Funding for Firewood Banks
Firewood Bank Resources
Seasoned Firewood
Properly seasoned wood is key to a clean, efficient, and hot burn.
“Seasoning” is the process of drying firewood by splitting, stacking, covering, and storing it so as little moisture as possible remains trapped in the wood. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends only burning wood with a moisture content below 20%. See the EPA Burn Wise program page for more information and resources.
As a requirement of the wood deliveries undertaken by firewood banks supported by these federal grants, moisture content of wood must be taken and recorded for each delivery. This can be measured using a wood moisture meter.
Energy Audits & Weatherization
Weatherization programs, such as the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), provide valuable, free assistance to many low- and moderate-income households via energy efficiency upgrades, identified through an energy audit. These measures can include the replacement, cleaning, and repair of heating systems and safety testing for combustion appliances, among other mechanical and building shell improvements.
WAP is managed on a state-by-state basis, and typically participants must meet income eligibility guidelines in order to apply for weatherization services. More information for how to apply can be found on the DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program website.
Firewood Banks Near You
Firewood banks operate all around the country, though they are most common on the East Coast and in the Pacific Northwest. A 2016 report by Clarisse Hart, Director of Outreach & Education at Harvard Forest, identified 65 firewood banks in operation across the country, and a 2021 article in the New York Times expanded the list to 82 banks. Hart’s current map, updated as of July 2022, identifies 110 firewood banks in North America, and 9 outside of North America. However, because many firewood banks operate on extremely small scales in remote parts of the country, it is projected that there may be over 150, with the potential for others to be implemented in the future.
Interested in Firewood Banks?
Sign up for regular updates about the federal funding for the wood bank program, straight to your inbox. This is not an application for federal funding and can be filled out by anyone interested or involved in wood bank issues.