A project to improve and expand a boiler heating capacity to a more efficiently heat for hardwood lumber facilities, kilns, and walnut steamer

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service awarded Deer Park Lumber, Inc. a Project Grant of $236,792 under the Wood Utilization Assistance program (CFDA 10.674) on November 12, 2025, with a completion date of December 31, 2026. The funding supports the upgrade and expansion of the company's boiler heating capacity to more efficiently heat hardwood lumber facilities, kilns, and walnut steamer operations. This infrastructure improvement project enhances the boiler's performance, reliability, and longevity to support the facility's operational requirements.

The project aligns with the Wood Innovations program's core objective of promoting sustainable forest management and waste reduction by enabling the utilization of low-value wood and forest residues that would otherwise remain underutilized or discarded. By upgrading to a more efficient wood energy system, Deer Park Lumber will create value-added markets for forest materials while supporting hazardous fuel reduction and forest health objectives. The award is structured as a merit-based Project Grant, typical within the Wood Utilization Assistance portfolio, which historically has funded comparable wood energy infrastructure projects ranging from $500,000 to $850,000, making this award a smaller-scale equipment and systems enhancement.

This project involves upgrading the existing boiler to enhance the boiler's performance, reliability, and longevity, to support operational needs for promoting the use of low value wood and forest residues creating value added markets for wood that would remain underutilized or discarded and promoting a healthier forest and reducing waste.