WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) applauds Senators Jeff Merkley (OR) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS) for taking bold action to address the wildfire crisis by introducing the bipartisan Wildfire Reduction Market Expansion Act.
An all hands, all lands approach to addressing severe wildfire must include the power of markets for the wood that needs to be removed from overstocked forests. This critical legislation makes a targeted fix to the definition of woody biomass in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), creating a needed market opportunity for low-value wood and mill residuals. By giving this material a productive use, the bill would help turn waste and dangerous fuel loads into feedstocks that support forest health, strengthen rural economies, and help meet growing demand for next-generation biofuels.
“Where the science tells us to thin our forests and remove hazardous fuels, markets for low-value wood help make those forest health treatments financially possible,” said Dave Tenny, President and CEO of the National Alliance of Forest Owners. “As paper mills continue to close and manufacturing capacity shifts overseas, too much low-value wood and mill residuals are being stranded without a market, making it harder for forest managers, mill operators, and loggers and haulers to maintain forest health, wildfire resilience, and rural economies. This bill from Senators Merkley and Hyde-Smith offers a practical solution that will help put that material to good use instead of leaving it to go up in smoke.”
Although wood was meant to be an eligible feedstock under the RFS, a flawed definition has prevented woody biomass from qualifying. This bill would remove that barrier and allow low-value wood, slash, thinnings, mill residuals, and other underutilized forest materials to participate in renewable fuel markets, including sustainable aviation fuel.
This bill comes at a critical time, unlocking new advanced biofuels markets for low-value wood. It would support practical forest health and wildfire-risk reduction work, while also creating a new outlet for material that is increasingly stranded. That means stronger sawmills, stronger forest-dependent communities, and a better chance of keeping American working forests working.
Since 2014, more than 35 pulp mills have closed, eliminating more than 50 million tons of annual low-value wood processing capacity across the United States. According to a recent extensive analysis, of the 86 remaining domestic pulp and paper mills that utilize low-value wood, 21 are at high-risk of imminent closure. Without new markets for this material, America’s forest economy risks another Rust Belt moment, with consequences for forest health, rural jobs, and the communities that depend on working forests.
NAFO appreciates the leadership of Senators Merkley and Hyde-Smith and looks forward to working with them and their colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers to ensure this critical bipartisan legislation becomes law.
###
The National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) is a national advocacy organization committed to advancing policies that ensure our working forests provide clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat and jobs through sustainable practices and strong markets. NAFO members own and sustainably manage 44 million acres of private working forests – forests that are managed to provide a steady supply of timber. NAFO’s membership also includes state and national associations representing tens of millions of additional forest acres. Private working forests in the U.S. support 3.9 million jobs and provide 90% of our timber harvest for wood and fiber.