Notice2026-06139
Information Collection: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Financial Assistance to Facilities That Purchase and Process Byproducts for Ecosystem Restoration (ALN 10.725) Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance (WPIA)
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 31, 2026
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentForest Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service (Agency) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension with no revision of a currently approved information collection, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Financial Assistance to Facilities that Purchase and Process Byproducts for Ecosystem Restoration (ALN 10.725) Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance (WPIA).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 61 (Tuesday, March 31, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 61 (Tuesday, March 31, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15946-15947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-06139]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Information Collection: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Financial Assistance to Facilities That Purchase and Process Byproducts
for Ecosystem Restoration (ALN 10.725) Wood Products Infrastructure
Assistance (WPIA)
AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Forest Service (Agency) is seeking comments from all interested
individuals and organizations on the extension with no revision of a
currently approved information collection, Infrastructure Investment
and Jobs Act Financial Assistance to Facilities that Purchase and
Process Byproducts for Ecosystem Restoration (ALN 10.725) Wood Products
Infrastructure Assistance (WPIA).
DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before June 1, 2026
to be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this notice should be addressed to Jeff
High, USDA Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest, P.O. Box 1270, Hot
Springs, AR 71901. Comments also may be submitted by email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e6ac83808094839fc885c88e8f818ea693958287c8818990"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="165c73707064736f3875387e7f717e566365727738717960">[email protected]</span></a>.
[[Page 15947]]
Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available
to the public through relevant websites and upon request. For this
reason, please do not include in your comments information of a
confidential nature, such as sensitive personal information or
proprietary information. If you send an email comment, your email
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available for
public viewing. Please note that comments containing any routine notice
about the confidentiality of the communication will be treated as
public comments that may be made available to the public
notwithstanding the inclusion of the routine notice.
The public may request that an electronic copy of the supporting
documents for the information collection and/or any comments received
be sent via return email. Requests should be emailed to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3e545b58584c5b47105d10565759567e4b4d5a5f10595148">[email protected]</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff High, USDA Forest Service,
Ouachita National Forest, P.O. Box 1270, Hot Springs, AR 71901, 501-
802-7412, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f79d92919185928ed994d99f9e909fb782849396d9909881">[email protected]</a>. Individuals who are deaf, hard of
hearing, or have a speech disability may call 711 to reach the
Telecommunications Relay Service then provide the phone number of the
person named as a point of contact for further information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Financial Assistance
to Facilities that Purchase and Process Byproducts for Ecosystem
Restoration (ALN 10.725) Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance
(WPIA).
OMB Number: 0596-0254.
Expiration Date of Approval: October 31, 2026.
Type of Review: Extension with no Revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Abstract: The grants and agreements awarded under this announcement
will support the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), 2021.
Section 40804(b)3 directs the USDA Forest Service to provide financial
assistance to an entity seeking to establish, reopen, expand, or
improve a sawmill or other wood processing facility in close proximity
to a unit of Federal or Indian land that has been identified as high or
very high priority for ecological restoration for the purpose of
reducing the cost of forest management. Eligible applicants are for-
profit entities; State, local governments; Indian Tribes; school
districts; community, not-for-profit organizations; institutions of
higher education; and special purpose districts (e.g., public utilities
districts, fire districts, conservation districts, and ports). The need
and process to collect information from applicants is detailed in 2 CFR
part 200 and Forest Service Handbook 1509.11, Chapter 20, which
prescribes administrative requirements and processes applicable to all
Forest Service Domestic Federal Financial Assistance awards.
Specifically, collection of information will be completed by applicants
seeking financial assistance under the WPIA program using a simple form
to gather required metrics that demonstrate proximity of project
facility locations to Federal and Tribal lands and ties of project
outcomes to ecological restoration on Federal and Tribal lands.
Information collected will be reviewed by Forest Service staff to
evaluate eligibility of applicants and the merits of proposals
submitted. Without the information collection, determining applicant
eligibility and whether proposals meet legislative requirements would
be difficult or impossible, and applicant success would be diminished.
Affected Public: Individuals and Households; the Private Sector
(Businesses and Non-Profit Organizations); and State, Local or Tribal
Government.
Estimated Annual Burden per Response: 8.25 hours.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 78.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 643.5 hours.
Comment is Invited: Comment is invited on (1) whether this
collection of information is necessary for the stated purposes and the
proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether
the information will have practical or scientific utility; (2) the
accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on respondents, including the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
All comments received in response to this notice, including names
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record.
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission request for
Office of Management and Budget approval.
Lisa Northrop,
Associate Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry and National Forest
System.
[FR Doc. 2026-06139 Filed 3-30-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
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