Rural Forest Markets Act of 2023

The Rural Forest Markets Act of 2023 establishes a USDA program to guarantee bonds, loans, or investment vehicles for rural private forest landowners to access voluntary environmental credit markets (like carbon credit sales). It directly affects small-scale rural landowners who may not have previously participated in these markets, particularly those not historically served by USDA programs. Key provisions include requiring projects to use approved sustainability methodologies, prohibiting artificial price floors for credits, and mandating that tree planting occur on historically forested land using native species. The program is capped at $150 million in guarantees and expires September 30, 2028.