In Rare Bipartisan Bill, White Oak Resilience Act Introduced in House of Representatives to Preserve the Future of Bourbon

The chamber of the House of Representatives. In a rare moment of unity, the White Oak Resilience Act was introduced to preserve white oak populations. (Photo: Julia Nikhinson/Pool via AP)

A bill aiming to preserve the future of American whiskey was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday. A bipartisan bill, the White Oak Resilience Act aims to protect the future of white oak, which is commonly used by cooperages to make barrels for aging bourbon and other whiskeys.

In May, an episode of the “Odd Lots” Podcast predicted as much as a 77% population decline for the next generation of white oak trees. This could be catastrophic for the bourbon industry, as the spirit is required by law to be aged in new charred oak barrels, and white oak is the primary oak of choice.

America is home to 104 million acres of white oak forests in the eastern and central U.S., yet due to myriad factors that include land management and a bourbon boom — according to the Lexington Herald — older white oak trees are dwindling rapidly. Younger trees have yet to catch up.

The bill is supported by the White Oak Initiative and cosponsored by Congressional White Oak Caucus and Congressional Bourbon Caucus chairs Andy Barr, R-KY; Ami Bera, D-CA; Steve Cohen, D-TN; Scott DesJarlais, R-TN; and Morgan McGarvey, D-KY.

“While there are plenty of white oak trees out there right now, the data clearly shows that regeneration isn’t happening at the levels we’ve historically seen, and soon this will be a serious problem for everything from the American bourbon industry to native plants and wildlife if we don’t act today,” White Oak Initiative Executive Director Jason Meyer said in a news release.

The White Oak Resilience Act Explained

The White Oak Resilience Act aims to preserve and revive the white oak species through the following series of initiatives:

First, WORA would create a formal USDA White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition that prioritizes and coordinates white oak projects. The bill would initiate regeneration pilot projects in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Interior.

It would also allocate funds within the private sector to aid in projects and implement a nationwide strategy expanding the capacity of tree nurseries.

The last aspect of the bill involves expanded research initiatives of white oak by land-grant universities and the U.S. Forest Service.

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