This project will purchase portable steel bridges

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation received a $500,000 Project Grant award dated July 22, 2025, under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Temporary Bridge Program (CFDA 10.721), administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The grant funds the purchase of portable steel bridges designed to support forest management operations across Massachusetts through a rental program model. These temporary water crossing structures will be made available to loggers and timber contractors on either a fee-based rental, no-cost rental, or rent-to-own basis.

The portable steel bridges serve multiple strategic objectives within the grant's scope: minimizing stream bed disturbance and environmental impact during timber harvesting and forest management activities; reducing financial burden on loggers and timber buyers to maintain the competitiveness and viability of forest management projects; facilitating rehabilitation and recovery of forest areas by protecting critical stream and riparian resources; and establishing emergency access capabilities for incident response personnel during infrastructure failures affecting roads, bridges, and culverts. The award period extends through October 31, 2027, allowing for full acquisition, deployment, and operational establishment of the rental program infrastructure.

The intended uses of the steel bridges purchased with this grant are to reduce the impact of forest management operations, speed rehabilitation and recovery, and minimize disturbances to streams and other critical resource areas. Ensure that forest management projects do not become financially burdensome by passing off the additional bridge requirements to loggers and timber buyers. Forest management projects need to remain attractive and competitive. Provide a means of emergency access for incident response personnel. The steel bridges will allow the movement of emergency response equipment into and out of impacted areas in the event of a failure in critical infrastructure, such as road, bridge, culvert, etcetera.