Wood Innovations
The Wood Innovations Program aims to support, stimulate, and expand the use and manufacture of wood and biomass products through technical and financial assistance.
The USDA Forest Service is working to weave wood into the fabric of diverse sectors, including energy production, green building, and various bio-based applications. Strong and diversified markets for wood and biomass help to defray costs of forest management to increase forest resilience and provides incentives for landowners, not only to invest in forest management, but to protect forestland from conversion to non-forest uses.
Program Services
- Provide information and expertise in scoping and supporting wood and biomass ventures and projects.
- Administer Wood Innovation Grants.
- Track technologies, markets, and innovations.
- Foster partnerships, project, and business development.
Hot Topics
Building with Wood
Wood from sustainably managed forests is a responsible choice. It is renewable and a carbon sink, and outperforms other materials in terms of embodied energy, air, and water pollution and other impact indicators.
WoodWorks – Free project assistance on wood design and construction projects.
ThinkWood – Continuing education, research, design tools, and innovative project profiles.
Renewable Wood Energy
Modern wood energy systems are clean, efficient, scalable, and are providing cost savings and economic benefits to communities.
More than 30 facilities across US Forest Service Northern and Intermountain Regions are generating renewable energy with wood biomass for either thermal energy or combined heat and power. This includes schools, universities, hospitals, community pools, a government building, correctional center, wood product manufacturers, and ski resorts. These systems are fueled by wood chips, pellets, or cord wood that are byproducts from forest management or wood manufacturing.
Grants and Assistance
Wood Innovations Grants – Funding support for proposals that stimulate or expand wood energy and wood product markets. Request for Proposals is advertised annually in October.
Wood Energy Technical Assistance – Free assistance available for wood energy project scoping and development. Contact Regional Program Manager.
Contacts
Julie Kies
Wood and Biomass Utilization, Region 1
406-370-3297
julie.kies@usda.gov
Chris Clark
Wood Innovations Specialist, Region 4
208-809-0999
Christopher.Clark2@usda.gov