MFBF backs action expanding treatment of woody biomass

January 30, 2026
The Honorable Lee Zeldin Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20460
Dear Administrator Zeldin,
We write to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take decisive regulatory action to modernize and expand the treatment of woody biomass under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in a manner consistent with the Clean Air Act, sound science, and real-world forest management practices.
America’s working forests are facing mounting economic pressure as long-standing markets for pulpwood and residuals continue to disappear. While high-quality timber remains valuable, forest and sawmill owners increasingly lack viable outlets for treetops, thinnings, slash, and mill byproducts that are a critical share of forest and supply chain revenues. The result is lost rural income, fewer jobs, and growing difficulty keeping working forests economically viable and intact.
At the same time, the United States faces urgent energy, environmental, and wildfire-resilience challenges. Woody biomass offers a rare opportunity to turn waste into wealth—supporting rural economies, reducing hazardous fuels, providing baseload energy, and contributing to domestic production of next generation fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel. The production technology exists. The feedstock is abundant. The obstacle is no longer innovation, but regulatory uncertainty.
Although Congress clearly contemplated forest-based biomass within the RFS’s cellulosic biofuel pathway, outdated and overly narrow regulatory interpretations have prevented working forests from participating at scale. Current implementation fails to reflect modern forestry practices, discourages investment, leaves valuable biomass unutilized, and hinders forest health and rural prosperity.
EPA has both the authority and the responsibility to help correct this misalignment. By clarifying eligibility definitions, recognizing commonly accepted forestry practices, and aligning wildfire-risk provisions with modern science and Forest Service expertise, EPA can remove unnecessary barriers while remaining fully within statutory bounds. Doing so would provide long-overdue certainty to landowners and biofuel producers, unlock private capital, and support good-paying jobs in rural communities.
President Trump’s Executive Orders emphasizing American energy independence, domestic timber production, and proactive forest management underscore the importance of this moment. Reforming the regulatory treatment of woody biomass under the RFS would directly advance those objectives by strengthening energy resilience, improving forest health, and reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
We strongly encourage EPA to use its rulemaking authority to modernize its approach to forest-based biomass and to work closely with forestry experts and stakeholders to ensure the RFS’s regulatory treatment of woody biomass reflects on-the-ground realities. We also urge the Agency to support legislation clarifying the woody biomass definition to provide durable certainty for forest biomass participation in the RFS.
This is a rare opportunity to align energy policy, forest policy, and rural economic policy in a way that benefits all Americans. We appreciate your leadership and look forward to continued engagement on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Abenaki Timber Corp.
Advanced Lumber & Plywood Supply
AJD Forest Products
Alabama Farmers Federation
Allegheny Hardwood Utilization Group
American Biomass Energy Association
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Forest Management, Inc
American Forest Resource Council (AFRC)
American Loggers Council
Arkansas Farm Bureau
Arkansas Forestry Association
Associated California Loggers
Associated Contract Loggers & Truckers of Minnesota
Associated Oregon Loggers, Inc.
Association of Consulting Foresters
Atlantic Power and Utilities
Barrs Land Investments
Beaver Lake Biofuels
Ben’s Urban Lumber & Slabs LLC
Bingaman & Son Lumber, Inc.

Biofine North America
Boone & Crockett Club
BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group
Buskirk Lumber company
C2X LLC
Calforests
California Farm Bureau
Campbell Global, LLC
Carl Rosenberry & Sons Lumber Inc
Cascade Timber Consulting, Inc.
Castlerock Biofuels, LLC
Clark Hardwoods, LLC
Clark Lumber Company
Collins
Colorado Farm Bureau
Connecticut Professional Timber Producers Association
Conservation Resources
Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians
Domain Timber Advisors
East Perry Lumber Co.
Empire State Forest Products Association
Evergreen Biopower, LLC
F&W Forestry Services, Inc.
F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co.
Florida Farm Bureau Federation
Florida Forestry Association
Flowers Timber Co., Inc.
Forest Investment Associates
Forest Landowners Association
Freres Engineered Wood
Freres Timber, Inc
Georgia Farm Bureau
Giustina Resources
Gray Logging
Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association
Green Diamond Resource Company
Gutchess Lumber Co., Inc.
Hampton Lumber
Hardwood Federation
Harold White Lumber Inc.
Hearst Forests
Hill Logging

Humboldt and Mendocino Redwood Companies
Idaho Farm Bureau Federation
Idaho Forest Group
Idaho Forest Owners Association
Innovative Natural Resource Solutions LLC
Irving Woodlands, LLC
Jamestown, LP
Jones Lumber Co., Inc.
Josey Lumber Company
Keiver-Willard Lumber Corporation
Kendrick Forest Products
Kingwood Forestry Services, Inc.
Krueger dirtwerx inc
Larson & McGowin
Laurel Creek Hardwoods Inc
Lebanon Oak Flooring Company
Lobb Forest Enterprises LLC
Lone Rock Resources
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
Louisiana Forestry Association
Louisiana Loggers Association
Louisiana Logging Council
Maine Forest Products Council
Maine Woodland Owners
Manulife Investment Management
Maple Rapids Lumber Mill INC
Maryland Forests Association
Mason’s Mill & Lumber
Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation
Massachusetts Forest Alliance
Mayfield Lumber Company
Michigan Biomass

Michigan Forest Products Council
Mike Nielsen logging
Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
Mississippi Forestry Association
Missouri Farm Bureau
Missouri Forest Products Association
Montana Logging Association
Mount Storm Forest Products
National Alliance of Forest Owners
National Association of State Foresters
National Deer Association
National Hardwood Lumber Association
National Wild Turkey Federation
New Forests, Inc.
New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation
New York Farm Bureau
NH Timberland Owners Association
Nistler Kowitz Logging
North American Deck and Railing Association
North Carolina Farm Bureau
Northeastern Loggers’ Association
Northern Tier Hardwood Association
NorthWoods Agency
Nuveen Natural Capital
Ohio Forestry Association, Inc.
Oregon Farm Bureau
Oregon Forest Industries Council
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
Pennsylvania Forest Products Association
Pennsylvania Hardwoods Development Council
Pheasants Forever
Phoenix Energy
Pierson Lumber Co. Inc.
Pingree Associates
Port Blakely
PotlatchDeltic
Quail Forever
Rayonier
Resource Management Service, LLC
Rhode Island Wood Operators Organization
Ring Family
Robinson Lake Trucking
Robinson Lumber Company, Inc.
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Roseburg Forest Products
RSG Forest Products
Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society
Savage Lumber Company Inc.
Seven Islands Land Company
Shenandoah Forest LLC
Sierra Pacific Industries
SII Dry Kilns
Society of American Foresters
Sorrells Sawmill Inc
South Carolina Farm Bureau
Southeastern Wood Producers Association, Inc.
Southern Loggers Cooperative
Southport Lumber

Springfield Hardwood Products
Starker Forests Inc.
Strategic Biofuels LLC
Sun Mountain Lumber
SunGas Renewables
Sunne Logging LLC
Superior Pine Products Company
Swiftsawmill
Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation
Tennessee Forestry Association
The Langdale Company
The Lyme Timber Company
The Molpus Woodlands Group, LLC
The Rohatyn Group
The Westervelt Company
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Timberland Investment Resources
Tioga Hardwoods Inc.
Treated Wood Council

Twin Creeks Timber, LLC
University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Utah Farm Bureau Federation
Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
Virginia Forest Products Association
W.M. Cramer Lumber Co.
Wagner Forest Management, Ltd.
Washington Contract Logger Association
Washington Farm Forestry Association
Washington Forest Protection Association
West Virginian Forestry Association
Western Wood Preservers Institute
Weyerhaeuser Company
Wildlife Mississippi
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation
Wolverine Hardwoods
Wood Forest Products Inc
Wood Products Manufacturers Association
CC: The Honorable Doug Burgum, Secretary, Department of the Interior
The Honorable Brooke Rollins, Secretary, Department of Agriculture