Environmental Education isn’t just a name on a budget line—it’s the backbone of programs that help teachers, foresters, and passionate landowners deepen their understanding of North Carolina’s natural resources. Among its many offerings is the NC Environmental Education Certification Program, which our own forestry team members, Jessica Ireland and Abigail Ridge, recently completed to bring best-in-class environmental learning directly to our members and local schools.
Here at Carolina Forestry & Realty, we partner with educators through our Sustainable Forestry Teachers Experience (SFTE) program, helping teachers earn credit hours toward that EE certification. If the Office disappears—or ends up without funding—SFTE participants may lose access to the tools and materials they rely on, including Project Learning Tree resources. That would be a major setback for environmental literacy across the state.
The House’s decision to preserve the EE Office is a huge step forward, but the final budget hasn’t been signed yet. To make sure Program funding survives the Conference Committee process, please:
Meanwhile, on the federal stage, the Forest Resources Association (FRA) met last week with U.S. Forest Service leadership in Minneapolis to discuss ramping up timber sales on federal lands. Under the current directive, the USFS aims to increase timber volume by 25% over the next four years—bringing annual harvests to roughly 4 billion board feet. Proponents argue that leveraging categorical exclusions and the Good Neighbor Authority will help reach these targets, boosting both forest health and local economies.
Carolina Forestry & Realty supports these forest health initiatives, provided they’re paired with strong reforestation commitments and sustainable management practices that protect water quality and wildlife habitat. We’ll be following these developments closely as the reconciliation process moves forward.
Tax policy can feel dry, but the House Ways & Means Committee’s recent vote on the budget reconciliation bill includes provisions that could directly benefit landowners and small forestry businesses:
These incentives help small operators upgrade equipment and invest in innovative practices—like precision forestry tools—that improve efficiency and sustainability. The bill heads next to the House Budget Committee, and then to the floor before the Memorial Day recess, so stay tuned for updates.
In 2023, the Supreme Court’s Sackett v. EPA ruling narrowed federal wetlands protections to water bodies with a “continuous surface connection” to navigable waters. Last week, the FRA joined a multi-sector letter urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and EPA to implement regulations that reflect this decision and maintain clarity for landowners and timber programs. Clear rules help avoid permitting delays that can stall forest management plans and timber sales.
Carolina Forestry & Realty is built on small business foundations, so we cheered the FRA’s endorsement of a letter urging lawmakers to make the Section 199A pass-through deduction permanent at 23%. Aligning small business rates with the 21% corporate rate levels the playing field for family-owned operations, timber mills, and forestry contractors across North Carolina.
Big policy shifts can feel overwhelming, but they start with local voices. Here’s how to stay involved:
Our forests—and the people who care for them—depend on informed advocacy. If you have any questions about these policy developments or how they affect your land management plans, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at info@carolinaforestry.com or call us at 919-510-4663. Together, we can ensure North Carolina’s forestry and environmental education programs remain strong for years to come.