Wood Innovations
Wood Innovations Program
To learn about Wood Innovations projects across the country, visit the Wood Innovations Project Search page.
News & Announcements
Wood Innovations Grant Program - 2024/25 Application period is closed
The Wood Innovation Grants Program, launched in 2015, stimulates, expands, and supports U.S. wood products markets and wood energy markets to support the long-term management of National Forest System and other forest lands. National focus areas include mass timber, renewable wood energy, and technological development that supports hazardous fuel reduction and sustainable forest management. Contact the appropriate regional coordinator or Collin Buntrock collin.buntrock@usda.gov for more information.
Recent recipients are located at Wood Grants | US Forest Service (usda.gov).
Community Wood Grant Program - 2024/25 Application period is closed
The Community Wood Grant Program, launched in 2020, provides funding for grants to install thermally led community wood energy systems or to build innovative wood product manufacturing facilities. The Forest Service expects renewable wood energy systems installed under this program to use the most stringent control technologies. The program places extra emphasis on assisting sawmills in economically challenged areas to retool or add advanced technology. Contact the appropriate regional coordinator or Sabina Dhungana sabina.dhungana@usda.gov for more information.
Recent recipients are located at Wood Grants | US Forest Service (usda.gov).
Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance (WPIA) Grant Program - 2024/25 Application period is closed
The Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance provides funding may be used to provide support for facilities that purchase and process byproducts of ecosystem restoration projects. This includes applications to establish, reopen, retrofit, expand, or improve a sawmill or other wood-processing facility in close proximity to federal or Indian lands that need ecosystem restoration and will generate byproducts. The emphasis is on areas of unnaturally severe high fire or insect or disease infestation with high or very high priority for ecological restoration. Contact the appropriate regional coordinator or Adam Smith adam.smith5@usda.gov for more information.
Recent recipients are located at Wood Grants | US Forest Service (usda.gov).
Temporary Bridge Funding Opportunity Program (Updated July 12, 2024)
The intent of this funding opportunity is to support the establishment of temporary bridge rental/loan/cost-share programs with States and federally recognized Indian Tribes to protect water resources and reduce water quality degradation during forestry-related operations. The program is open and available for response with rolling applications due on April 27, 2024, August 30, 2024, and December 27, 2024. Funding decisions will be made within 30 days of the due dates. For more information, please contact Jeff High at jeffrey.c.high@usda.gov. More information and recent recipients are located at Temporary Water Crossing | US Forest Service (usda.gov).
Instructions – Temporary Bridge Funding Opportunity Instructions
Application – Please contact Jeff High at jeffrey.c.high@usda.gov
Success Stories
Wood Innovations Grants are making a difference across the country. From funding for advanced computer numerical control systems that can produce state-of-the-art prefabricated mass timber building materials, to renewable energy systems that run on wood chips, these grants are helping address critical issues like climate change and helping sustain local economies.
November 2024 - Biomass Transportation Incentive Pilot Overview (PDF, 416 KB)
October 2024 - Alaska Mill Implements Sustainable Young-Growth Lumber Processing (PDF, 538 KB)
October 2024 - Model for an All-Wood Building (PDF, 234 KB)
September 2024 - Firewood Banks: Meeting a Critical Need for Heating in Vulnerable Communities (PDF, 406 KB)
September 2024 - Mass Timber Takes Root in Iowa: A Story of Sustainable Construction (PDF, 225 KB)
August 2024 - Woody Biomass Briquettes: Strengthening Arizona's Economy, and Climate and Wildfire Resilience (PDF, 674 KB)
August 2024 - Woody Biomass Processing Mill Boosts Forest Health and Economic Growth (PDF, 426 KB)
August 2024 - Temporary Bridges Bring Lasting Benefits to Forest Ecosystems and Rural Communities (PDF, 723 KB)
August 2024 - Grants Save Lives on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska (PDF, 341 KB)
May 2024 - Producing Opportunity: New sawmill opens in the Sierra Nevadas
April 2024 - Building with Mass Timber Today for a Zero Net Carbon Future (PDF, 279 KB)
December 2023 - Lumber Drying Technology Helps Produce Mass Timber and Reduce Wild (347 KB)
December 2023 - Leveraging Existing Infrastructure for the Benefits of Biochar (PDF, 428 KB)
December 2023 - Sawmill Upgrade Increases Use of Fire-Salvaged Log (PDF, 644 KB)
December 2023 - Expanding Centuries-Old Interest in Eastern Hemlock (PDF, 256 KB)
November 2023 - Paper Mill’s Rebuilt Biomass Boiler Supports Jobs and Lower Emissions (PDF, 286 KB)
October 2023 - Converting Biomass to Biochar Delivers a More Sustainable Future (PDF, 486 KB)
October 2023 - Mass Timber Housing Realized Through Extraordinary Community- Centered Collaboration (PDF, 291 KB)
October 2023 - CLT from Small- Diameter Trees: One Localized Innovation, Multiple Solutions (PDF, 428 KB)
May 2023 - Supporting America’s Forests by Creating and Expanding Markets for Sustainable Wood Products and Wood Energy (PDF, 246 KB)
March 2023 - Expanding Forest Utilization Means Healthy Forests, Stronger Markets (PDF, 384 KB)
August 2022 - TimberLab and Fire-Safe CLT Exterior Walls (PDF, 2.34 MB)
June 2022 - The University of Arkansas Vision Grows Mass Timber Influence (PDF, 1.29 MB)
May 2022 - Fire Tests Lead to Code Changes Supporting Visible Mass Timber Use in Tall Buildings (PDF, 720 KB)
April 2022 - Blue Forest - Fighting Fire with Finance (PDF, 1.26 MB)
March 2022 - Blue Mountain Lumber Products Mill Upgrades Benefit Forest Restoration (PDF, 1.87 MB)
March 2022 - Northern Forests to Timber Cities: Connecting Dense Cities to Healthy Forests (PDF, 1.57 MB)
February 2022 - America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell Celebrates the Importance of U.S. Forests (PDF, 1.96 MB)
December 2021 - Woody Biomass Heating System Continues to Warm Students and Staff at Holderness (PDF, 2.53 MB)
October 2021 - Building a Worldwide Market for End Grain Wood from National Forest Service Lands (PDF, 1.84 MB)
October 2021 - University of Idaho Arena Charts a Future for Mass Timber(PDF, 2.31 MB)
September 2021 - Wood Energy Heats Up Alaska (PDF, 1.84 MB)
July 2021 - Biochar Initiative Sweeping Across the Great Plains (PDF, 2.58 MB)
July 2021 - U.S Biochar Initiative Is Building a Sustainable Future from the Soil Up (PDF, 2.55 MB)
July 2021 - Mass Timber Showcased in New Nez Perce Clearwater Forest Supervisor’s Office (PDF, 2.35 MB)
April 2021 - CNC Machines Putting Mass Timber on the Cutting Edge (PDF, 1.89 MB)
April 2021 - WoodWorks Makes It Easier to Design, Engineer, and Construct Commercial and Multifamily Wood Buildings (PDF, 1.52 MB)
April 2021 - Clemson University’s Wood Utilization + Design Institute (WU+D) (PDF, 3.52 MB)
April 2021 - Ampine Sustainable Particleboard Reduces Wildfire Risk (PDF, 1.38 MB)
April 2021 - Menominee Tribal Enterprises Increases Energy Independence and Reduces Carbon Footprint (PDF, 1.34 MB)
April 2021 - Gundersen Health System: Saving Energy and Breathing Easier (PDF, 1.53 MB)
March 2021 - Wood Innovations Team (PDF, 1.71 MB)
March 2021National Wood Energy Technical Assistance Team (PDF, 1.71 MB)
Building with Wood
The Forest Service is revolutionizing the United States building sector by supporting the introduction of mass timber products, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT). By building stronger markets for innovative new wood products, we are supporting sustainable forest management, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and putting rural America at the forefront of an emerging industry.
New building codes and 13 U.S. manufacturing facilities are operational to supply lumber-based and veneer-based cross-laminated timber (CLT) for institutional, commercial, and multi-family wood buildings.
Over 2,300 buildings have been constructed or are in design with mass timber. 289,000 architects, engineers and developers have been trained in wood structural design and mass timber construction.
Foundational Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) have been established to measure environmental benefits of wood construction as documented in the Wood Handbook.
Renewable Wood Energy
The Forest Service is committed to expanding renewable energy by promoting the use of ‘wood waste’ or ‘wood residues’ across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Wood energy creates local jobs in rural and urban areas along each stage of the supply chain. Above all, wood energy supports sustainable forest management, which helps reduce damage caused by uncharacteristic wildfires, insects, disease, and invasive species.
Wood energy can take many forms in both solid and liquid forms. Solid wood is often used to provide chips and pellets for heat, combined heat and power or electricity. Wood can also be used to produce liquid biofuels and biochemicals.
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