There are at least 14 firewood banks in Maine — organizations that provide wood to residents who otherwise struggle to afford heating their homes.

Franklin County is about to make it one more.

Spurred by proposed cuts in the federal fuel assistance that many Mainers depend on, representatives of the United Methodist Economic Ministry in Salem Township are proposing a firewood bank.

In doing so, they will partner with Western Maine Community Action in Wilton, which handles heating vouchers for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, in Franklin County.

Maine is the most forested state in the country, and more than 182,000 Mainers rely on wood as their primary heat source, according to the Maine Wood Banks Network website woodbanks.org.

Existing wood banks primarily operate along Maine’s coast as volunteer-run nonprofits providing temporary fuel assistance.

A new legislative resolve directs the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to promote firewood banks across the state, department spokesman Jim Britt said. That includes compiling and maintaining a list of existing firewood banks and maintaining ways to support the creation and sustainability of new banks.

“At this early stage, we’re beginning to gather relevant information and resources,” Britt said of actions under the new law. “A few staff members from our department, including our district foresters, will be involved in this effort, and we’ll also be working with external partners who have expertise in this area.

“The goal is to strengthen firewood security in Maine communities, particularly for low-income residents who rely on wood heat.”

It’s encouraging to hear about United Methodist Economic Ministry’s efforts and its collaboration with Western Maine Community Action, he said.

While the resolve itself doesn’t directly fund or regulate firewood banks, efforts like this align with the spirit of the resolve and could help inform future support strategies, Britt said.

Testifying at a public hearing on the bill in April, Tony DiMarco of the Freeport Wood Bank, one of the state’s newest, said a wood bank brings people together to help others.

“Every Saturday we host a small crew of volunteers who work hard to haul logs, split them, and then stack the firewood,” he said. “These are community building events, as volunteers can see the tangible results of their labor and the positive impact that this firewood will have on households in our community. ln the fall and throughout the winter we deliver the wood to people in need. As you’ve heard, their circumstances are often desperate, but their gratitude is resounding and rewarding.”

The work goes a long way to keeping people warm in the winter, he said.

“Heating with firewood is a tradition and a part of people’s quality of life. There are actions people can take to burn wood safely and efficiently. Wood is plentiful, it’s renewable, and we make it available. For many Mainers, receiving free wood is their best option for staying warm.”

The United Methodist Economic Ministry became aware of cuts made to LIHEAP in President Donald Trump’s federal budget that recently passed Congress in a largely party-line vote. Funding levels for LIHEAP in coming winters remains unclear. It is also unclear how federal layoffs will affect the disbursement of the funds.

Any cuts or delays would result in many families in Franklin County not having enough fuel to adequately heat their homes next year.

“We expect that nearly 150-200 cords of additional firewood will be needed,” Helen Pinkham, executive director of the ministry in Salem Township, wrote in a letter to Franklin County commissioners in June.

A professor from the University of Maine told legislators in April that research across the state found three times more inquiries for heating assistance than for food pantries, illustrating the need.

A wood bank could provide those additional needs. The overall total project cost is $572,000.

Franklin County commissioners approved $50,000 in June for the project from a county tax-increment financing grant that targets the unorganized territories. However, the organization has amended the grant application to $140,000, which would cover wood-processing equipment for their heating program. The application is before the county’s Tax-Increment Financing Program review committee.

Commissioners said in June that they were open to the ministry coming back for more money because they want the organization to get a wood processor. The new application would cover the wood processor and trailer, two part-time positions, a tractor, firewood, truck, and fuel and oil.

The ministry would need about $122,000 to provide 200 cords of wood during the first phase of the three-phase project and purchase a wood processor, which is about $70,000, according to Pinkham.

In addition to the TIF money, the group hopes to get $20,000 from the Maine Masonic organizations, and the remaining $52,000 from Franklin County corporate sponsors and United Methodist Churches of New England, which includes more than 550 churches, Pinkham wrote.

They also plan to use profits from selling the firewood.

Jim Webster, the ministry’s property manager, said he thinks the wood bank has a much better chance of succeeding with the additional funding. The ministry hopes to bridge the gap between need and available funds for low-income heating fund recipients.

If the TIF committee and commissioners approve the grant application, it would move the ministry ahead on its plan to phase 2. If the additional funding is not granted, the ministry has use of a tractor and truck for this summer, so volunteers could start processing wood for next winter.

Commissioners are expected to take up the proposal if the TIF committee moves it forward this month.

Phase 3 of the plan would include building a pole barn with electricity and fuel tanks to sustain the ongoing operation. There would be at least one job created for the equipment operator, with the potential for additional jobs in the future, Pinkham said.

TIF funds target the unorganized territory in the county and are to be used for economic development purposes. The county entered into an Enterprise Tax-Increment Finance and Development Program agreement with TransCanada Maine Wind Development in 2008, which owned a 44-turbine wind energy development in Kibby and Skinner townships. TransCanada sold the wind energy project to Helix Maine Wind Development in 2017.

As of August 2024, there was an estimated $4.1 million in the county’s TIF funding account. The county has money added to the TIF annually.