Forest Products Conservation and Recycling (FPC&R)

Helping communities and businesses find new and expanded business opportunities based on forest resources, wood recycling, and value-added processing

The USDA Forest Service's FPC&R program supports technical specialists in Forest Service Regional Offices, the Wood Education Resource Center, the Wood in Transportation program, and the FPC&R Technology Marketing Unit (TMU) at the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, WI.

Specialists assist State Foresters, communities, and businesses in encouraging and facilitating the wise, efficient use of forest resources; enhancing economic development; and stimulating better stewardship. Technical and marketing assistance are provided to increase economic opportunities through market and community development; reduce the environmental impact of harvesting and processing forest products; improve the use of wood wastes and residues; extend the useful life of forest products; and improve understanding of forest resource values.

Project Examples

• The TMU at the Forest Products Laboratory helped the Darby (MT) School District switch from fuel oil to a renewable energy heating system. TMU provided the technical expertise that evaluated the economic and engineering feasibility of converting the existing fuel oil heating system to wood chips. The school system will save over $30,000 in fuel costs each year. The wood chips come from hazard fuel reduction activities.
• The TMU provided financial and technical assistance to the town of Westcliffe, CO, to build a 32x64-foot park pavilion from small-diameter roundwood removed by forest fuel reduction activities. The pavilion was built to encourage creative uses for small-diameter (3- to 6-inch) roundwood and provide a large public gathering place within the community.
• See the Wood In Transportation Program entry elsewhere in this directory.
• Technical Assistance Providers have helped improve the productivity and effectiveness of several sawmills in various geographical regions. The technical specialists have advanced skills in forest products sawmilling, drying, preservation, biomass energy, value-added forest products, and special forest products.

Application and Financial Information
Financial assistance is not provided by FPC&R. However, FPC&R activities are often associated with state- or community-based projects funded by other Forest Service Economic Action Programs.

Eligibility, Uses, and Restrictions
Any individual, business, or public entity is eligible to receive technical assistance within the scope of the program. This program provides technical information, advice, and related assistance to forest resource operators, forest resource professionals, public agencies, private forest landowners and managers, vendors, and other individuals to enable them to manage forest resources and products more effectively. Activities include processing and marketing of timber and other forest resources; marketing and using wood and wood products; and converting wood to energy for domestic, industrial, municipal, and other uses.

Contact
Contact the regional office of the Forest Service nearest you. The offices are located at:
www.fs.fed.us/cooperativeforestry/programs/eap/eap_regions.shtml

Or contact the Forest Products Laboratory at:
Susan LeVan-Green, Program Manager
USDA Forest Service
Forest Products Laboratory, Technology
Marketing Unit
One Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, WI 53726-2398
Phone: (608) 231-9518
E-mail: slevan@fs.fed.us

Internet
www.fs.fed.us/cooperativeforestry/programs/eap
www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu