Expansion of renewable biomass eligibility

Full Title:
Wildfire Reduction Market Expansion Act of 2026

Summary#

This bill changes the Clean Air Act definition of "renewable biomass" used in the federal renewable fuel program. It expands which forest and vegetation materials can count as renewable biomass, and it sets who may certify that those materials qualify. The broad goal is to allow more material removed for wildfire risk reduction and routine forest management to qualify for renewable fuel credits.

Key changes:

  • Adds many forest manufacturing leftovers (sawdust, wood chips, bark, paper residuals) explicitly as eligible materials.
  • Allows trees, shrubs, slash, and storm debris from private lands to qualify if the land is under a sustainability program, taxed as forest land, or the landowner certifies long-term timber management.
  • Lets materials from National Forests and other public lands qualify if the relevant USDA or Interior office certifies they come from fuel-reduction, restoration, or thinning projects, are not suitable as sawlogs, and were sourced consistent with applicable law and forest plans.
  • Includes tribal lands and lands held in trust as qualifying sources.
  • Adds that vegetation cleared for defensible space around structures or wildfire risk reduction in the wildland-urban interface can qualify, following local rules or an international code if no local rule exists.
  • Specifies that required certifications may be letters from landowners or from local USDA/Interior offices and that a forest plan does not need to name renewable fuel as an intended end use for material to qualify.

What it means for you#

  • Biofuel producers: More kinds of wood and vegetation feedstocks could be eligible for renewable fuel credits. This may make it easier to get supply for biomass-based fuels.
  • Forestry companies and loggers: Materials from thinning, slash removal, and manufacturing residuals are more clearly eligible. This could create new markets for low-value wood and residues.
  • Private landowners and timberland owners: Landowners who manage forests and who can certify long-term timber management may be able to have removed material counted for renewable fuel credits. They may receive payments or increased demand for removed biomass.
  • Federal land managers (USDA Forest Service, BLM): Local offices may be asked to certify that removed materials from public lands meet the bill’s tests. This could change how some fuel-reduction or restoration projects are documented.
  • Tribal lands: Materials from Indian trust lands or tribal-owned lands are explicitly included as eligible sources.
  • Homeowners and communities in wildfire-prone areas: Vegetation removed as defensible space around homes or for wildland-urban interface risk reduction could qualify, possibly lowering disposal costs or creating market value for that material.
  • EPA (Administrator): EPA must accept specified certifications as evidence that material meets the amended definition. EPA’s role is to administer the renewable fuel program with this new definition.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Possible cost-related effects the bill suggests:

  • This could increase administrative work for EPA to process and verify certifications and for local USDA/Interior offices asked to provide certification letters.
  • Landowners or companies may incur small costs to prepare and provide the required certification letters or documentation.
  • If biomass markets expand, there could be changes in revenues for private companies and payments to landowners; the bill does not estimate those amounts.
  • The bill does not include an explicit federal spending authorization or a fiscal estimate in the text provided.

Proponents' View#

  • The bill appears intended to expand which forest and vegetation materials count as renewable biomass to increase supply for renewable fuels.
  • This could be seen as creating a financial incentive to remove hazardous fuels and support fuel-reduction, restoration, and thinning projects that reduce wildfire risk.
  • Making manufacturing residues and low-value wood explicitly eligible may help turn waste into useful fuel feedstocks and support local biofuel industries.
  • Allowing simple certifications (letters) from landowners or local federal offices may speed up project approvals and market access for qualifying material.

Opponents' View#

  • One concern is that the bill does not set detailed rules for verifying certifications, so letters from landowners or local offices might be hard to audit or could be inconsistent across regions.
  • The phrase “not reasonably suitable for use as a sawlog, as determined by the Secretary” leaves an important standard to a future agency determination, which may create uncertainty about what qualifies.
  • Expanding market value for removed material could create incentives to remove more wood than needed for ecological or wildfire-safety reasons; the bill requires sourcing to be “consistent with” laws and plans but gives limited detail on oversight.
  • The bill may increase administrative burden for USDA, Interior, and EPA offices without providing funding or a fiscal estimate.
  • It is unclear how tribal governments will be consulted or how tribal preferences and rules will interact with the certification process beyond listing tribal lands as eligible.