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California Receives $7.6M for Wood Innovation Projects
Release Date: Jun 2, 2022
Investment funds 22 projects to improve markets for biomass and low-value wood
VALLEJO, Calif., June 2, 2022 — California will receive approximately $7.6 million to invest in 22 Wood Innovations and Community Wood projects across the state, as part of a nationwide $32 million investment announcement made by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Bolstered by $12 million from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these grants aim to expand the use of wood products, strengthen emerging wood markets, and support active management to improve forest health and resilience, especially in light of the ongoing nationwide wildfire crisis.
“Wood innovation and community wood grants projects like these show us how we can tackle problems like the wildfire crisis and climate change while creating new markets, supporting jobs, building affordable housing and improving conditions on our forests at the same time,” said Secretary Vilsack. “Removing hazardous trees that would otherwise threaten wildfire-prone communities and having rural, forest-based economies turn those materials into renewable building and energy products, stand as examples of how a clean energy economy is within reach.”
The 2022 Wood Innovation and Community Wood grants in the Pacific Southwest Region support new wood processing facilities plus upgrades to existing facilities to increase capacity, community wood energy systems to replace natural gas with waste wood for heat, renewable hydrogen and ethanol projects, and research and development into new markets for biomass.
Outlets for wood and biomass are critical for meeting the Forest Service’s goal in California for treating 500,000 acres annually as outlined in the 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy and California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan.
These projects contribute to increased pace and scale of forest restoration by improving markets for biomass and low-value wood in California that is produced as a result of forest restoration and fire recovery projects.
Many grants will contribute directly to post-fire recovery, support disadvantaged communities, and have climate benefits.
The full list of awards and more information about the Wood Innovation and Community Wood programs can be found on the Wood Innovations Website.
Region 5 Wood Innovation Grants:
|
Tools for forest biofuels market development in California |
University of California, Berkeley |
Berkeley, CA |
$102,529 |
|
Design and implementation of high-performance solar kilns for California feedstock and climate |
University of California Berkeley |
Berkeley, CA |
$172,028 |
|
Sawmill Upgrade to Produce Higher-Value Lumber from Fire Salvage Logs |
Collins Pine Company |
Chester, CA |
$250,000 |
|
Wildfire recovery and community rebuilding through a small-scale sawmill operation |
J&C Enterprises |
Crescent Mills, CA |
$218,500 |
|
Demonstration of a Cost-Effective CLT Panel Capable of Resisting DOS/DOD Design Basis Threats – Phase II |
Karagozian & Case, Inc |
Glendale, CA |
$92,200 |
|
Shavings Plant Expansion with New Innovative Technology-Jamestown, CA |
American Wood Fibers, Inc. |
Jamestown, CA |
$250,000 |
|
North Fork Lumber 5MW Biomass Cogeneration Design & Permitting |
North Fork Lumber Company |
Korbel, CA |
$250,000 |
|
LA TIMBER BRIDGE: Forest trees to furniture built for/by the unhoused in LA |
Would-Works, Inc. |
Los Angeles, CA |
$50,000 |
|
Natural Fiber Insulation Material from Forest Biochar for Sustainable Fire-Resistant Buildings |
University of California |
Merced, CA |
$207,361 |
|
Winch Assisted Attachment Installation for Steep Slope Harvesting |
J & R Logging, Inc. |
Mt Aukum, CA |
$249,050 |
|
Engineering to support development of a wood waste to biofuel gasification plant in the Northern Sierra Nevada |
Yosemite Clean Energy, LLC |
Oroville, CA |
$250,000 |
|
SF Bay Area Targeted Biochar Marketing Strategy Implementation: Compost Amendments, Storm Water Remediation & Manure Management. |
Earth Foundries, Inc. |
Saratoga, CA |
$250,000 |
|
Forestree Collective: increasing wood products manufacturing & markets |
Forestree Collective |
Sebastopol, CA |
$100,000 |
|
Forest Resilience Bond to Support Post-Fire Restoration |
Blue Forest Conservation |
Shaver Lake, CA |
$249,130 |
|
Alpenglow Timber: Wood Processing Infrastructure Project |
Alpenglow Timber LLC |
Truckee, CA |
$250,000 |
|
Trash is cash: Reducing the logistical barriers for utilizing non-merchantable wood as renewable biofuels and bioproducts |
Takachar Limited |
Ukiah, CA |
$100,000 |
|
Mount Lassen Power Wood Energy Expansion - Biomass Power Plant Restart Project |
Mount Lassen Power Inc. |
Westwood, CA |
$250,000 |
Region 5 Community Wood Grants:
|
Innovative Biomass Utilization in Tuolumne County CA |
Tuolumne Biomass LLC and Heartwood Biomass LLC |
Chinese Camp, CA |
$800,000 |
|
Innovative Wood Product Expansion into Western US Market |
American Wood Fibers |
Marysville, CA |
$1,000,000 |
|
Small, Commercial-Scale Production of “Carbon Zero” Biofuels from Forest Biomass |
Aemetis Advanced Products Riverbank, Inc. |
Riverbank, CA |
$642,077 |
|
Northstar Community Services District Biomass Energy System |
Northstar Community Services District |
Truckee, CA |
$1,000,000 |
|
Alpenglow Timber: Thermal Wood Energy to Support New Sawmill Project |
Alpenglow Timber LLC |
Truckee, CA |
$911,000 |
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