USDA to Invest $23 Million to Boost Timber Production and Reduce Wildfire Risk

On Tuesday, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $23 million in grants to support transporting hazardous fuels—such as dead or downed trees—from national forests to processing facilities. Through the USDA Forest Service’s Hazardous Fuels Transportation Program, these grants will reduce the hazardous fuels that pose wildfire threats to communities, critical infrastructure, and recreation areas.

According to the announcement, this work directly supports President Trump’s executive order on increasing domestic timber production as well as Secretary Rollins’ direction to have the Forest Service ramp up active forest management on national forests to improve forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and support rural prosperity.

Unlike high-value wood, which is typically used in construction and furniture manufacturing, low-value wood has more limited applications, with fewer facilities able to process it into useful products like soil-enriching materials, renewable energy sources like electricity and heat, and sustainable construction solutions such as cross-laminated timber. The Hazardous Fuels Transportation Program aims to help businesses, non-profits, and state, local and tribal governments make use of the dead trees, fallen branches, and dense undergrowth which would go to waste or fuel catastrophic wildfires.

The Forest Service will accept applications through June 20. To expedite wildfire mitigation and forest restoration efforts, projects in areas covered by Emergency Situation Determinations will be prioritized in the selection process.