Plans Move Forward to Bring Biomass Utilization Campus (BUC) to Oakridge Industrial Park (OIP)

Plans are moving forward to bring a biomass utilization campus (BUC) to the Oakridge Industrial Park. The City of Oakridge and South Willamette Solutions (SWS) are working with the Devonshire Group, Lane County, Oregon Department of Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Business Oregon, South Valley/Mid Coast Regional Solutions, and Oregon RAIN to develop a plan for the BUC. The attached information sheet provides an overview of what a BUC is and why Oakridge would be a great location for one.

On 12/17/20, Oakridge City Council moved to "fund the requested $6,250 for the Devonshire Group, LLC to write and submit an application for the 2021 Wood Innovation Grant Cycle" to support the development of the BUC. While that grant application was unsuccessful, progress continues to be made towards establishing a BUC in Oakridge. Recent updates include the following: 

• In June, the Devonshire Group submitted a $250K proposal for Innovative Finance for National Forests grant from the National Forest Foundation to develop a replicable financing model for biomass campuses with Oakridge as the pilot project.  
• A workgroup including the Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative (SWFC), Lane Workforce Partnership, City of Oakridge, RAIN, Oakridge School District, University of Oregon, the Devonshire Group and Lane County has formed to draft a Lane Workforce Partnership Oakridge Biomass Utilization Campus and Industrial Park proposal for a USDA - Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) grant. If successful, the grant will provide $1M in funding over the next 4 years to prepare the local workforce for forestry and biomass related businesses in Oakridge.
• The City of Oakridge is targeting to have the OIP ready for initial biomass tenants by fall of 2021.