The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Region 8 (Southern Region), awarded $250,000 to the Department of Agriculture Food & Forestry Oklahoma (ODAFF) on September 16, 2025, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act Nursery Vegetation program (CFDA 10.736). This project grant, with a completion date of September 15, 2030, supports modernization of tree seedling nursery and tree orchard facilities to enhance Oklahoma's forestry capacity. The funding enables capital improvements, equipment upgrades, facility enhancements, and associated staffing and operational expenses at state nurseries and seed orchards to increase seed and seedling production capacity for reforestation and post-wildfire recovery efforts.
The award aligns with the program's broader objective of enabling non-industrial private forest landowners and state forestry agencies to better manage, protect, and sustainably use natural resources through enhanced nursery infrastructure and seedling availability. As Oklahoma's lead state forestry agency, ODAFF will deploy these funds to strengthen the state's ability to produce climate-adapted tree species for landscape restoration and forest management activities across Oklahoma.