2010 Hazardous Fuels Woody Biomass Utilization Restoration Activities on All Priority Forestlands

Federal Register Announcement Request for Proposal

To address the goals of Public Law 110-234, Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, Rural Revitalization Technologies (7 U.S.C. 6601), and the anticipated Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act of 2010, at least $4 million and possibly more is available for grants that address the nationwide challenge in dealing with low-valued material removed from hazardous fuel reduction activities on both public and private lands. Submission of an application is required for a grant that will be not less than $50,000 or more than $350,000 each.

The hazardous fuels woody biomass utilization grant program is intended to help improve forest restoration activities by using and creating markets for low-valued material and woody biomass removed from forest restoration activities on both public and private forestlands. These funds are targeted to help communities, entrepreneurs, and others turn residues from hazardous fuel reduction and forest health activities into marketable forest products and/or energy products.

For 2010, the Hazardous Fuels Woody Biomass Utilization Grant program will spend half of the available funding on Forest Service National Forests that are deemed by the Forest Service to be of high priority for hazardous fuels reduction and woody biomass utilization as highlighted in the map. These Forest Service priorities are based on historical high suppression costs, as well as high fire probability coupled with high housing density. All National Forests and private forestlands are eligible for the other half of the funding.