The USDA Forest Service is announcing the availability of up to $1 2. 5 million in funding to provide financial assistance to facilities that purchase and process byproducts from ecosystem restoration projects from federal or Indian lands in areas at risk of unnaturally severe wildfire or insect and

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disease infestation.

The intent is to substantially decrease the cost of conducting restoration projects involving vegetation removal on federal or Indian lands.

These byproducts could include the trees and woody biomass harvested through timber sales, thinning, hazardous fuels reduction treatments, or other restoration management activities.Funding priority will be to provide financial assistance to an entity seeking to establish, reopen, retrofit, expand, or improve a sawmill or other wood-processing facility that will utilize the byproducts from projects on federal land of Indian land that have been identified as at risk for fire, insect, or disease and a high priority for ecological restoration.

To be eligible for funding, the project facility must be in close proximity to federal or Indian lands and procure raw materials from federal or Indian lands.

Successful applicants will address how financial support will enable increased utilization of byproducts from ecosystem restoration projects on federal or Indian lands that are in close proximity to a wood products processing facility or bioenergy facility and how this assistance will help reduce restoration costs.The grants and agreements awarded under this announcement will support the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Pub.

L.

117-58 (11/15/2021), Sec.

40804(b) 3.