(U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Forest Service) The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service today (February 18, 2026) announced up to $95 million in competitive grant funding through its Wood Innovations program for projects that advance innovative wood uses, expand wood-based
Forest Service
Back TO HOMEWhat New Federal Timber Directives Mean for Wood Processing, Bioenergy, and Domestic Feedstock Supply
by Bill Hagy (LEC Partners/Biofuels Digest) In early 2025, two federal actions signaled a notable shift in how the U.S. approaches forest management, timber production, and the utilization of restoration byproducts. While they don’t change market fundamentals overnight, they do
December 10, 2025 Read Full Article
Thriving Forests Rely on Thriving Forest Products — From Surfboards to Biofuels
by Andrew Avitt (USDA Forest Service/Defense Visual Information Distribution Service) ... “There is so much opportunity to connect markets with the wood that we need to remove from our forests, to contribute to local economies while also supporting healthy ecosystems,” said
September 15, 2025 Read Full Article
Secretary Rollins Opens Next Step in the Roadless Rule Rescission Public Comment DEADLINE September 19, 2025
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today (August 27, 2025) announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken the next step in the rulemaking process for rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule by opening a public
September 02, 2025 Read Full Article
USDA Invests $80 Million to Expand Timber Markets, Protect Forests, Fuel Economic Growth
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) Investments support rural jobs, forest health, wildfire mitigation and energy independence -- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today (July 17, 2025) announced the U.S. Forest Service is awarding $80 million in Wood Innovation Grants to spur wood products
August 01, 2025 Read Full Article
US Forest Service Funds Pellet, Biochar, Bioenergy Projects
by Erin Krueger (Biomass Magazine) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on July 17 announced the U.S. Forest Service is awarding $80 million in Wood Innovation Grants to spur wood products manufacturing, expand active forest management, and accelerate energy innovation. “The United
July 23, 2025 Read Full Article
The 2025 AFCC Global Biobased Economy Performance Award Winner Announced
(Alternative Fuels and Chemicals Coalition) This award is given to an organization or an individual in the organization in recognition for advancing our sector, achievements in advancing science, assisting, and taking appropriate measures for initiating the production, manufacture, and commercialization of
July 03, 2025 Read Full Article
First-ever National Forest Biomass Risk Assessment Receives Interim Approval
(U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities) National forests practice responsible forest management, legally source wood and show minimal risk in sustainable biomass sourcing. -- The first-ever Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) for National Forest System lands under the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has been completed
May 20, 2025 Read Full Article
USDA Announces Appointments to the Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program Advisory Council
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) Seating Members on Landmark Advisory Council Marks another Milestone in Implementation of Growing Climate Solutions Act -- Today (January 7, 2025), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the appointment of 36 members to serve on the newly
January 09, 2025 Read Full Article
USDA Awards Grant to Vermont Renewable Energy Project
(Investing.com) Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: CETY) has announced that its affiliate, Vermont Renewable Gas, LLC (VRG), is a recipient of a $1 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
October 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Strategic Biofuels Publishes “A Practical Guide to Forestry Feedstock Under the Renewable Fuel Standard” Following USDA Forest Service Grant
(Strategic Biofuels/Business Wire) First-of-its-kind, free resource helps identify woody biomass feedstock requirements to enable environmental credits generation and further the commercialization of forestry waste-derived renewable fuels -- Strategic Biofuels, a renewable fuels project development company, announced the publication of its free resource,
September 23, 2024 Read Full Article
US Forest Service Funds Bioenergy, Pellet And Biochar Projects
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The USDA’s Forest Service on May 14 awarded nearly $74 million to 171 projects through two grant programs that aim to create new markets for wood products and renewable energy from wood, and increase the capacity
May 15, 2024 Read Full Article
Vilsack Accepts Holmberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC, the United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, accepted the William C. Holmberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Bioeconomy and in his Holmberg Address said that “There’s a competition going on here. There
March 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Summit County, Utah BDO Zone Issued ‘A’ Rating for Woody Biomass
(Bioeconomy Development Opportunity Zone) Investment Grade Rating Expected to Drive Biomass Utilization -- Summit County and Ecostrat are pleased to announce the issue of the Summit County BDO Zone. The BDO Zone stretches across a 40-mile drive radius from Wanship, Utah and stands as the inaugural
December 01, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to the Role of Biomass in Forest Management
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Tule River Indian Reservation is 56,000 acres serving about 2,000 members drawn from Yokuts, Pauite, Mono, Tubatulabal tribes. Found on the foothills and western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, land uses include forestry, cattle ranching, and
December 01, 2023 Read Full Article
USDA Forest Service Proposes Rule to Facilitate Carbon Capture and Sequestration Permitting on National Forest Lands Public Comment DEADLINE January 2, 2024
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service today announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would allow the agency to consider proposals for potential carbon capture and sequestration projects on national forests and grasslands. This proposal
November 07, 2023 Read Full Article
Mote Kicks off Second Biomass to Hydrogen Project in Northern California
(Mote/Business Wire) The biomass-to-hydrogen startup is partnering with Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) to expand its operations to a second location supported by $1.2M in grants from the US Forest Service, the California Department of Conservation, and the California Department of
August 11, 2023 Read Full Article
Ag Policy Blog: USDA Unveils $300M Greenhouse Gas Measurement, Monitoring Plan
by Jerry Hagstrom (DTN Progressive Farmer) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will announce Wednesday that USDA will spend $300 million to improve measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration in climate-smart agriculture and forestry. The money will come from
July 12, 2023 Read Full Article
OMB Regulatory Agenda Outlines Upcoming CCS-Related Rulemakings
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The White House Office of Management and Budget on June 13 published its Spring 2023 Unified Agenda and Regulatory Plan, which shows several rulemakings related to carbon capture and storage (CCS) are underway by federal
June 15, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Currently Used and Future Potential of Biomass Resources in the US
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Billion Ton 23 update is coming. BETO needs a comprehensive biomass resource assessment that is end-use agnostic — for example, MSW and microalgae numbers in BT16 do not represent current BETO Analysis. There is
April 27, 2023 Read Full Article
Now Accepting Applications: Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance to Facilities that Purchase and Process Byproducts of Ecosystem Restoration Projects DEADLINE December 20, 2022
(U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service) Project funding may be used 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
November 23, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. Forest Service Awards Cooperative Agreement to Strategic Biofuels to Develop a Renewable Fuel Standard Compliance Tracking System
(Strategic Biofuels/Business Wire) Standardized requirements will be instrumental for environmental credits enabling commercialization of forestry waste-derived renewable fuels -- Today (October 12, 2022), the U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, awarded Strategic Biofuels a cooperative agreement under
October 13, 2022 Read Full Article
Vilsack’s Forest Service Memorandum Addresses Wood-Based SAF
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on June 23 issued a memorandum to the U.S. Forest Service directing the agency to take bold actions to restore forests, improve resilience, and address the climate crisis. The memorandum, in part,
June 29, 2022 Read Full Article
In the U.S. South, a Forestry Project Helps Black Families Keep Their Land
by Carey L. Biron (Reuters) ... Many of the families were poor but rich in land, offering an opportunity today for those who still own property, said Alton Perry, a former U.S. government forester who works as program manager with
June 09, 2021 Read Full Article
Aemetis Notified of US Forest Service Grant for Patented Process Enabling Use of Waste Wood for the ‘Carbon Zero’ Jet/Diesel Plant
(Aemetis/Globe Newswire) Finalizing Grant for “Valorizing Forest Waste for Cellulosic Ethanol Production” to Extract Sugars from Waste Forest and Orchard Wood Using Ionic Liquids Technology Licensed Exclusively to Aemetis from DOE-Funded Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) -- Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX), a
May 21, 2021 Read Full Article
USDA Forest Service Now Accepting Applications for Grant Programs Supporting Innovation in Wood Products and Wood Energy DEADLINES: January 20 and February 3, 2021
(U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service) The USDA Forest Service announced it is now accepting applications for approximately $10 million in funding through the 2021 Wood Innovations Grant and the 2021 Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Grant. These grants
October 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Moves to Open up Drilling in National Forests
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) ... Under draft rules to be published Tuesday, the U.S. Forest Service would be limited in its ability to conduct environmental reviews of drilling projects while oil and gas companies would not be required to
September 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Forest Service Grants License for Biomass Conversion Technology
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Forest Service announced in November its intent to grant a license for technology that can efficiently fractionate lignocellulosic biomass to a Canadian company, Whispering Green Energy. And that license has now been granted,
January 02, 2020 Read Full Article
NCFA: Carbon Stored in Forests Is Not Decreasing
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The North Carolina Forestry Association has spoken out to dispute a recent report released by the Center for Sustainable Economy and the Dogwood Alliance that claims that carbon stored in forests is decreasing. NCFA stresses it
September 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Eligibility Criteria for Tribal and Alaska Native Biomass Demonstration Projects Under the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act
(U.S. Forest Service) The Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2017 amends the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), to enter into contracts or agreements with Indian tribes, and, in Alaska,
April 18, 2019 Read Full Article
One Fish Model Study Leads to Three Wins for the Environment
by Tim Theiss (Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Department of Energy) Over the past two years, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have been modeling to understand the costs and benefits of
February 07, 2019 Read Full Article
US Forest Service Opens RFP for Wood Innovations Program DEADLINE: January 23, 2019
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Forest Service is seeking grant applications for its Wood Innovations Program, which aims to support projects that expand wood product and wood energy markets, reduce wildfire risk, and improve forest health. The Forest Service issued
October 31, 2018 Read Full Article
US Forest Service and Biomass: A Symbiotic Partnership
by Bob Cleaves (Biomass Power Association/Biomass Magazine) More than 100 million trees across California, many located in the federally managed Sierra, Stanislaus and Sequoia National Forests, are dead, owing to a years-long drought and a nasty bark beetle infestation. As many
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Survey Identifies More than 100 Million Dead Trees in California
(USDA/Biomass Magazine) The USDA recently announced that the U.S. Forest Service has identified an additional 36 million dead trees across California since its last aerial survey in May 2016. This brings the total number of dead trees since 2010 to
November 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Federal Agencies Moving Ahead to Reduce Climate Change Risks: Biofuels, Agriculture, and Forestry
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) A number of federal agency initiatives are already underway in the biofuels, agriculture, and forestry sectors to help mitigate climate change and adapt to it. In a posting July 2, Doug O’Brien, Acting Under Secretary of the