Senate Bill 158 proposes amendments to the eligibility criteria for county forest administration grants, retroactive to January 1, 2025. The bill allows counties with designated county forest lands to receive grants from the Department of Natural Resources to cover 50 percent of the salary and fringe benefits of a county forest administrator. The definition of a county forest administrator is established, excluding individuals employed by the department, and includes specific educational and experiential qualifications such as a bachelor's degree in forestry or natural resources, or an associate degree in forestry combined with relevant experience.

The bill renumbers and amends existing legal language, specifically changing the reference from "professional forester in the position of" to "county forest administrator," and clarifies that the grants can be used for the salary and fringe benefits of the county forest administrator. The fringe benefits are capped at 40 percent of the administrator's salary. This legislative change aims to enhance the management of county forest programs by ensuring that qualified individuals are in place to oversee these initiatives.