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The USDA Forest Service’s May 14, 2024 announcement reported nearly $74 million for 171 project proposals across 41 states and American Samoa. The awards were grants—not prizes in a judged competition—and were grouped under the Wood Innovations Grants, Community Wood Grants and Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Grants.
Which grant programs were included?
The May 14 announcement grouped the awards into three Forest Service programs. Their names identify the broad areas supported; the announcement does not establish that project amounts or requirements are directly comparable across programs.
- Wood Innovations Grants
- Community Wood Grants
- Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Grants
The Forest Service presented these investments as a way to develop markets for sustainably sourced wood and renewable wood energy and to increase wood-processing capacity. USDA also described rural economic opportunity as an aim. Those statements describe program intent, not independently demonstrated outcomes. Southern Group of State Foresters’ May 14, 2024 award announcement; USDA radio item, May 31, 2024.
How much funding and how many projects were announced?
The May 14 announcement reported nearly $74 million for 171 project proposals in 41 states and American Samoa. It said awards went to public, private and nonprofit entities. These are the announcement’s reported totals and geographic scope. Southern Group of State Foresters, May 14, 2024.
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What kinds of projects received funding?
The funded proposals covered construction, wood energy and processing infrastructure, among other wood-product uses:
- Mass timber and housing: innovative mass-timber housing projects.
- Wood energy: conversions of school heating systems to sustainable biomass boilers.
- Processing infrastructure: sawmill and wood-processing equipment intended to improve efficiency.
- Other wood products: projects involving biochar production and thermally modified lumber.
These examples illustrate the range in the announcement; they should not be read as a complete inventory or as evidence that every project achieved its intended result. Award announcement project descriptions.
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Why does another FY2024 list report 162 awards?
A 2024 U.S. Government Publishing Office hearing attachment reports 162 awards totaling $62,659,333. Its stated focus is projects supporting sawmills and other wood-processing facilities from FY2024 funding notices, and it draws from the same three programs. The May 14 announcement, by contrast, reports 171 proposals and nearly $74 million across its award announcement. The sources do not establish that the attachment and announcement have identical scope or accounting, so the totals should be kept separate rather than combined or treated as a correction. U.S. Government Publishing Office hearing attachment, FY2024 award list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How can readers check individual project records?
The Forest Service project-search portal offers filters for state, fiscal year, project type and keyword. However, the portal page says its database was last updated February 13, 2022, so it cannot establish a complete, current list of 2024 recipients or the present status of their projects. Forest Service project-search portal.
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