On April 12, the House Agriculture Committee released its first mark of the H.R. 2, Agriculture & Nutrition Act of 2018 bill text. This mark-up calls for $25 million per year for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 for the Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Program. Grants would cover up to 35% of the capital costs for installing a community wood energy system or building an innovative wood product facility and individual grants would not exceed $1 million, $1.5 million for special circumstances. The $25 million annual allocation places a limit of 25% ($5 million) of funds to Innovative Wood Products Facilities, with the bulk of funds going to Community Wood Energy Systems.
BTEC has been advocating for the expansion of the Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Program over the past year. While this is a major legislative development for our industry, the $25 million is authorized to be appropriated. BTEC will continue to push Congress to appropriate the funds and track the 2018 Farm Bill as it develops in the coming months.
Read the Bill Text here >> (Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Program, SEC. 9013, can be found on pages 475-480)
BTEC has signed a letter of support with its Forest in the Farm Bill Coalition partners and submitted it to House Committee on Agriculture’s Chairman Michael Conaway and Ranking member Collin Peterson. Read the letter here >>