Federal Support of Mass Timber and Low Embodied Carbon Materials

Credit: The Canyons, Kaiser + Path

Photo Credit: Marcus Kauffman

Lots of good timber news coming out this week, but I will start with this.

The federal government is investing heavily in mass timber as both a climate and social solution through the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, awarding the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition a $41.4M grant to accelerate affordable housing production, provide good jobs, and restore forest health. I am particularly excited about the use of timber coming from restoration forestry projects to reduce wildfire risks in our forests. Check out more details on the U.S. Economic Development Administration website linked below. Emily Dawson, Taylor Cabot, Jennifer Dillan, MRED, Celeste Whorton and I even make a photo appearance at 1:17 in the pitch video, sitting on one of our panels for The Canyons in Portland during construction at Kaiser + Path!

This is in addition to the $350M allocated in the Inflation Reduction Act specifically for Low-Embodied Carbon Construction Materials and EPDs. For Federal buildings, $2.15B has been allocated to GSA through 2026 to acquire and install low-embodied carbon materials and products for use in the construction or alteration of GSA facilities. Even the Federal Highway Administration is being pushed to use low-embodied carbon materials, with $2B going towards their efforts.

Embodied carbon is getting it's day in the sun, and it is about time. We have a lot of work to do, but this is exciting momentum.

EDA Website - Build Back Better Regional Challenge
Oregon Mass Timber Coalition
Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

#masstimber #sustainableforestry #sustainabledesign #lowembodiedcarbon #embodiedcarbon #innovation TallWood Design Institute Oregon Department of Forestry Port of Portland University of Oregon Oregon State University Iain Macdonald Benjamin Kaiser Greg Howes Steve Marshall