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Shaheen, Collins, Kelly Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Development of Sustainable Wood Products and Support Forest Products Industry

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) are reintroducing the Community Wood Facilities Assistance Act, bipartisan legislation that would make it easier to develop sustainable wood products and energy from biomass made from small-diameter timber left over from forest thinning projects, including projects that reduce the risk of wildfire. Repurposing wood waste is key to supporting innovation in the forest industry and creating new jobs while also helping businesses that repurpose the wood save money on energy costs and reduce emissions.  

“The forest products industry is crucial to the stewardship of the Granite State’s forests and fuels economic opportunity in our state’s rural communities,” said Senator Shaheen. “By strengthening the vital Community Wood Energy Innovations Grant program, our bipartisan legislation would both promote innovation in the forest products industry and help spur energy efficiency upgrades that help businesses save money.” 

“Throughout Maine’s history, the forest products industry has helped drive local economies and sustain rural communities. As our economy changes, this vital industry is evolving to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would make improvements to the Forest Service’s Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovations Grant Program, which helps to promote innovative uses for wood products.” 

“Thinning Arizona’s overgrown forests is key to preventing wildfires but too often, leftover wood is just burned in piles, polluting our air, endangering our foresters, and risking new fires. By backing facilities that turn this waste into energy or sustainable products, we can cut emissions, create jobs, and build stronger rural economies—while making our forests healthier and safer,” said Senator Kelly. 

The Community Wood Facilities Assistance Act would revise the U.S. Forest Service’s Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovations Grant Program by: 

  • Allowing grants to be used for the construction of new facilities, in addition to making improvements to existing facilities; 
  • Increasing the authorization from $25 million to $50 million; 
  • Increasing the maximum grant per facilities from $1 million to $5 million; 
  • Increasing the federal cost-share from 35 percent to 50 percent; 
  • Increasing maximum size for community wood energy systems eligible for grant funding from 5 megawatts to 15 megawatts; 
  • Change the program name to the Community Wood Facilities Grant Program to avoid confusion with the similarly named Wood Innovations Grant Program. 

The bill would revise the U.S. Forest Service’s Wood Innovations Grant Program by: 

  • Allowing grants to be used for the construction of new facilities, in addition to making improvements to existing facilities; 
  • Reduce the minimum non-federal cost-share from 50 percent to 33 percent. 

A companion bill was introduced in the House of Representatives in March by Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Dan Newhouse (WA-04). 

Senator Shaheen has long advocated for America’s forests and initiatives that would survey and repurpose biomass for clean energy initiatives. The Community Wood Facilities Assistance Act builds on Shaheen and Collins’ Community Wood Energy Innovation Act which was signed into law in the 2018 Farm Bill and expanded the Community Wood Energy Program to better incentivize investments in energy-efficient wood energy systems and facilities that repurpose low-grade, low-value wood that would otherwise be sent to landfills. 

Shaheen recently visited DCI Furniture in Lisbon, a family-owned furniture manufacturing company that is using Community Wood Grant program funding to install a new combined heat and power system that uses wood waste for fuel.  

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