Biden Administration announces $32 million to advance mass timber construction, expand wood markets

Atlanta, Texas -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced more than $32 million to fund 2022 wood innovations and community wood grants recently.

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.

Fourteen grants were awarded to recipients in the Southern Region. Thirteen wood innovation grants will assist in projects such as the expansion of biochar markets in Virginia and the mass timber reconstruction of a high-profile building at Clemson University.

In Laurinburg, N.C., a $1 million community wood grant will build upon integrated wood by-products value added system. A complete list of grants is available on the Forest Service Wood Innovations Program Website.

“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.”

Secretary Vilsack also said that funded projects align with President Biden’s Executive Order to advance racial equity and support underserved communities. In response to that direction, the USDA Forest Service is supporting the manufacturing base in rural, forest-based communities and funding equipment upgrades to reduce pollution and emissions.

In addition to the $32 million from the USDA Forest Service, the wood innovations and community wood grant programs leverage $93 million in partner funds, bringing the total to more than $125 million for 99 projects.

“We’re excited the grants include funds to help Tribes, state and local governments, and qualified non-profit organizations,” said Regional Forester Ken Arney. “The funds aid forest markets that are critical to us all as we work to develop and maintain healthy, resilient, and productive forests.”

Southern Region’s 2022 Wood Innovations Grants

• Forest to Building: Catalyzing the Building Language of the Wood Basket - Gainesville, Fla.
• Engage ESG Stakeholders to Gain Assurance of Sustainability in Support of All Private Working Forests and Domestic Wood Supply – Atlanta, Ga.
• Advancing the Awareness and Acceptance of Mass Timber in Georgia – Forsyth, Ga.
• Development and Distribution of Tools for Fast and Accurate cross laminated timber Engineering Design – Sandy Springs, Ga.
• Life cycle analysis of cross laminated timber: increasing awareness and utilization of wood products in the building community – Mississippi State University, Miss.
• Development of a Clemson University Mass Timber Structure Training Program – Clemson University, S.C.
• Mass Timber Reconstruction of a High-Profile Academic Building at Clemson University: Lehotsky Hall, Clemson University, S.C.
• ForesTrust: Product and Carbon Traceability Throughout the Wood Products Supply Chain – Greenville, S.C.
• Capturing carbon, reducing hazardous wood fuel, and creating jobs within the Wildland Urban Intersection – Memphis, Tenn.
• Full Circle Woodland Forestry a Circular Economic Project – Dripping Springs, Texas
• Accelerating Mass Timber Adoption with Standard-Format cross laminated timber – Lufkin, Texas
• Multistate effort to economically produce structural grade hardwood lumber – Blacksburg, Va.
• Expanding New Markets for Biochar Via Collaboration and Project Demonstrations – Charlottesville, Va.

 Southern Region’s 2022 Community Wood Grant

• Integrated Wood By-products Value Added System – Laurinburg, N.C.

More information on these projects and the program can be found on the Forest Service Wood Innovations Program webpage

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