Tiny wood particles can have a big benefit
Research at the Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory is finding new and innovative ways to transform these materials into nanocellulose products. From strengthening cement to extending shelf life of food, the lab is turning forest byproducts into high-performance materials of tomorrow. (Forest Service video)Forest thinning keeps forests healthier and reduces the risk of catastrophic…
#Science, #Research, #Innovation, #WoodInnovations, #TreeScience, #Cellulose
Making wood less tasty to pests
From wood walls to fence posts, we enjoy the benefits of wood products. But there are insects and fungi who enjoy it for another purpose – as dinner.The Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory scientists test wood products for resistance to fungal decay and insect damage.One of their big projects is testing chemical treatments for military wood packaging boxes. These boxes must withstand two…
#ForestProducts, #ForestProductsLaboratory, #Science, #ResearchAndDevelopment, #WoodInnovations, #Wood
Forest power: woodchips to electricity
Mackenzie Castruita the Business Manager for West Biofuels explains some of the innerworkings at the Hat Creek Bioenergy facility in Burney, California and how public lands and partners are coming together to power a community. (Forest Service video by Andrew Avitt)Editor’s note: In 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service awarded $80 million in Wood Innovation Grants to support…
#Biofuel, #Biomass, #WoodInnovations, #Technology
Scaling up mass timber: Closing gaps, fueling innovation
Mass timber is transforming how America builds—but supply hasn’t kept pace with demand. A gap in domestic manufacturing has slowed widespread adoption, leaving many developers with few options beyond overseas suppliers or traditional steel and concrete.Through strategic support from the USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations Program, the Forest Service is helping close that gap—boosting U.S.…
#CrossLaminatedTimber, #Timber, #WoodProducts, #WoodInnovations
Wood is good
Wood is a renewable resource with countless uses, and sustainably harvesting wood to make wood products is good for the health of forests and local economies. The Forest Service's Wood Innovations grants are investing in wood products economies nationwide. Freres Engineered Wood, a Wood Innovations grant recipient and a company based in Oregon's Santiam Canyon, uses sustainably sourced wood from…
#Grants, sustainable forestry, #WoodInnovations, #WoodProducts
Forest products of the future
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Bags of firewood are lined up on the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California timber yard in Gardnerville, Nevada. The tribe delivers the firewood to tribal elders and those in need across the state. Thanks to a USDA Forest Service Wood Products…