[More taxpayer money funding private corporations to log National Forests under the unscientific guise of "wildfire prevention." -Ed.]
- US Department of Agriculture, July 23, 2014, Office of Communications
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"234","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","style":"width: 333px; height: 167px; margin: 3px 10px; float: left;"}}]]Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has selected 36 energy facilities in 14 states to accept biomass deliveries supported by the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), which was authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. Biomass owners who supply these facilities may qualify for BCAP delivery assistance starting July 28, 2014.
Of the total $25 million per year authorized for BCAP, up to 50 percent ($12.5 million) is available each year to assist biomass owners with the cost of delivery of agricultural or forest residues for energy generation. Some BCAP payments will target the removal of dead or diseased trees from National Forests and Bureau of Land Management public lands for renewable energy, which reduces the risk of forest fire.
"This program generates clean energy from biomass, reduces the threat of fires by removing dead or diseased trees from public forest lands, and invests in rural businesses and new energy markets," said Vilsack. "The fires we are seeing right now in the west underscore the need for forest restoration and fire prevention. Pairing this effort with forest restoration on public lands will help guard against these fires while promoting economic opportunity for rural communities."
Farmers, ranchers or foresters who harvest and deliver forest or agricultural residues to a BCAP-qualified energy facility may be eligible for financial assistance for deliveries. The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), which administers BCAP, will begin accepting applications from biomass owners from July 28 through Aug. 25. Deliveries of residues for approved contracts may be made through Sept. 26, 2014.
The 36 BCAP energy facilities are:
Arizona
Novo BioPower LLC (f/k/a Snowflake White Mountain Power)
Forest Energy Corporation
California
Burney Forest Power
Pacific Ultrapower-Chinese Station
HL(Honey Lake) Power Company
Rio Bravo Rocklin
Collins Pine Company
Thermal Energy Development Partnership, LP
Covanta Delano Inc.
Covanta Mendota L.P.
Sierra Pacific Industries - Sonora
Sierra Pacific Industries - Burney Division
Sierra Pacific Industries - Quincy Division
Sierra Pacific Industries - Lincoln
Roseburg Forest Products
Colorado
Eagle Valley Clean Energy, LLC
Idaho
Clearwater Paper Corporation
Basic American Foods
Kansas
Abengoa
Michigan
Hillman Power Company LLC
Minnesota
Minnesota Power – Hibbard Renewable Energy Center
Minnesota Power – Rapid Energy Center
Missouri
Enginuity
Montana
Eureka Pellet Mills Inc.
F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co.
Nebraska
Chadron State College
New Mexico
Mt. Taylor Machine LLC
Oregon
Biomass One LP
Interfor Pacific Inc., Gilchrist Division
Ochoco Lumber dba Malheur Lumber
Roseburg Forest Products
Seneca Sustainable Energy, LLC
South Carolina
Council Energy Inc.
Allendale Biomass LLC
Dorchester Biomass, LLC
Washington
Boise White Paper
Visit www.fsa.usda.gov/bcap or a local FSA county office to learn more about BCAP.
BCAP was reauthorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.