The Conservation X Labs Program (CXL) conducts numerous sustainability grant programs with the goal of preventing the next mass extinction. One of these programs is the Fire Grand Challenge- where 12 finalists are chosen to demonstrate innovative ways to deal with wildfire in Western North American Forests. 

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Plumas Wood Fiber, in conjunction with Earthworm Soil Factory, were chosen as one of the 12 finalists for the Fire Grand Challenge. The Challenge awards $50k to each of the finalists in order to conduct a pilot project to demonstrate the validity and utility of the wildfire innovation they have developed, with the goal of scaling the project to commercial development for useful deployment to help deal with the problem. Grand prizes will be awarded to three of the finalists in January 2026.

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Plumas Wood Fiber is a project to process excess forest biomass from western forests into a potting product for the horticultural industry as a substitute for peat moss. With the CXL Fire Grand Challenge finalist award, Plumas Wood Fiber will partner with Earthworm Soil Factory in Butte Valley, Ca to produce samples of wood fiber potting substrate from excess forest biomass to send out to various stakeholders in horticulture to conduct growth trials. These growth trials will validate the use of western wood species as a useful ingredient in commercial scale horticulture- for filling those thousands of pots in nurseries for producing food crops and ornamental plants. It just makes sense that western US horticulture should use a locally produced potting substrate if possible, and we need to remove as much excess biomass from our forests as possible for fire safety. Win-win!

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Plumas Wood Fiber will be calling to horticultural stakeholders, looking for willing volunteers to conduct growth trials with the material. See Press Release- "Call for Growth Trials". Contact Plumas Wood Fiber if you are interested.

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The Conservation X Labs Program is supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, ESRI, The Coca Cola Foundation, and others. To learn more, see: https://www.conservationxlabs.com, and https://www.conservationxlabs.com/fire

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Plumas Wood Fiber is supported by generous grants from:

-Cal Fire Business and Workforce Development Grant

-Plumas County Fire Safe Council

-USDA USFS Wood Innovations Grants

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for which we are very grateful.