Community Wood Grant Program

Overview

• Type

  Grant

• Title

  Community Wood Grant Program

• Source

  U.S. Department of Agriculture - Forest Services under the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act

• Total Amount

  $15,000,000

• Number of Awards

  25

• Award Range

• Cost Share

  No

• Status

  Active

Topics

Agriculture

Climate

Resilience

Eligibility

• Audience

  Agriculture, Businesses, Education, Local Government, Nonprofits, State Agencies, Tribes, Utilities

• Sector

  Agriculture, Climate, Resilience

• Eligibility

  Eligible Entities

  • Not-for-profit organizations
  • Local, state, and tribal governments
  • Higher education institutions
  • Businesses, companies, corporations (for profit)
  • Indian tribes
  • Special purpose districts (e.g. public utilities districts, fire districts, school districts,
  conservation districts and ports)

  Eligible Activities

  Preference will be given to projects that:
  • Will aid forest restoration.
  • Are located where markets are needed for low-value or low-quality wood.
  • Use or retrofit existing sawmill facilities located in areas of high unemployment.
  • Use the most stringent control technology that has been required or achieved in practice for a wood-fired boiler and will operate in a location with limited access to natural gas pipelines.
  • Note: Projects that satisfy one or more of the above priorities will be more competitive. However, projects that do not address any of the priorities can still be competitive. For example, a project using wood residues to offset natural gas for heating can still be highly competitive even if it is located where there is an abundance of natural gas.
  • Proposals incorporating commercially proven technologies will be most competitive.

  This program supports agency priorities to reduce commodity loss to wildfire, increase timber production, retain American energy production, and expand rural economies.

• Location

  National

Application Process

• Application Link

  Apply Now

• Pre-Application?

  No

• Requirements

  The maximum for each award is $1 million to pay for up to 35% of total capital costs; however, the Forest Service may award up to $1.5 million or for up to 50% of the total capital costs only for a proposal that warrants special consideration, such as a project located in an area of high unemployment, adds critical forest products manufacturing infrastructure, advances forest management priorities, etc.

  Applicants seeking special consideration must obtain prior approval from a Forest Service Regional Coordinator before submitting a proposal.

  Matching funds are not required; however, leveraging is required. Applicants must contribute the additional funds (leveraged funds) necessary to complete the project above and beyond the requested Forest Service funding. For example: if an applicant requests Forest Service funding for 35% of the total capital costs of the project, then the applicant must provide 65% of the total capital costs of the project. In this example, the 65% of the total capital costs are considered the
  required leveraged funds.

• Disbursement Method

  Unspecified

Important Dates

• Application Open Date

  Feb 18, 2026

• Application Close Date

  Apr 22, 2026

Resources & Contacts

• Contact

  Alex Kazer (Wood Innovations Specialist)
  robert.kazer@usda.gov

  Forest Service Region 6 (Pacific Northwest Region: OR & WA)
  Adrian Kiser
  adrian.kiser@usda.gov

  Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with their designated Coordinator to determine whether a project will be competitive, and to help develop proposals that conform to requirements and respond to grant program goals and objectives.

• Resources

  Wood Innovations | US Forest Service
  FY26 FS NOFO Community Wood.docx | Powered by Box