H.R. 2517: Community Wood Facilities Assistance Act of 2025

Overview

This bill, known as the Community Wood Facilities Assistance Act of 2025, aims to make several amendments to the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 and the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to improve support for community wood facilities across the United States.

Community Wood Facilities Grant Program

The bill revises the existing Community Wood Facilities Grant Program to enhance its scope and funding. Key changes include:

• Changing the title from "Energy and Wood Innovation" to "Facilities Grant" for clarity and focus.
• Modifying the definition of eligible materials to emphasize "primarily forest biomass," which includes processing or manufacturing activities related to wood products.
• Increasing the maximum grant award from $1.5 million to $5 million, allowing for larger projects that could have more significant impacts on local economies.
• Adjusting funding criteria to incorporate considerations of market competitiveness along with cost-effectiveness.
• Raising the energy output requirement for thermal energy systems from 5 megawatts to 15 megawatts, making it more feasible for larger projects to qualify for support.
• Doubling the funding authorization from $25 million to $50 million annually for the specified fiscal years from 2026 to 2030.

Wood Innovations Grant Program

The Wood Innovations Grant Program is also updated under this legislation. Changes include:

• Renaming the program section to reflect a broader scope with "Innovations."
• Focusing on expanding forest products manufacturing rather than simply incentivizing the use or retrofitting of existing milling operations.
• Specifying that 50 percent of the grant amount will be allocated to construction, use, or retrofitting projects aimed at advancing forest products manufacturing.

Goals of the Bill

The primary objectives of this bill are to facilitate the development of community wood facilities, promote the use of forest biomass in manufacturing processes, and boost economic opportunities in rural areas through increased funding and support for wood-related industries.

Relevant Companies

None found.