- Author: Gareth J Mayhead
The program is run by the USDA Forst Service State and Private Forestry Technology Marketing Unit (TMU). All materials are on the TMU website (righthand column of website).
The national program is intended to help improve forest restoration by using and creating markets for small-diameter material and low-valued trees removed from hazardous fuel reduction and forest health activities. These funds are targeted to help communities, entrepreneurs, and others turn residues from hazardous fuel reduction and forest health projects into marketable forest products and/or energy products.
In the past successful grant applicants have typically purchased either harvesting or processing equipment to add value to woody biomass. Check out the 2009 projects list and map to get an idea of successful projects.
There are a number of key changes from previous years:
- Funding amount: potentially up to $10m available – not guaranteed [up from $4m in previous years]
- Individual projects: $50,000 (min)-$350,000 (max) [up from $250,000 max previously]
- Allocation of funds: 50% of funds will target high priority National Forests. The other 50% will target low priority National Forests and other eligible forests [previously targeted National Forests only].
- Timeline:
- Pre-application deadline November 20th 2009
- Full application deadline April 2nd 2010
We will post further information here as necesssary. Look out for some grant workshops soon.
- Author: Gareth J Mayhead
The Forest Service's State and Private Forestry, Technology Marketing Unit, at the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, administers the program.
The successful projects are listed below. Check back soon to see a map of where they are located and details on the 2010 program.
Rover Shavings & Post, Inc, Rover, AR - $250,000
Pure Wood Products, LLC, Pinetop, AZ - $250,000
California Wood Shavings, Inc, Jamestown, CA - $249,550
CLT Logging, Inc, Grenada, CA - $250,000
Franklin Logging, Inc, Bella Vista, CA - $250,000
Scott Dunn Logging, Fortuna, CA - $250,000
Trinity River Lumber Company, Weaverville, CA - $250,000
Independent Log Company, Alamosa, CO - $250,000
Intermountain Resources, LLC, Montrose, CO - $250,000
Rogue Resources, Inc./More Lumber, Milner, CO - $250,000
Idaho Forest Group, LLC, Athol, ID - $250,000
Eagle Stud Mill, Inc, Missoula, MT - $250,000
Eureka Pellet Mills, Inc, Missoula, MT - $250,000
Southwest Piñon, Inc, Datil, NM - $250,000
Community Smallwood Solutions, Wallowa, OR - $249,819
Marubeni Sustainable Energy, Lakeview, OR - $250,000
Olson Brothers Enterprises, LLC, Crivitz, WI - $250,000
- Author: Gareth J Mayhead
Another announcement was made today by the USDA regarding Forest
Service American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. The announcement by Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan concerns 30 projects valued at approximtately $57m. The projects are categorized into biomass utilization and wood-to-energy. California is shown to have 2 projects, both in the Northwest part of the state, with a combined total value of $4,748,000. We have updated the Forest Service ARRA projects list in
the document library. It provides some more (relatively limited) detail on the projects funded across the US. We will update this post with further information as we receive it.
Link to Forest Service ARRA projects list
Link to Forest Service website
- Author: Gareth J Mayhead

Today Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announced American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Projects for Forest Road Maintenance and Associated Watershed and Ecosystem Restoration. Four projects in California with a total value of $24.9m are identified in the $228m allocated.
- Author: Gareth J Mayhead
Over 40 people came to the stewardship contracting and woody biomass utilization workshop at the Heritage Ag Complex in Tulare recently. About one third of the audience came from Sierra and Sequoia National Forests with representatives from local industry and the community also in attendance.


[Left to right] Discussing the handling of mill waste (residuals), chips and bark, processed bark, urban wood waste with power plant in background

