Forest Service is accepting grant applications

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service today announced it will offer $41 million through the 2023 Wood Innovations Grant and 2023 Community Wood Grant programs to spark innovation and create new markets for wood products and renewable wood energy.

“The Wood Innovations Grant Program makes funding available to expand traditional wood use projects, advance wood energy markets, and promote wood use in commercial building construction. This Request for Proposals focuses on the program’s market development goals to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health on national forests and other forest lands, reduce the costs of forest management, and promote economically strong and environmentally healthy communities,” the Forest Service said in a statement.

Eligible project examples include establishing or increasing wood products manufacturing to support forest restoration and purchasing wood processing equipment to create markets supporting forest management.

“The Community Wood Grant Program funds shovel-ready projects to install thermally led community wood energy systems or build innovative wood product facilities to support healthy forests and stimulate local economies by expanding renewable wood energy and innovative wood products manufacturing capacity,” according to the Forest Service.

Eligible project examples include expanding sawmills with innovative technologies, cost cutting measures and higher value production lines.

More information is available at the Forest Service Wood Innovations website or at grants.gov.