While it may be some time before there are any major changes in forest policy under President Trump, it is very clear that the new administration is taking a sharply different approach on issues than the previous one.

Already President Trump and his new EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, have begun the process of rolling back the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule and the Clean Power Plan (CPP) program, both major environmental policy initiatives of the Obama administration that have a huge impact on forestry.

Trump has also tapped former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue to lead the Department of Agriculture. Perdue, a successful agribusiness man, will have oversight of the vast government agency that sets policy on issues ranging from agriculture, forestry, and natural resources to nutrition and rural development. He will also serve as the key liaison for the White House on the reauthorization of the Farm Bill by Congress in 2018.

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