S. 2791: Forest Harvest Opportunity Act

111th Congress · introduced 2009-11-18 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 111-565.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2009-11-18 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 111-565. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Forest Harvest Opportunity Act

Plain summary

Forest Harvest Opportunity Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, within 30 days of a timber purchaser requesting an economy-related contract extension of a qualifying contract for the sale of timber from land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) between the Secretary and the purchaser, to modify the contract to add three years to such contract's expiration date. Defines qualifying contract as a contract, executed on or before December 31, 2008, for the sale of timber from BLM lands: (1) for which there is unharvested volume remaining; (2) for which, within 90 days of enactment of this Act, a timber purchaser makes a written request to the Secretary for an economic related contract extension; and (3) that has not been terminated prior to the request for an extension. Requires the timber purchaser to waive any and all claims its has against the United States involving the qualifying contract that exist on the date such contract is modified. Prohibits anything in this Act from affecting any claim by the United States against any timber purchaser, including those claims that arose under a qualifying contract before the date on which its expiration date was extended.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Forest Harvest Opportunity Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] reported raising $5.4 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s2791.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s2791 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111