Dear Colleagues,
CAL FIRE's Wood Products and Bioenergy Program is seeking projects that support the creation of a robust and diversified wood products market to help meet California's forest resilience goals.
The program will fund up to $24 million in grants that will help maintain and enhance the forestry sector of California to promote healthy resilient forests throughout the State. Grant projects shall reduce GHG emissions, strengthen the economy, and improve public health. Grants will create financial incentives for industries to invest in clean technologies, develop innovative ways to process wood products, and support the growth of a strong forest sector workforce.
Wood Products has four primary areas of responsibility, including existing and emerging technologies:
1. Facilities development, including solid wood and biomass processing and manufacturing, and tree nurseries
2. Bioenergy, including forest bio-material power generation and biofuels for domestic use and export
3. Forest-related workforce development at all levels including in-woods, transportation and manufacturing
4. Research and development that is ancillary to forest-related business and workforce development.
Two project types are eligible for grant funding: business development and workforce development.
- Business development proposals may be submitted by an organization whose operations have the potential to support forest restoration and/or wood products infrastructure in California will be considered.
- Applicants seeking to increase California's workforce capacity in the fields of logging, fuels treatment, forest sector transportation, forest sector manufacturing, or other forest sector support services are eligible to apply for workforce development funding.
Research and development proposals for both business and workforce development will also be considered. Projects may include planning, organizational and business capacity-building, and workforce and infrastructure development as components of proposed projects.
Eligible businesses include facilities, operations, and professional services that support the restoration of healthy, resilient forests. Some grants are available specifically for nurseries to grow native California tree seedlings. Entities eligible for workforce development project grants include universities, colleges, government and community organizations, and businesses that aim to increase workforce capacity in the fields of fuels treatment, logging, transportation, prescribed fire, manufacturing and other support services.
For those interested in applying, please review the full application requirements, Business and Workforce Development Grant Guidelines.
Please also consider joining the Wood Products Team on Wednesday, January 26th for a virtual workshop to learn more about this grant opportunity.
This virtual workshop will include information on the following:
- Project Eligibility
- Match Requirements
- Application Scoring
- Application Process and Timeline
- Q & A
- Current Forest Health Program Solicitation
The virtual workshop will be recorded and posted to the Wood Products webpage for later viewing. No registration required.
Workshop Information:
Date: January 26, 2022
Time: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. PST
Applications must be submitted at following link: https://gn.ecivis.com/GO/gn_redir/T/121l9p6coa14p
Proposals will be reviewed and awarded quarterly (e.g. Applicants that apply by June 30 will be notified on or before September 30).
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)