“Forest lands play a critical role in providing clean water and a healthier climate for all Americans, and the USDA is committed to protecting and preserving this important resource from pests like the bark beetle,” said Vilsack. “These funds will help address the growing threat posed by the bark beetle to millions of acres of forests across the Western United States.”

The additional funding will be provided to the Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Region, where some of the most serious levels of infestation are located. Included in this total will be five million dollars of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding that the Forest Service has been using to reduce the threat of wildfires. Additional funds will also be directed to the other western Regions.

Today’s announcement will help make forests more resilient to climate change and protect and preserve them for future generations, key goals of the new vision for America’s forests outlined by Vilsack earlier this year. Bark beetle is in epidemic stages across the Rocky Mountain region. The impacts have been especially severe in the Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Region, where over 2.5 million acres have been affected. The epidemic has had a severe impact on forest health and has resulted in a dramatic increase in the danger of trees falling on roads, trails and recreation areas. In addition, these dead and dying trees greatly increase the risk of fire danger in the communities of the Rocky Mountain Region and elsewhere in forested areas of the United States.

“These funds will help the Forest Service address this significant public safety and forest health priority,” said Forest Service Chief Tidwell. “Employees of the Rocky Mountain Region and in other areas of the Forest Service will be able to make changes to their planned program of work in order to more aggressively focus on our Bark Beetle efforts.”

Chief Tidwell said the Forest Service will work closely with the Administration and Congress to assure the increased funding is directed to the bark beetle impacted areas as quickly as possible.

For Immediate Release
September 14, 2009

Contact:
Billy Merritt (720) 544-2887

USDA Farm Service Agency Announces Biomass Assistance Program
Eligible Facilities Should Begin Applying for BCAP Qualification Online

Lakewood, Colorado – Trudy Kareus, Executive Director for the Colorado USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) announces that biomass conversion facilities may now apply for qualification under the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). This program allows producers or owners of eligible material who sell to these facilities to apply for matching payments under the collection, harvest, storage and transportation (CHST) component of BCAP.

“BCAP will provide financial assistance to owners of eligible material who deliver the material to qualified biomass conversion facilities that use biomass to produce heat, power, biobased products or advanced biofuels,” said Kareus.

An eligible material owner may be eligible for a matching CHST payment for eligible material delivered to a qualified biomass conversion facility which will be paid at a rate of $1 for $1 per dry-ton equivalent received from a qualified biomass conversion facility, not to exceed $45 per dry-ton equivalent. An eligible material owner may receive payments for a period of two years. The purpose of the matching payments is to assist biomass producers with the CHST cost of delivering biomass to a qualified biomass conversion facility.

“For example, if a qualified biomass conversion facility pays a producer $30 per dry ton for biomass, the eligible material owner or producer would be able to apply for a matching payment of $30 per dry ton from FSA,” said Kareus.

An added benefit of BCAP is the reduction of fuel loads on forest and range lands that reduce the risks associated with wildfires and other natural disasters. Contractors who harvest the forest thinning on National Forest System land may be eligible to apply for a matching payment for those materials sold to a qualified biomass conversion facility; however, they must work with the Forest Service and comply with any rules, permits, or other guidance applicable to the National Forest System.

Biomass conversion facilities may become “qualified” by signing an Agreement with FSA state offices. The Agreement generally provides the framework that facilitates the making of CHST matching payments to eligible material owners or producers who plan to deliver biomass to that facility.

After a biomass conversion facility becomes “qualified” by signing an Agreement with FSA, eligible material owners or producers, who market eligible material to that biomass conversion facility, must apply for the CHST matching payment program at their nearest FSA county office before the eligible material is delivered. Eligible material owners must provide an agreement with the qualified biomass conversion facility as part of an application for a CHST matching payment.

After the product is delivered, a producer must provide FSA with documentation of product quantity, quality, and payment rate. County offices will validate payment requests information provided under the terms of the Agreement with the qualified biomass conversion facilities.

Interested biomass conversion facilities should contact the local County FSA at their nearest USDA Service Center and visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/energy to download the Agreement.

Refer to the attached FSI standards and specifications and the photos of recent thinning for more information on this practice; also be aware that we can reimburse for thinning that is not the typical tree plantation look, but can be more of clump thinning that looks more natural or aesthetically pleasing to some.

Contact the local NRCS office at 719-686-9405

District Conservationist: Leon Kot

Soil Conservation Technicians: John Segars and Jeremy Buss

Farm Bill Clerk: Kari Moore
treated ponderosa forest

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NRCS Forest Stand Improvement-specification

NRCS Forest Stand Improvement-standard

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