Local mill seeks federal grant for kiln and biomass processing; committee approves letter of support

Presenters representing a local mill told the Kane County Resource Committee on April 15 that they are applying for federal funding to expand kiln and biomass-processing capacity to address beetle-infested and fire-damaged timber and to create local jobs.

The Presenter (S7) said the application is to the federal "wood in wood products infrastructure assistant program" and would fund a dry kiln and associated boiler to treat lumber for pests, revive a second idle mill and add a cogen system that could harness excess heat and sell power to Fredonia to help a projected 1-megawatt shortfall. "We're applying for a grant…to bolster the infrastructure of our mill," the Presenter said.

Why it matters: committee members said expanded local processing would remove hazardous fuel, reduce wildfire risk over time, and restore timber-related jobs. The Presenter estimated the upgrade could allow the operation to increase volume by roughly 300 percent by restarting a second mill and handling an additional 28,000–30,000 tons of residual biomass currently left in the forest.

Committee members asked about funding and timelines. The Presenter said the package would be assembled quickly for federal review and that the group hoped to submit by the 22nd after consultant review. The Presenter also described pending meetings with the Forest Service to restart timber sales in the White Sage burn area and asked the committee for letters of recommendation to strengthen the federal application.

Action taken: committee members moved to approve a letter of support to accompany the federal application. Committee member S2 made the motion; Meeting participant S4 seconded. Chair S1 called for a voice vote and the motion passed; the committee agreed to sign and forward the letter.

The committee and presenters emphasized that the project aims both to expand markets for heat-treated lumber and to remove post-fire fuels that contribute to large wildfire behavior. The Presenter said the mill lacks a local kiln and currently ships product out for heat treatment, and that adding a kiln would open building-material markets and create jobs.

Next steps: presenters plan to finalize the grant package, collect letters of recommendation and submit to federal reviewers; the committee will sign and send the approved letter of support.