← Back to Bills
S. 4944Senate117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

Firewood Banks Act of 2022

Sponsored by Richard BurrSen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
Introduced September 22, 2022

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 5:45 PM UTC

The Firewood Banks Act of 2022 creates a program to set up and run firewood banks that collect, process, and distribute firewood to low‑income and disabled households for home heating. It provides federal grants to states, local, tribal governments, nonprofits, or cooperatives to cover equipment, protective gear, insurance and supplies. The program uses federal land to locate the banks and designates nearby trees for a steady firewood supply, with a ten‑year pilot period and required reporting.

Key Provisions

  • Grants from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are made available to cooperating parties (states, local, tribal, nonprofits, cooperatives) to fund firewood bank operations, equipment, PPE, insurance and supplies.
  • A pilot program, led by the Secretaries of Energy, Interior, and Agriculture, authorizes firewood banks on federal land, each covering 0.5‑6 acres and storing at least 20 cords of wood.
  • Cooperating parties may maintain and operate the banks, but the federal land used is dedicated exclusively to firewood banking and may require special use permits.
  • The responsible Secretary designates trees within 10 miles (or other suitable areas) to supply each bank with at least 100 cords of firewood continuously, with no fee for cutting or transport, subject to permits and resource protection rules.
  • Liability for actions related to the banks is limited; the federal government is not liable, and general liability insurance is not required for banks on federal land.
  • The pilot authority expires ten years after enactment, and the Secretaries must submit implementation reports to the relevant Senate and House committees five years after enactment and again five years later.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

2 earlier actions
SenateCommittee Latest Action

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 117-477.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

September 29, 2022

View full timeline
SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

September 22, 2022

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

September 22, 2022

SenateCommittee

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 117-477.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

September 29, 2022

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Raw Text PDF XML
Introduced in SenateIssued September 22, 2022

II

117th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4944

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 22, 2022

Mr. Burr (for himself, Mr. Manchin, and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To provide for the operation and establishment of, and procurement of supplies for, firewood banks, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Firewood Banks Act of 2022.

2.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Cooperating party

The term cooperating party means a State, local, or Tribal government, a nonprofit organization, or a cooperative.

(2)

Federal land

The term Federal Land means—

(A)

public lands (as defined in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702));

(B)

trust land (as defined in section 3765 of title 38, United States Code); and

(C)

National Forest System land.

(3)

Firewood bank

The term firewood bank means a site—

(A)

at which firewood is collected, processed, or stored; and

(B)

that is used by a cooperating party to distribute firewood to low-income or disabled individuals for personal, residential use.

(4)

Secretaries

The term Secretaries means—

(A)

the Secretary of Energy;

(B)

the Secretary of the Interior; and

(C)

the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.

(5)

Secretary concerned

The term Secretary concerned means—

(A)

the Secretary of the Interior, in the case of Federal land administered by the Secretary of the Interior; and

(B)

the Secretary of Agriculture, in the case of Federal land administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.

3.

Grants

Using funds made available under section 40803(c)(17)(B) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(c)(17)(B)), the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall provide financial assistance to a cooperating party for the operation of firewood banks, including for the procurement of—

(1)

personal protective equipment;

(2)

liability insurance policies;

(3)

processing equipment; and

(4)

supplies and materials procured on a regular basis.

4.

Firewood banks pilot program

(a)

In general

The Secretary of Energy, in collaboration with the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall establish and carry out a pilot program (referred to in this section as the pilot program) to provide heat energy for residences of low-income and disabled individuals with wood-burning stoves.

(b)

Firewood banks on Federal land

(1)

In general

Under the pilot program, the Secretary concerned may authorize 1 or more firewood banks to be established and operated on Federal land.

(2)

Requirements

A firewood bank described in paragraph (1)—

(A)

shall occupy an area of not less than 1/2 acre and not more than 6 acres;

(B)

shall be able to store not fewer than 20 cords of firewood; and

(C)

may have privately or publicly owned equipment on site to process logs into firewood.

(3)

Cooperating parties

The Secretary concerned may authorize or consult with cooperating parties—

(A)

to maintain the Federal land on which a firewood bank is established under this subsection; and

(B)

to operate the firewood bank.

(4)

Use of Federal land

The Secretary concerned, or a cooperating party, as applicable, shall use the Federal land on which a firewood bank is established under this subsection exclusively as a firewood bank.

(5)

Permits

The Secretary concerned may require a cooperating party to apply for and obtain a special use permit to establish and operate a firewood bank on Federal land under this subsection.

(6)

Liability

The Secretary concerned shall not—

(A)

be liable for any action taken by the Secretary concerned or a cooperating party in establishing or operating a firewood bank on Federal land under this subsection; or

(B)

require a cooperating party to maintain a general liability insurance policy to establish and operate a firewood bank on Federal land under this subsection.

(c)

Securing supplies of firewood for firewood banks

(1)

In general

Under the pilot program, the Secretary concerned shall—

(A)

designate trees for cutting and removal on Federal land by marking; and

(B)

make those trees available to firewood banks, consistent with this subsection.

(2)

Designation

The Secretary concerned shall designate trees under paragraph (1)(A)—

(A)

in an area located within 10 miles of each firewood bank established under subsection (b); and

(B)

in other areas that the Secretary concerned determines to be appropriate.

(3)

Requirement

The Secretary concerned shall designate trees under paragraph (1)(A) in a sufficient quantity to provide not less than 100 cords of firewood continuously to each firewood bank established under subsection (b).

(4)

No fee required

(A)

In general

Any Federal employee or party designated by a cooperating party may cut, remove, and transport to a firewood bank a tree designated under paragraph (1)(A) without the cooperating party incurring any fee.

(B)

Limitations

(i)

Permits

The Secretary concerned may require a cooperating party to apply for and obtain a permit for the cutting and removal of a tree designated under paragraph (1)(A).

(ii)

No significant damage to resources

A Federal employee or a cooperating party shall not be permitted to significantly damage any resource while cutting or removing a tree designated under paragraph (1)(A).

(5)

Closed entry

The Secretary concerned may close to entry an area with trees designated under paragraph (1)(A), or make that entry subject to such conditions as the Secretary concerned determines are necessary—

(A)

for periods of not longer than 60 consecutive calendar days; and

(B)

for not longer than 150 calendar days during any 1 calendar year.

(d)

Duration

The authority to carry out the pilot program terminates on the date that is 10 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

5.

Report

(a)

In general

Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and 5 years thereafter, the Secretaries shall prepare a report describing the implementation of this Act.

(b)

Submission

On completion of each report described in subsection (a), the Secretaries shall submit the report to—

(1)

the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate; and

(2)

the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives.