Sec. 8501. Clarification of research and development program for wood building construction
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The Secretary shall conduct performance-driven research and development, education, and technical assistance for the purpose of facilitating the use of innovative wood products in wood building construction in the United States. In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall— after receipt of input and guidance from, and collaboration with, the wood products industry, conservation organizations, and institutions of higher education, conduct research and development, education, and technical assistance that meets measurable performance goals for the achievement of the priorities described in subsection (c); and after coordination and collaboration with the wood products industry and conservation organizations, make competitive grants to institutions of higher education to conduct research and development, education, and technical assistance that meets measurable performance goals for the achievement of the priorities described in subsection (c).
The research and development, education, and technical assistance conducted under subsection
(a)shall give priority to— ways to improve the commercialization of innovative wood products; analyzing the safety of tall wood building materials; calculations by the Secretary of the life cycle environmental footprint, from extraction of raw materials through the manufacturing process, of tall wood building construction; analyzing methods to reduce the life cycle environmental footprint of tall wood building construction; analyzing the potential implications of the use of innovative wood products in building construction on wildlife; and one or more other research areas identified by the Secretary, in consultation with conservation organizations, institutions of higher education, and the wood products industry. To the maximum extent practicable, the measurable performance goals for the research and development, education, and technical assistance conducted under subsection
(a)shall be achievable within a 5-year period. In this section: The term innovative wood product means a type of building component or system that uses large panelized wood construction, including mass timber. The term mass timber includes— cross-laminated timber; nail-laminated timber; glue-laminated timber; laminated strand lumber; and laminated veneer lumber. The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Research and Development deputy area and the State and Private Forestry deputy area of the Forest Service. The term tall wood building means a building designed to be— constructed with mass timber; and more than 85 feet in height.