On October 22, the final rule describing the long-term implementation of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, including both the Collection, Harvest, Storage and Transportation (CHST) matching payment program and the Establishment and Annual Payments Program (EAP) were released.
Under the new rules, program costs are expected to total $461 million between 2011-2026. The financial arm of the USDA, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), expects to spend $61 million on establishment payments, $4 million on annual payments, $132 million on matching payments and $3 million on technical assistance, for a total of $200 million in 2011. In 2012, the CCC expects to spend $61 million on establishment payments, $6 million on annual payments, $132 million on matching payments and $3 million on technical assistance, for a total of $202 million. An additional $61 million will be spent on annual payments from 2013-2026.
The final rule leaves many questions unanswered, especially those surrounding how the new rules will be administered and implemented. Here are two of the most pressing:
- When will the eligible materials list be published?
- When will the application materials be available?
- When will payments begin?
As the supporting documents are released by the FSA, we will continue to report further clarifications of this and any other provisions.
Suz-Anne Kinney
Forest2Market: July 14, 2023
