The community wood grant program expands thermally-led community wood energy systems and innovative wood products manufacturing, improves forest health and stimulates local economies

TECH Woods USA, LLC received a $350,000 Project Grant award dated August 13, 2025, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Region 1 (Northern Region) under the Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Program (CFDA 10.708). The grant funds the installation of a biomass burner and development of a wood pellet production system at the Moldrup thermal wood processing facility in Montana. These systems will utilize wood byproducts and marginal timber sourced from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe's forest restoration and fuels reduction operations in the Mission Mountain Wilderness Area on the Flathead Reservation, converting waste materials into usable energy and innovative wood products.

The project aims to replace the facility's existing diesel boiler with an energy-efficient biomass heating system while establishing pellet production capabilities from wood processing residuals. By fully utilizing byproducts from marginal timber collected during tribal forestry management activities, the initiative supports forest health improvement, creates economic value for the tribal enterprise, and advances sustainable, zero-waste wood product manufacturing. The award provides funding through June 30, 2028, aligning with the program's objective to stimulate rural economies and support active forest management on tribal lands.

Activities to be funded include, but are not limited to, costs associated with the purchase and installation of wood energy systems and wood processing system upgrades at existing innovative wood products manufacturing facilities, and the development of new wood energy systems and wood products manufacturing facilities. The program stimulates rural economies, supports active forest management and creates and retains rural jobs. To reuse wood byproducts produced during wood processing operations as fuel for a biomass burner and to produce pellets to fuel the new moldrup thermal wood plant. The biomass burner, recommended would serve as new energy-efficient primary heat source for the facility. Pellets made would produced wood scraps will feed the moldrup plant currently operating on a diesel boiler. Fully utilizing all wood byproducts will increase the economic value of processing marginal wood collected by confederated salish and kootenai tribe forestry during fuels reduction operations in the tribally managed mission mountain wilderness area. The goal is to fully utilize wood byproducts from marginal timber obtained from confederated salish and kootenai tribe forest restoration and fuels management operations on tribal lands in the mission mountains of the flathead reservation. With the installation of the new moldrup plant for hydro thermal treatment of wood, funded through the grant is on track to produce innovative, affordable, locally-sourced, zero-waste, sustainable wood products from marginal timber collected by confederated salish and kootenai tribe forestry, united states forest service, and local contractors.