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USDA boosts wood processing facilities to curb rising wildfire risks

Posted on December 31, 2024 |

The USDA introduced the Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (TPEP) to support wood processing facilities in the U.S., partnering with USDA Rural Development and the USDA Forest Service.

The program focuses on processing wood from National Forest System lands to improve forest health, lower wildfire risks, and protect communities and infrastructure from pests and diseases.

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds the program, supporting efforts to strengthen infrastructure and boost economic growth.

USDA Rural Development and the Forest Service will offer $220 million in loan guarantees to help borrowers build, reopen, upgrade, or expand wood processing facilities, sawmills, and paper mills using trees from federal or Tribal lands.

The program plans to manage 20 million acres of national forests as part of the USDA Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy.

USDA Rural Development will begin accepting TPEP applications on December 26, 2024, with a maximum loan amount of $25 million per borrower.

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