The State of California and FUSE are collaborating to help the Department of Conservation (DOC) stand up a biomass utilization grant program funded through Proposition 4. California’s wildfire crisis keeps intensifying, and while clearing woody biomass from forests is a key prevention strategy, the state lacks the infrastructure to process that material sustainably, so much of it goes unused or gets burned. The new program will fund long-term capital projects that turn this biomass into products like low-carbon building materials and soil amendments. It builds on DOC’s earlier biofuels pilot and aligns with the state’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, the Wood Utilization Work Group, and California’s carbon neutrality goals.
Beginning in November 2026, FUSE Executive Fellow Michael Kleist will engage government agencies, tribal nations, industry, community organizations, and research institutions, and will study lessons from the biofuels pilot and other states’ non-combustion strategies. With DOC’s approval, Kleist will then design the grant solicitation, evaluation criteria, and equity-focused access strategies, working closely with CAL FIRE, the California Energy Commission, and the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. Kleist will also produce applicant guidance, propose technical assistance, and organize convenings that connect host communities, technology providers, and developers. By October 2027, DOC will have a launched grant program, an education and equity strategy, a technical assistance program, stronger interagency collaboration, and a monitoring framework that tracks outcomes like emissions reductions and job creation.
