(Washington, D.C., August 21, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today issued a memorandum announcing a new policy directive prioritizing land use efficiency when evaluating proposals for power generation projects on National Forest System lands. The Secretary’s Memorandum (PDF, 1.4 MB) underscores USDA’s commitment to strengthening American energy production and reducing reliance on foreign energy sources, like foreign adversary-manufactured solar panels, while protecting our lands for future generations.
The Memorandum instructs the U.S. Forest Service to develop new screening criteria that measure and prioritize the amount of energy produced per acre of land while ensuring projects are consistent with environmental stewardship, multiple-use principles, and economic benefits for rural communities. Projects demonstrating higher land use efficiency, producing more power with less land disturbance, will be prioritized.
“America has the resources and ingenuity to power our future without depending on foreign adversaries. For too long, misguided federal subsidies and policies have pushed unreliable energy projects that waste taxpayer dollars. Those days are over,” said Secretary Rollins. “Under this memorandum, we are putting America first, ensuring that every acre of federally managed land is used wisely, balancing the needs for energy security with our responsibility to safeguard natural resources. We will no longer allow foreign-made solar panels or inefficient energy projects to undermine our national security. We are prioritizing reliable power sources, reducing costs, and preserving more land for recreation, timber, and wildlife for future generations.”
Background
USDA manages approximately 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands in 43 states, much of which could play a vital role in expanding domestic energy production and transmission capacity. Policies that discouraged the use of these lands for power generation in the past increased reliance on intermittent energy sources and limited U.S. energy independence.
By focusing on land use efficiency, USDA will ensure that proposed energy projects maximize output per acre, reduce environmental impacts, and allow more National Forest System lands to remain available for multiple uses, such as outdoor recreation, grazing, timber, watershed protection, and wildlife conservation. Different generation types, including wind, solar, natural gas, and others, require varying amounts of land and have different environmental impacts, making efficiency-based screening a critical tool for balancing economic development with environmental stewardship.
The Memorandum takes effect immediately and directs the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment to oversee implementation. In the absence of an Under Secretary, the Chief of the Forest Service will carry out the responsibilities outlined in the directive.
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