---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 7655b"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "7655b"
heading: "Forestry products advanced utilization research"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/7655b"
units:
  - "Chapter 103 — Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform"
  - "Subchapter III — Miscellaneous Provisions"
  - "Part B — General"
---

# §7655b. Forestry products advanced utilization research

- (a) **Establishment—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/7601.md?p=7) shall establish a forestry and forestry products research and [extension](/usc/7/5801.md?p=b-5) initiative to develop and disseminate science-based tools that address the needs of the forestry sector and their respective regions, forest and timberland owners and managers, and forestry products engineering, manufacturing, and related interests.
- (b) **Activities—** The initiative described in [subsection (a)](#a) shall include the following activities:
  - (1) Research conducted for purposes of—
    - (A) wood quality improvement with respect to lumber strength and grade yield;
    - (B) the development of novel engineered lumber products and renewable energy from wood; and
    - (C) enhancing the longevity, sustainability, and profitability of timberland through sound management and utilization.
  - (2) Demonstration activities and technology transfer to demonstrate the beneficial characteristics of wood as a green building material, including investments in life cycle assessment for wood products.
  - (3) Projects designed to improve—
    - (A) forestry products, lumber, and evaluation standards and valuation techniques;
    - (B) lumber quality and value-based, on-forest management techniques; and
    - (C) forestry products conversion and manufacturing efficiency, productivity, and profitability over the long term (including forestry product marketing).
- (c) **Grants—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/7601.md?p=7) shall make competitive grants to carry out the activities described in [subsection (b)](#b).
  - (2) **Priorities—** In making grants under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/7/7601.md?p=7) shall give higher priority to activities that are carried out by entities that—
    - (A) are multistate, multiinstitutional, or multidisciplinary;
    - (B) have explicit mechanisms to communicate results to [producers](/usc/7/6802.md?p=4-A-iii-III-bb), forestry industry stakeholders, policymakers, and the public; and
    - (C) have—
      - (i) extensive history and demonstrated experience in forestry and forestry products research;
      - (ii) existing capacity in forestry products research and dissemination; and
      - (iii) a demonstrated means of evaluating and responding to the needs of the related commercial sector.
  - (3) **Administration—** In making grants under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/7/7601.md?p=7) shall follow the requirements of paragraphs (4), (7), (8), and (11)(B) of subsection (b) of [section 3157 of this title](/usc/7/3157.md).
  - (4) **Term—** The term of a grant made under this section may not exceed 10 years.
- (d) **Coordination—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/7601.md?p=7) shall ensure that any activities carried out under this section are carried out in coordination with the Forest Service, including the Forest Products Laboratory, and other appropriate agencies of the [Department](/usc/7/7601.md?p=5).
- (e) **Report—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/7601.md?p=7) shall submit an annual report to the [Committee](/usc/7/2132.md?p=n) on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the [Committee](/usc/7/2132.md?p=n) on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate describing, for the period covered by the report—
  - (1) the research that has been conducted under [paragraph (2)](#b-2) of subsection (b);
  - (2) the number of buildings the Forest Service has built with wood as the primary structural material; and
  - (3) the investments made by the Forest Service in green building and wood promotion.
- (f) **Authorization of appropriations—**
  - (1) **In general—** There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $7,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2023.
  - (2) **Matching funds—** To the extent practicable, the [Secretary](/usc/7/7601.md?p=7) shall match any [funds](/usc/7/4531.md?p=5) made available under [paragraph (1)](#f-1) with [funds](/usc/7/4531.md?p=5) made available under [section 1646 of title 16](/usc/16/1646.md).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 105–185, title VI, § 617, as added Pub. L. 113–79, title VII, § 7310, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 892; amended Pub. L. 115–334, title VII, § 7308, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4816.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 617 of Pub. L. 105–185, title VI, June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 607, which was not classified to the Code, was repealed by Pub. L. 107–171, title VII, § 7302, May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 455.

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 115–334 substituted “2023” for “2018”.