Norton Introduces Bill to Make D.C. Eligible for Federal Forestry Funding for UDC

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced a bill to amend the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Act to make the District of Columbia eligible for federal forestry funds. The McIntire-Stennis Act provides U.S. states and territories with formula-based funds to support state-designated institutions' cooperative forestry research programs. 

Norton said that the District is treated as a state under most federal programs and that the District's omission from the legislation was likely an oversight. She said her bill would make D.C. eligible for funding that would particularly support research at the University of the District of Columbia's (UDC) College of Agriculture, Urban Stability, and Environmental Science, a program that complements the city's ongoing forestry efforts. UDC is the nation's only urban land-grant university. Norton successfully got her provision to enable UDC to receive federal funding for forestry research under the McIntire-Stennis Act included in the Senate-passed 2013 Farm Bill.

“D.C., whose residents pay the highest federal taxes per capita in the nation, should be eligible for these critical federal forestry funds,” Norton said. “I have worked to ensure the District is treated as a state for purposes of most federal funding, and this legislation continues that effort. The University of the District of Columbia – the nation’s only urban land-grant university – would benefit tremendously from these resources.”

Norton's introductory statement follows.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

On the Introduction of the McIntire-Stennis Act District of Columbia Equality Act

February 23, 2026    

Today, I introduce the McIntire-Stennis Act District of Columbia Equality Act, which would make the District of Columbia eligible for funding under the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Act (Act) in the same manner as states.

The Act provides funding to states and certain territories for forestry research programs.  The funding assists states and territories in carrying out forestry research programs at state forestry schools and colleges and developing a trained pool of forest scientists capable of conducting forestry research.

D.C. residents pay the same federal taxes as residents of states and therefore D.C. is almost always treated as a state under federal programs.  The Act defines “State” to include Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam, whose residents do not pay full federal taxes.  D.C.’s exclusion from the Act makes it ineligible for funding that would support research at D.C.’s public university, the University of the District of Columbia (UDC).  The College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences at UDC, the nation’s only urban land-grant university, offers programs that complement D.C.’s ongoing forestry efforts and serve individuals in D.C. and beyond.  Rectifying D.C.’s exclusion from the Act would ensure equal treatment for D.C. and provide UDC a fair share of resources.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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