The Portable Infrastructure Projects Initiative provides infrastructure for on the ground forestry and fuels work to help Tribes harvest their Annual Allowable Cut (AAC), improve forest health, increase markets for Indian Forest Products, reduce wildfire risk, and support local Tribal communities through the creation of jobs.
This work reduces density in overstocked timber stands to create resilience against insect, disease, and the threat of wildfire.
Portable infrastructure such as fuelwood processors, portable sawmills, portable pelletizers, and chippers produce products such as firewood, wood pellets, dimensional lumber, and charcoal that can be used in Tribal communities or for biomass conversion projects.
Additionally, the Indian Energy Act amended the Tribal Forest Protection Act on December 18, 2018, to establish five Tribal Biomass Demonstration Projects each year, for a period of five years through December 2023. This increased funding that supports portable infrastructure provides the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Division of Forestry, and Tribes an opportunity to work with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to develop and implement biomass projects across Tribal and government boundaries to generate renewable energy.
Tribes will be notified by their region/agency when funding is available and project proposals are being accepted. The funding is non-recurring, so projects should be self-sustaining. However, Tribes may submit additional proposals in future years for project improvement or expansion. All project proposals are submitted to their region/agency for review. Their regions/agencies will then forward project proposals to BIA Forestry, Central Office.
Success Stories
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Cow Creek Sawmill
BIA funding was used for the initial sawmill purchase, and BIA later provided additional funding that is being used for phase one of the mill’s development.
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Nez Perce Tribe Forestry Land Operations
In the fall of 2018, the Nez Perce Tribe forestry program received funding from BIA supporting the acquisition of a self-loading log truck to help ensure economic viability in the transport of forest products from Tribal and ceded lands.
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Picuris Pueblo Portable Sawmill
The Picuris Pueblo Forestry Department received an award for BIA forestry funding in October 2018.
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Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Portable Sawmill
The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, Department of Natural Resources and Forestry program has made remarkable progress with the setup of a new Wood-Mizer LT50 production-model bandsaw mill.
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