Guest Workers Can Assist With This Year’s Tree Planting

This year’s tree planting season was almost upended, but swift and coordinated advocacy efforts by forestry associations made certain that it will continue unabated after the Trump administration issued exemptions following their appeals.

President Trump signed a series of proclamations this spring, suspending entry of most temporary seasonal workers into this country for the remainder of 2020.  The suspension included  H-2B guest workers, who are critical to the forest sector, planting the bulk of U.S. trees each year, along with other forestry operations that are necessary to maintain healthy and productive forests.

Research by Forest Landowners Association (FLA), Forest Resources Association (FRA), and National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO), among others, demonstrated to the administration the importance of allowing this program to continue.  Most significantly, these organizations showed that a ban on these workers would impact the forestry sector and rural communities by $725 million.