HomeMy WebLinkAbout011725 - Local Partners and U_S_ Department of Commerce Invest $5_27 Million in NRIC's Clallam Forest Product Innovation Program in Port Angeles_ WashingtonALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Funding Aims to Revitalize the Local Forest Products Industry
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Local Partners and U.S. Department of Commerce Invest $5.27 Million in NRIC's Clallam Forest Product Innovation Program in Port Angeles, Washington
The U.S. Department of Commerce, through the Economic Development Administration (EDA), has awarded a $4.2 million grant to the <https://8afcpn6ab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ikJ1FIDMg66xL3SrAUO6dZzXkko8l
ytPuKSh2-kObs4iCa7Apuncr483j6a3oWBXjRk7qDmyvMJ7NaSjuEYfqsP-caXxA7Mxd7F-3rsHaQCldD2AHVDhwArmld9iNg5U-mui1oBxVSzaXcfEmh3YomF05IPZDed4&c=pLgNrSyVdDiU3EaLUxCN2uEovptOV7baJX8yn5zzeZf9T9fOMNxhLg==&ch=XnZTJ
39HHyNCEjEjjzTxknkmFLVU47gxPUjikvWbjS8OKaPEw-M9zA==> Clallam County Economic Development Council <https://8afcpn6ab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ikJ1FIDMg66xL3SrAUO6dZzXkko8lytPuKSh2-kObs4iCa7Apuncr483j6a3
oWBXjRk7qDmyvMJ7NaSjuEYfqsP-caXxA7Mxd7F-3rsHaQCldD2AHVDhwArmld9iNg5U-mui1oBxVSzaXcfEmh3YomF05IPZDed4&c=pLgNrSyVdDiU3EaLUxCN2uEovptOV7baJX8yn5zzeZf9T9fOMNxhLg==&ch=XnZTJ39HHyNCEjEjjzTxknkmFLVU47gxPUji
kvWbjS8OKaPEw-M9zA==> <https://8afcpn6ab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ikJ1FIDMg66xL3SrAUO6dZzXkko8lytPuKSh2-kObs4iCa7Apuncr483j6a3oWBXjRk7qDmyvMJ7NaSjuEYfqsP-caXxA7Mxd7F-3rsHaQCldD2AHVDhwArmld9iNg5U-mui1o
BxVSzaXcfEmh3YomF05IPZDed4&c=pLgNrSyVdDiU3EaLUxCN2uEovptOV7baJX8yn5zzeZf9T9fOMNxhLg==&ch=XnZTJ39HHyNCEjEjjzTxknkmFLVU47gxPUjikvWbjS8OKaPEw-M9zA==> in Port Angeles, Washington, to support
the Clallam Forest Product Innovation Program at the Natural Resources Innovation Center (NRIC). This funding aims to revitalize the local forest products industry, generating new economic
opportunities throughout the North Olympic Peninsula. Paired with over $1 million in local matching funds, the grant will fund several important initiatives, including the redevelopment
of the Forks Industrial Park, the establishment of a forestry workforce development program, expanding barging to and from the Peninsula, and efforts to expand forest products manufacturing
and the biomass economy. The local partners which contributed to funding include Clallam County government, Oregon State University, Port of Port Angeles, Clallam County EDC, Composite
Recycling Technology Center (CRTC), Peninsula College, University of Washington’s Olympic Natural Resources Center, and the City of Forks.
As part of this program, the Composite Recycling Technology Center will develop a mass timber housing solution for the Tribal housing market, using wood sourced from the Makah Tribe.
The initiative will assess the feasibility of producing plywood and Oriented Strand Board with advanced vapor and rain barrier technologies to meet Washington state's energy codes,
with plans to transport these materials to the California building market. Additionally, the project will test a publicly owned kiln to support three manufacturers in Port Angeles,
creating jobs and boosting local production.
Other elements of the Clallam Forest Product Innovation Program include exploring industrial symbiosis opportunities to reduce waste and costs by facilitating resource-sharing among
local forest product industries and develop barging infrastructure at the Port of Port Angeles to unlock both economic and environmental benefits. The program also plans to redesign
an industrial park to accommodate a major Canadian manufacturer and collaborate with local universities to train workers in advanced timber harvesting technologies. The August 2024
closure of Port Angeles’ McKinley Mill, and the corresponding loss of close to 500 jobs (direct and indirect), allowed Clallam County EDC to request funding from an EDA set-aside for
“Biomass Closure Communities” in late 2024. By affiliating NRIC with the PNW Mass Timber Tech Hub, funded by EDA, the request for the job creation program was given even greater weight.
This three-year, $5.27 million program will enhance the important work of the North Olympic Peninsula Recompete Coalition partners through RECOMPETE, ensuring high-wage job opportunities
for unemployed residents.
The outcomes of the initiative will include increased employment with good wages, particularly in Port Angeles and the distressed West End, both of which have faced significant job losses.
Additionally, the initiative will lead to wildfire risk reduction and enhance forest health and resiliency. Carbon emissions will be reduced through barging, and by processing biomass
in carbon-positive ways instead of allowing it to decompose and release greenhouse gases. There will also be a boost in forest products manufacturing and the advancement of the emerging
biomass economy, facilitated by water-borne transport. Furthermore, the sustainable use of renewable resources will contribute to the creation of green products and buildings that sequester
CO2, generating value for residents of the North Olympic Peninsula.
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Clallam County Economic Development Council | 141 W 1st Street | Port Angeles, WA 98362 US
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