U.S. Forest Service: Wood Innovations Program
The Wood Innovations Program seeks to substantially expand and accelerate wood energy and wood products markets throughout the United States to support forest management needs on National Forest System and other forest lands. Priorities are to:
- Reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health on National Forest System and other forest lands
- Reduce costs of forest management on all land types
- Promote economic and environmental health of communities
Funding will be awarded to two separate categories outlined as follows:
1. Expansion of wood energy markets: This category seeks to:
- Stimulate, expand, or support wood energy markets that depend on forest residues or forest byproducts generated from all land types. Projects can include but are not limited to: a) develop a cluster of wood energy projects in a geographic area or specific sector (e.g., prisons, hospitals, universities, manufacturing sector, or industrial sector); or b) overcome market barriers and stimulate expansion of wood energy in the commercial sector.
- Complete requirements, such as engineering designs, cost analyses, and permitting, necessary in the later stages of wood energy project development to secure financing.
2. Expansion of wood products markets: This category seeks to promote markets that create or expand the demand for non-energy based wood products. Preference will be given to projects that support commercial building markets or other markets that use innovative wood products.
- Facilitate establishment of new building codes to support expanded use of wood materials
- Showcase the quantified environmental and economic benefits of using wood as a green building material in an actual commercial building and the projected benefits achieved if replicated across the U.S. based on commercial construction market trends
- Develop manufacturing capacity and markets for wood products that support forest ecosystem restoration
- Complete engineering designs, cost analyses, permitting, or other requirements for the final stages of commercial construction projects that use wood as a primary building material
- Develop training or perform outreach/communications about innovative wood construction (e.g., structural roundwood or cross-laminated timber)
- Develop a regional or national strategy to stimulate market demand for wood technology in targeted sectors, especially commercial construction
- Establish statewide wood utilization teams that focus on using wood in support of Forest Service Regional/Area priorities and state Forest Action Plans.
Amount: A total of $7,000,000 is available to make up to 28 awards that will typically range up to $250,000. Applicants must provide a 50 percent match that may include cash or in-kind contributions.
Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations; for-profit entities; state, local, and tribal governments; school districts; communities; special purpose districts (e.g., public utilities districts, fire districts, conservation districts, or ports).
Link: https://www.na.fs.fed.us/werc/wip/2018-rfp.shtm
This post was filed under: