Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 11/27/18

Another legislative day passed without a deal on the farm bill — but Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts continues to insist that negotiators are "close."

The forestry title has emerged as a major obstacle to producing a conference report. Roberts said Monday evening that finding agreement on that issue remains the biggest outstanding issue to striking a final deal, and the Kansas Republican is expecting to hear "an answer" this morning from congressional leadership on the split.

"It's the thing that we're still working on," Roberts told reporters. Once that issue is settled, "that would indicate that the light went from yellow to green" on the entire conference report, he said.

Up for debate is whether the title will incorporate provisions from the House measure, H.R. 2 (115) , intended to support "active management" of the nation's forests. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke have made a strong public push for the House proposal as they tour wildfire damage in California. (Check out the Sacramento Bee's write-up of their visit and the complicated forestry debate.)

— In a CNN opinion piece on Monday, Zinke endorsed forestry provisions in the House bill that would allow more removal of dead trees and brush from federal land, as well as expedited approval of logging projects. (The Senate measure doesn't take the same approach.)

— Democrats and green groups oppose active forest management because they say the practices could devastate forests and wipe out plants and animals.

Bulletin: House Republican leaders are headed to the White House this afternoon to game out lame-duck legislative priorities with Trump (namely how to avoid a government shutdown when current funding expires after Dec. 7, per POLITICO). It was unclear whether the farm bill is on the agenda, but it's safe to say that it's likely to come up.