FSA Announces Application Period for Biomass Crop Assistance Program Project Areas

WASHINGTON, March 22, 2012 – USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Bruce
Nelson announced today the application period for the next round of Biomass Crop Assistance
Program (BCAP) Project Areas. Proposals will be accepted until April 23, 2012.

“BCAP provides incentives to farmers and forest landowners to grow non-food crops to be
processed into biofuels – a critical element of our national energy strategy to address high
fuel prices and reduce reliance on foreign oil,” said Nelson. “Because most energy crops are
perennial and take time to mature before harvest, BCAP is designed so that sufficient quantities
of feedstock will be available to meet future demand. And because these crops can grow where
other crops cannot, it provides farmers with new opportunities to diversify into more markets.”

The BCAP Project Areas where these crops are grown will be selected from proposals producers
or biomass facilities submit to FSA. Information about submitting a proposal can be found on
the www.grants.gov website.

BCAP was created in the 2008 Farm Bill. USDA selected nine project areas in FY 2011, which
resulted in the approval of more than 860 producer contracts to grow camelina, hybrid poplar,
warm season grasses and giant miscanthus on almost 50,000 acres. The total investment in
those projects is estimated to be $55 million.

On Nov. 18, 2011, Congress enacted the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations
Act, 2012, limiting the total amount of funding available for BCAP to $17 million.

The Request for Proposal and additional information can be found at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/bcap.

To acquire information about grants available through the federal government:

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Go to www.grants.gov
Click on “Apply for Grants” heading on the left side of page.
Click on “Download a Grant Application Package.”
Type “10.087” in the box with the heading “CFDA Number” and click on “Download
Package.”

To create jobs in rural communities, drive economic growth, and help reduce our dependence
on foreign oil, USDA is aggressively pursuing investments in renewable energy, investing in or
making payments to over 5,700 renewable energy and energy efficiency improvement projects.

To learn about other programs offered through FSA, visit www.fsa.usda.gov.