Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026

The Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026 was introduced on April 23, 2026, by Representative Shontel Brown (D-OH) and referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. The bill amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to provide additional assistance to states and communities for planting and maintaining trees, citing benefits such as improved air quality, reduced urban heat island effect, and equitable distribution of tree canopy. The bill text does not appropriate any specific dollar amount; it is an authorization-only measure. Actual funding would require a separate appropriations bill. The bill has 8 cosponsors and a companion bill (S4403) in the Senate, also referred to committee. Legislative momentum is minimal: the only action was referral on the same day as introduction. No further hearings or markup have occurred. The policy area is Public Lands and Natural Resources, but the committee jurisdiction is Agriculture. For the agriculture sector, the bill's impact is indirect and speculative. Major agribusiness companies like Deere ($DE), CF Industries ($CF), Corteva ($CTVA), Bunge ($BG), Archer-Daniels-Midland ($ADM), FMC ($FMC), and Mosaic ($MOS) derive revenue from crop production inputs and trading, not from urban forestry. There is no mechanism in the bill that would directly affect their revenue or costs. The bill's primary beneficiaries would be state and local forestry agencies, nonprofit tree-planting organizations, and possibly tree nursery operators, most of which are not publicly traded. The legislative path requires committee consideration, floor votes in both chambers, and subsequent appropriations. Given the early stage and lack of funding, the bill is unlikely to have a material market impact within the next 12 months.