FSA announces BCAP implementation

Wisconsin Farm Service Agency announced the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) is now accepting applications for qualification by biomass conversion facilities. BCAP will allow producers or owners of eligible material to sell to these qualified facilities to apply for matching payments under the collection, harvest, storage and transportation (CHST) component of BCAP.

BCAP provides a unique opportunity to encourage land owners and producers to send material, that may otherwise be disposed of as waste, to biomass conversion facilities in Wisconsin to be used as energy in the surrounding communities.

Biomass conversion facilities may qualify for BCAP by signing an agreement with the FSA state offices. The agreement generally provides the framework that facilitates the making of the CHST matching payments to eligible material owners or producers who plan to deliver biomass to that facility.

After a biomass conversion facility becomes “qualified” by signing an agreement with FSA, eligible material owners or producers, who market eligible material to that biomass conversion facility, must apply for the CHST matching payment at their nearest FSA county office before the eligible material is delivered. Eligible material owners must provide an agreement with the qualified biomass conversion facility as part of an application for a CHST matching payment.

After the product is delivered, a producer must provide FSA with documentation of product quantity, quality, and payment rate. County offices will validate payment requests information provided under the terms of the agreement with the qualified biomass conversion facilities.

Interested biomass conversion facilities should contact their FSA state offices and visit http://www. fsa.usda.gov/energy to download the agreement.

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