The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will award 11 states $2.5 million in grants to develop wood energy teams. An additional $1.25 million will be awarded to nine wood energy projects to be carried-out in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Texas, California, Oregon and Washington.
The Forest Service will partner with private, state and federal organizations to stimulate the development of additional wood energy projects in their states. Activities may include workshops that provide technical, financial and environmental information, preliminary engineering assessments and community outreach needed to support development of wood energy projects, according to USDA.
Wood-to-Energy projects will use woody material from National Forest System lands, such as beetle-killed trees, to improve forest health and aid in wildfire prevention.
For more information on the projects funded by the Forest Service, visit the Statewide Wood Energy Teams (SWET) and Wood to Energy Grant Recipients page.