State & Private Forestry Technology Marketing Unit
	The Technology Marketing Unit provides technical assistance for improving utilization and marketing of forest products.

2009 Woody Biomass Grants
Forest Restoration Activities on National Forest System Lands

Federal Register Announcement Request for Proposal

To meet the shared goals of Public Law 109-58 the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the anticipated Public Law governing the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act of 2009, at least $4 million are available* for grants that address the nationwide challenge in dealing with low-valued material removed from hazardous fuel reduction activities, restoration of insect and diseased conditions or catastrophic weather events. Submission of an application is required for a grant that will be not less than $50,000 or more than $250,000 each.

The woody biomass utilization grant program is intended to help improve forest restoration activities by using and creating markets for small-diameter material and low-valued trees removed from forest restoration activities, such as reducing hazardous fuels, handling insect and diseased conditions, or treating forestlands impacted by catastrophic weather events. These funds are targeted to help communities, entrepreneurs, and others turn residues from forest restoration activities into marketable forest products and/or energy products.

Goals of the grant program are the following:

• Help reduce forest management costs by increasing value of biomass and other forest products generated from forest restoration activities.
• Create incentives and/or reduce business risk for increased use of biomass from national forestlands (must include National Forest System lands, however, may also include other lands such as, BLM, Tribal, State, local, and private).
• Institute projects that target and help remove economic and market barriers to using small-diameter trees and woody biomass.
• Help generate renewable energy from woody biomass, including the use of new technologies.
• Build industry infrastructure around national forestlands where no or limited industry infrastructure exists.
• Expand working relationships between local forest products businesses and Forest Service offices.

 *Note: Funds are presently not available for this grant program. The Government’s obligation under this program is contingent upon the availability of 2009 appropriated funds from which payment for grant purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of the Government for any payment may arise until funds are made available to the Grants Officer for this program, and until the Cooperator receives notice of such availability, to be confirmed in writing by the Grants Officer.

For technical questions, contact Susan L. LeVan-Green, Program Manager, Technology Marketing Unit, Forest Products Laboratory, by phone (608–231–9504) or e-mail (slevan@fs.fed.us).

 For general questions, contact Linda Richter, Forest Products Laboratory, by phone (608–231–9504) or e-mail (lrichter@fs.fed.us).