Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced Oregon will be receiving a total of $4,170,737 to fund 2022 wood innovations and community wood grants. As Chairman of the Subcommittee that funds the Forest Service, Senator Merkley secured $20 million for these nationally-competitive grants in addition to $12 million provided in the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act. Oregon will be receiving approximately one-eighth of the $32 million national allocation. These grants are intended to expand the use of wood products, strengthen emerging wood markets, and support active management to improve forest health and resilience, especially in light of the ongoing nationwide wildfire crisis.
“We have been working hard to establish Oregon as a hub for mass timber products, using local timber and bolstering our forest products economy, and I am glad Oregon is being recognized as a leader in the industry,” said Senator Merkley. “Mass timber buildings have enormous potential to replace more carbon-intensive traditional construction in the fight against climate change, and to do so while supporting local timber jobs and driving the thinning projects that are so important to forest resiliency and preventing megafires. I look forward to seeing the impacts of these investment and how it will only strengthen the mass timber industry and the economy in Oregon and beyond.”
“This solid federal investment in Oregon clearly demonstrates how our state continues leading the way in modernizing wood products, generating jobs and economic opportunities in communities large and small,” Wyden said. “These innovations in Oregon’s signature timber industry help in the battle against wildfires and the climate crisis, as well as provide valuable new sources for building materials using responsible forestry practices that protect old trees. This is great news for Oregon, and I’ll keep fighting for similar investments that support mass timber in our state.”
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said 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.
Mt. Bachelor LLC in Bend, Oregon received the largest community wood project grant, and is one of 11 projects funded around the state.
Many of the funded projects will help reduce hazard trees that fuel catastrophic wildfires as envisioned in the new Forest Service 10 Year Strategy to Confront the Wildfire Crisis. These projects cover activities ranging from the development of district wood heating systems and small-scale sawmill operations in Western states, to the continued expansion of markets for mass timber, biochar, and other emerging wood products.
A list of projects and grants can be found below:
Bend
$1,500,000 — Showcasing Advanced Wood Energy at Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort
Hood River
$243,215 — Log Sorting and Optimization
John Day
$572,170 — Iron Triangle Wood Waste to Energy Project
Klamath Falls
$244,700 — Conversion of Post-Fire Charred Waste Woody Biomass to Sustainable Aviation Fuel & Renewable Diesel
Milwaukie
$250,000 —Milwaukie Courtyard Housing Project
Portland
$250,000 — Modular Mass Timber Skeleton System
$250,000 — PathHouse Modular Mass Timber Prototype
$250,000 — Restoration Wood, Building Projects with Positive Impacts
$249,918 — Design Development for a Forestry Experience Center building demonstrating new, scalable, prefabricated mass-timber components
$124,084 — A Regional Model for the All-Wood Building
Wallowa
$236,740 — Stacking Value: Connecting Forest Restoration, Biochar, Heat, and Carbon
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