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GRANTS FROM HEALTHY FORESTS LAW
FUND OREGON BIOMASS PROJECTS
Wyden, Smith worked to fund projects using
smaller diameter wood from forests
June 2, 2005
Washington, DC – The U.S.
Forest Service (USFS) today announced more than $1 million in
grants to fund forest projects in Oregon, thanks to a provision
championed by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith
(R-Ore.) in the 2003 Healthy Forests Restoration Act. Section
201 of the law authorized $5 million annually until 2008 to improve
research and processing of smaller-diameter wood from forests,
to create commercial value from this woody debris for Oregon’s
forest-related businesses and communities. The grants announced
today are the first awarded under the Healthy Forests law.
“These biomass projects
will boost economic fortunes, fire safety and environmental protection
across Oregon’s forests and forest communities,” said
Wyden. “Creating commercial value for smaller-diameter wood
and woody debris helps Oregon businesses, aids in the completion
of hazardous fuels reduction projects and focuses more attention
on the environmental health of our state’s precious natural
resources.”
“Oregon’s mills
and timber towns should have an active role in protecting forests
from wildfire,” said Smith. “Nobody knows better than
Oregonians the value of defending our natural treasures, and to
realize economic opportunity while doing so is the best case scenario.”
Projects funded by the grants
will help Oregon businesses and other entities create more commercially
valuable products from small-diameter wood and woody debris harvested
from forests, by expanding their ability to use all parts of wood
and woody debris, by upgrading technology and equipment to process
more such biomass, and by ensuring a steady supply of small wood
and debris to businesses that wish to process it. The grants announced
by the USFS today were as follows:
- $250,000 to Wallowa Resources
to expand their post and pole manufacturing facility.
- $220,000 to the Central Oregon
Intergovernmental Council to keep a steady supply of small-diameter
wood and woody debris available from the USFS and the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) to partners including the Warm Springs Tribe
and M&L Logging. The funds will also pay for independent monitoring
to ensure that the project is carried out in an environmentally
responsible manner.
- $250,000 to Warm Springs Forest
Products to upgrade machinery and technology.
- $236,000 to M&L Enterprises.
These funds will help the Deschutes County mill retool machinery
to handle smaller-diameter wood and create additional commercially
products from that biomass.
- $220,000 to Dodge Logging.
These funds will help the Boardman, Ore. mill retool its machinery
to handle smaller-diameter wood and create additional commercially
products from that biomass.
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