1. Wood Education & Resource Center Update Ed Cesa NAASF Forest Utilization Committee Meeting Syracuse, NY June 6, 2017

2. Wood Innovations Funding
WERC Update:
Staff
Physical Facilities
Wood Innovations Funding
Webcasts

3. WERC Staff Lew McCreery, Acting Director & Biomass Coordinator
Al Steele, half time with WERC
Ed Cesa, Deputy Director & Grants Coordinator
Debbie Hawkins, Office Manager
Nathan Delimont, Maintenance/Physical Facility Manager
WERC Director position is currently vacant

4. Wood Education and Resource Center
Main (left)
Training Annex (center)
Rough Mill (right)

5. WERC Physical Facilities
October 2016 – six Northern Research Station employees moved into WERC administrative building
Two Natural Resources Conservation Service employees may move into WERC
Rough Mill
- available for leasing
- excessed older, out-of-date equipment thru Government Services Administration (GSA) auctions

6. Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity
WERC manages the following activities for the Wood Innovation Funding Opportunity:
- website content and information
- manage technical evaluation process
- electronic synopses of funded projects
Work closely with Washington Office and Regional Coordinators

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9. Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity
Goals of the Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity are:
Reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health on National Forest System and other forest lands
Reduce costs of forest management on all land types
Promote economic and environmental health of communities

10. Fire Direction Thinned Homes
Julie Tucker, National Lead for Renewable Wood Energy
U.S. Forest Service

11. Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity
Funding is awarded in two categories:
Grant Category 1: Expansion of Wood Energy Markets and Wood Energy Products:
- Stimulate, expand, or support wood energy markets that
depend on forest residues or forest byproducts.
- Complete key requirements (engineering designs, cost analyses, & permitting) necessary in the later stages of wood energy project development to secure funding.
Grant Category 2: Expansion of Wood Products Markets:
- Promote markets that create or expand the demand for non-energy based wood.

13. Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity
FY2017 Process
- 114 proposals received
- 38 proposals funded
- $8.3 million FS funds, $37 million match
- 26 wood products markets related
* 13 related to CLT-mass timber
- 12 wood energy related
* Evaluation Process – includes representation from the three state foresters’ “regional utilization committees”

14. Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity
Web site demonstration

15. WERC Webcasts Webcasts - State Wood Energy Teams Webcast
January & July, 4th Wednesday
- Urban Wood Utilization Webcast
April & October, 2nd Tuesday
- Will be initiating State Wood Innovation Teams webcasts in June or July

16. Questions