Hazardous Fuels Transportation Assistance Grants
Hazardous Fuels Transportation Assistance grants support projects that remove hazardous fuels from national forests and grasslands to a location where the materials may be used for various wood products and services. This program contributes to the Wildfire Crisis Strategy implementation by removing hazardous fuels from forests and supports local forest product facilities and rural economies.
The forest products industry and infrastructure are key partners to maintain forest health and resilience while reducing wildfire risk. Successful forest restoration and implementation of the 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy are dependent on a robust forest products industry. The Forest Service is partnering with industry to identify innovative solutions and explore new markets.
The 2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity was announced on August 6, 2024, initiating a 30-day application period. 67 applications were received containing 187 projects with requests totaling $93 million. A total of $20 million will be distributed to the following 34 entities to complete a total of 66 projects.
News & Announcements
2024 Project Selections
(All dollar amounts are maximum amounts dependent on actual eligible expenses incurred)
| PROJECT | AWARD |
|---|---|
| Sun Mountain Lumber: Project includes removal of woody biomass material from National Forests in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming many of which are included in Community Wildfire Protection Plans, high-risk firesheds and State Forest Action Plans. 93,080 green tons will be hauled over the next 12 months and will retain crucial forest product industry especially in Montana and South Dakota. | $1,753,875 |
| Willis Enterprises, Inc: Project includes the removal of pulp log material from various high-risk fire-sheds in Montana including the Kootenai Wildfire Crisis Landscape and will haul 8,950 green tons. This will retain crucial forest product industry in Idaho, Montana, South Dakota and Washington. Willis Enterprises also partners with the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribe. | $339,000 |
| F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Company: Project includes the removal of non-saw, biomass and slash material from various high-risk fire-sheds in Montana including the Kootenai Wildfire Crisis Landscape and will haul 18,900 green tons. This project will retain crucial forest product industry in Montana. | $252,161 |
| PROJECT | AWARD |
|---|---|
| Sandford: This project includes the removal of almost 29,000 tons of sawlog and non-saw material that is Timber Subject to Agreement from fire-risk fire-sheds in forests in South Dakota and Wyoming. The projects occur in underserved areas and Sandford employs tribal members from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. | $151,000 |
| VM West: This project includes the removal of 1,741 ccf of sawlog and non-saw material. This project is located within the Colorado Front Range Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape. | $175,000 |
| Routt Millworks: This project includes the removal of 385 loads of sawlog material. This project is located within fire-sheds included in the Colorado State Forest Action Plan and Wildfire Crisis Strategy. | $21,500 |
| National Forest Foundation: Wood for Life Program provides firewood from high-risk fire-sheds in national forests in Wyoming and Colorado to tribes including Eastern Shoshone, Northern Arapahoe, Navajo Nation, and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes. It is estimated that 500 loads of firewood would be provided to tribes. | $100,000 |
| PROJECT | AWARD |
|---|---|
| White Mountain Lumber: This project involves the removal of hazardous fuels material (up to 153,842 tons) from three national forests in Arizona within a Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape. This woman-owned Arizona mill is using innovative methods to remove and utilize material from extended haul distances. This company employs local Indigenous tribal members. | $451,724 |
| Arizona Log and Timberwood: This project will move hazardous fuels material (46,560 tons) of timber subject to agreement that otherwise likely would not be removed. The project is within a Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape. | $403,200 |
| Lignetics: This project will remove hazardous fuels material from three national forests in Arizona within a Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape. The Woodyard project will remove approximately 208k tons, the Satellite Woodyard project will remove approximately 20k tons to be stocked-piled so the material will be available to the mill for wintertime which is normally an off season. The Residuals project will remove up to 43,900 tons of hazardous fuels material. These three projects provide a critical outlet for these hazardous fuels materials. | $1,453,500 |
| Miller Timber Services Inc.: In partnership/coordination with; Philmont Scout Ranch, New Mexico Forest Service, Cimmaron Watershed Alliance and Blanca Forest Products are working on a critical hazardous fuels removal/reduction project. The project area is adjacent to the Carson National Forest. This project will improve 24,000 acres by removing 12,000 tons of roundwood biomass logs and 5,000 tons on pine sawlogs. This project is also part of the Colfax County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and the New Mexico Forest Action Plan. | $332,640 |
| PROJECT | AWARD |
|---|---|
| National Forest Foundation: Wood for Life project will remove very low value hazardous fuels material (up to 1500 cords) from two national forests that are within a Wildfire Crisis Strategy landscape. This material is then supplied to tribal communities that rely on the wood for heating. | $125,000 |
| Last Chance Lumber: This project will remove dead and downed hazardous fuels material from the Manti – La Sal National Forest that would otherwise be left to burn and reduce the chance of seedling survival and increase the fire danger. They will remove up to 3600 ccf. | $418,650 |
| PROJECT | AWARD |
|---|---|
| Peterson Timber: The project is located in high-risk fire-sheds within the Park Fire area on the Lassen National Forest. It includes the removal of post-fire roadside hazard trees converted to cull logs and chips from 762 acres. | $951,588 |
| Honey Lake Power: The project is located within the Dixie Fire area on the Lassen and Modoc national forests within high-risk firesheds. The project includes the removal of post-fire hazard trees in the form of biomass and cull logs. | $649,064 |
| Franklin Logging: The project is located with the Klamath Basin Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape and includes the removal of wood chips. This material is Timber Subject to Agreement from projects within the Antelope Fire area. | $1,436,378 |
| Sierra Tahoe Environmental Management: The project is located within the Plumas Community Protection Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape. It includes the removal of post-fire hazard trees in the form of cull logs from 520 acres within the Dixie Fire. | $142,500 |
| Pacific Ultra Power: This proposal includes several projects, which are located within the Stanislaus Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape, giant sequoia groves and other high-risk firesheds. These projects include the removal and utilization of biomass. | $1,022,758 |
| Tahoe Forest Products: This project is located within the Stanislaus Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape and includes the removal of sawlogs from approximately 1000 acres. The project was developed by the Yosemite Stanislaus Solutions collaborative group, which includes tribal representatives. | $500,000 |
| Heartwood: This project is located within the Stanislaus Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape and includes the removal of 30,000 tons of biomass. This utilization facility adds unique hauling capacity for the utilization of small logs. | $418,000 |
| National Forest Foundation: This project involves the removal of sawtimber from high-risk fire-sheds and the Wildland Urban Interface on the Inyo National Forest. The project will result in the removal and utilization of approximately 200 loads of sawtimber. | $110,250 |
| Sierra Valley Enterprises: This project is located on the Tahoe National Forest within high-risk fire-sheds and Wildland Urban Interface. It includes the removal of approximately 4,000 tons of cull logs and biomass material from 753 acres. | $482,845 |
| Tulare County: This project is located on the Sequoia National Forest within the Castle Fire area. It includes removal and utilization 9,590 tons of cull logs from 555 acres. | $326,720 |
| Save the Redwoods League: This project is located with high-risk fire-sheds and includes the protection of giant sequoia groves. The project includes the removal of biomass on the Sequoia National Forest and Tule Lake Tribal lands. | $432,000 |
| San Joaquin Forest Products: This project is located within the Creek Fire Burn area on the Sierra National Forest. It includes the removal of 18,000 tons of cull logs and biomass. Project partners include Big Sandy Rancheria Band of Western Mono Indians of California and material will be utilized at the Fresno County Tribal Biomass Utilization Campus. | $800,000 |
| PROJECT | AWARD |
|---|---|
| Malheur Lumber: This project is located on the Ochoco National Forest in a Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project and Joint Chief’s landscape and includes the treatment of 9,732 CCF of small diameter sawlogs and biomass on 1,073 acres. This project occurs within an underserved area impacted by mill closures. | $310,384 |
| Vaagen Brothers: These projects occur with the Colville Wildfire Crisis Landscape in Washington and include sawlog and non-saw material and the treatment of 20,183 tons of Timber Subject to Agreement on approximately 3000 acres. These projects occur within underserved communities and project partners include the Kalispel Tribe of Indians and Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. | $181,421 |
| Lomakatsi Restoration: Project includes the removal and innovative utilization of 7,500 green tons of biomass material within the Klamath River Basin Wildfire Crisis Landscape to create HumiSoil. Lomakatsi works with and employs many Klamath and affiliated tribal members. | $462,768 |
| Biomass One: Project is within a Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project landscape on the Roge River-Siskiyou National Forest and Crater Lake National Park. The project involves the removal of 15,000 green tons of biomass material on approximately 950 acres. | $88,000 |
| Mineral Creek Logging: Project includes removing 4,000 tons of non-saw Timber Subject to Agreement material from 402 acres on the Rogue River-Siskiyou. This project provides benefits to underserved communities. | $248,668 |
| Forestry First: The projects occur with the Central Oregon Wildlife Crisis Landscape and involve the removal and utilization of 32,795 tons of biomass. This proposal would help retain crucial forest product industry in Oregon. | $712,577 |
| Cow Creek/Umpqua Tribe: The project partner is the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Indian Tribe and occurs on Umpqua Tribal lands adjacent to Forest Service lands in Oregon. The project includes 65,000 tons of material on 1,000 acres. Wood processing would occur at multiple sites including Umpqua Indian Forest Products. | $375,000 |
| Iron Triangle: This project occurs on the Malheur National Forest and provides jobs in one of Oregon’s most economically disadvantaged areas that has been impacted by mill closures. The project includes removing approximately 240,000 tons of sawlogs and non-saw from almost 9000 acres. | $3,169,008 |
| High Desert Partnership: This project occurs on the Malheur National Forest and helps address one of Oregon’s most economically disadvantaged communities. The project includes removing biomass from 300 acres and have been proposed by a community-led initiative that includes representation from the Burns Paiute Tribe. | $50,000 |
| PROJECT | AWARD |
|---|---|
| Valley Wood: This project will treat approximately 500 acres of the Chattahoochee Oconee National Forest by removing up to 30k tons of hazardous fuels materials. This project is within the Shortleaf Pine Initiative area. The change in haul destination has made the project not feasible due to an unforeseen haul destination change. The local mills provide over 1,000 jobs to an underserved community. | $175,000 |
| Good Hope: This project will remove over 15k tons of hazardous fuels material from the Ouachita National Forest. This project is within a Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project area and part of the Arkansas Forest Action Plan. The change in haul destination has made the project not feasible due to an unforeseen haul destination change. | $105,333 |
Summary
The Hazardous Fuels Transportation Assistance Program is authorized and funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. This provision includes “the hauling of material removed to reduce hazardous fuels to locations where that material can be utilized” and executed as a Wood Innovations grant in the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018.
In the pilot round of grants, $15 million were awarded to 12 private industry entities. Selected projects included a range of activities, from the transportation of sawlogs to mills to the transportation of biomass to energy plants. In total, these grants funded the transportation of 247,433 green tons of hazardous fuels out of national forests.
Future opportunities
Additional opportunities for funding under the Hazardous Fuels Transportation Assistance program will be available in 2025. Information about these opportunities will be posted on this website. For additional information, you can email: sm.fs.nfswohfta@usda.gov
Hazardous Fuels Transportation Program Pilot Year Highlight
As part of the pilot year of the Hazardous Fuels Transportation Program, the Forest Service introduced the Biomass Transportation Incentive Pilot. The pilot focused on moving hazardous fuels, like small diameter trees and limbs, from wildfire risk reduction projects to biomass utilization facilities.
The Biomass Transportation Incentive Pilot transported 113,226 green tons of biomass from 4,151 acres on nine national forests. This biomass material was used at eight facilities that produce power, firewood, paper products, heating pellets, poles, and animal bedding. The $5 million in federal funds from the Hazardous Fuels Transportation Assistance program was matched with $5.8 million from the facilities.