USDA energy biomass retrieval incentives underway

Montana FSA

U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency Administrator Val Dolcini announced that FSA began accepting applications Tuesday from foresters and farmers seeking financial assistance to harvest and deliver biomass to generate clean energy. The support comes through the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, which was re-authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.

For 2015, USDA has reserved up to $11.5 million to assist with the cost of removing woody or herbaceous residues from farm fields or national forests and woodlands for delivery to energy generation facilities. A majority of the funds are expected to support the removal of dead or diseased trees from National Forest and Bureau of Land Management public lands. Orchard wastes, and agriculture residues such as corn cobs and stalks, also qualify as energy-producing feedstock.

“This program is particularly helpful in regions of the county suffering from drought, where the removal of dead or diseased forestry residues can reduce the threat of forest fires while generating renewable energy,” said Dolcini.

To be eligible for the retrieval incentives, the biomass must be delivered to FSA-approved biomass conversion facilities.  For a list of approved facilities, visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/bcap. The approved facility in Montana is F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber in Columbia Falls.

The Biomass Crop Assistance Program also provides financial assistance to farmers and ranchers who produce new sources of energy biomass by growing eligible crops on contract acres within approved BCAP project areas. Funding for this portion of the program, known as Project Areas, will be announced later this summer.  In addition, FSA is preparing an environmental review of BCAP and has proposed improvements to Project Area requirements, including crop eligibility, contract duration, and processes to offset the lack of biomass insurance. 

For more details on the environmental review, proposed changes to BCAP, and meeting locations, visit http://www.bcappeis.com, http://www.fsa.usda.gov/bcap or contact your local FSA county office. To find your local FSA county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.    

BCAP was reauthorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six 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 http://www.usda.gov/farmbill.