We have had some confusion as to what the MNVC's Wood vendor program is.

Due to lack of local contracted wood vendors, MNVC has hired a group of people to use MNVC's equipment to go out and get wood for those on the energy assistance program (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program LIHEAP) these people are paid an hourly wage and are MNVC employees. Currently they only haul wood for energy assistance applicants at this time, we are working on expanding this program. Below are the steps that were taken to create this program.

MNVC WOOD PROGRAM – SUPPORTING FACTORS & DOCUMENTS
January 22, 2025
The following information was put together in order to make sure the council, tribal staff and tribal members are all on the same page about the programs detailed below and to clarify information and answer some of the questions that have arisen in regard to these programs.

LIHEAP ENERGY VENDOR AGREEMENT –
This is an agreement between the LIHEAP program and the energy vendors who get paid for energy (wood, heating oil, or electricity). MNVC signs this document yearly in order to receive the wood funds that are awarded to the McGrath residents who are approved by the LIHEAP program. By signing this document as the vendor, MNVC receives the LIHEAP funds to provide wood to those who are awarded. This makes MNVC the wood vendor for McGrath under this program. MNVC can and has contracted out the wood hauling to local wood haulers when they are able to do so for the LIHEAP households, paying individuals to haul the wood with their own snowmachines and using their own equipment. MNVC is still the vendor, regardless of contracting out the wood hauling.

LIHEAP WOOD –
As per LIHEAP rules the wood delivered by the LIHEAP program is paid to be delivered in 8’ lengths, it does not include bucking up, splitting, or stacking of the wood into the woodsheds. This is the responsibility of the recipients.
The allowable ceiling for the cost of wood through the LIHEAP program is $5.00 less than the local market value per cord of firewood. The current rate of wood in McGrath is $400.00, making the wood paid for under the LIHEAP program $395.00 per cord. The $400.00 market value for the wood comes from what people in the community are selling wood for.

LACK OF LOCAL WOOD VENDORS –
Currently MNVC holds LIHEAP funds for wood. In the past there was a list of local wood haulers who opted to be on the wood haulers list. MNVC paid local wood haulers selected by the LIHEAP household to fulfill that wood and verified delivery by those wood haulers prior to payment. This would be considered MNVC as the vendor contracting out the wood hauling.
In recent years LIHEAP households have struggled to find anyone who was willing or able to haul wood. MNVC has not been able to maintain a list of wood haulers to suggest to households. Those who MNVC currently holds LIHEAP funds for that have opted for MNVC Wood Program to haul their wood have chosen to do so only after they were unable to get their usual wood haulers to continue hauling wood for them. This may is often due to the haulers’ lack of time/ability/or desire to do so. The LIHEAP households still have the option of choosing another wood hauler to fulfill their LIHEAP wood, so the MNVC Wood Program is not taking away from those people’s ability to utilize the LIHEAP funds. It is just fulfilling a need to keep people’s houses warm when there are limited or no other options to get that wood. Because MNVC is already holding the LIHEAP wood funds, this makes the wood “prepaid” for the LIHEAP households. If the household does not want MNVC to haul the wood they still have the option to contract the individual wood haulers to haul their wood under the energy assistance program.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MNVC WOOD PROGRAM, ELDER ASSISTANCE, & ELDER WOOD –
The wood program aka. the wood program is delivering wood prepaid by LIHEAP to cover the costs of the snowmachine maintenance & insurance, equipment maintenance, workers’ wages and workers comp. insurance. Once MNVC has the workforce in place and the council sets up a process for prepaying wood from other households who have submitted proper paperwork/MTNT permits, it could be opened up to others outside of the LIHEAP program. The council does not yet have a process in place. The LIHEAP wood funds are currently covering the cost of hauling wood for this program to those who have been awarded LIHEAP wood funds. This is dry wood delivered in lengths per the LIHEAP program rules. MNVC is not bucking, splitting or stacking wood under the MNVC Wood Program.
The elder assistance program utilizes the TCC economic development funds to pay for tribal elders to have their wood bucked up, split and stacked. It also covers the snow shoveling, snow banking of elder’s houses, and summer yard maintenance like lawn mowing. This program is only available to the MNVC tribal elders who are 55 years old and up.
The elder wood was a byproduct of the TTP program as a way to utilize the felled trees by the TTP brush cutting program instead of leaving them on the side of the road. This wood is not included in the wood program and remains separate. There is currently a stockpile of wet wood from the TTP program on the lot by the McKindy house that is seasoning/drying for next year’s elder wood as it is very green/wet. The bucking up, splitting and delivering of the elder wood was also paid for by the elder assistance program and economic development funds.

August 8, 2024 – REGULAR MEETING – FY 25 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
At the August 8th regular council meeting the council approved Resolution 2024-16, FY 25 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Program. (Debbie Hartman motioned to approve Resolution 24-16, Sandra Gochenauer 2nd. Motion carried 4/4 in favor)

August 8, 2024 – REGULAR MEETING – 2023 TCC $50K DISTRIBUTION PROJECT
At the August 8th regular council meeting the council approved Resolution 2024-17, the 2023 TCC $50K Distribution Project Draft. (Sandra Gochenauer motioned to approve Resolution 24-17, Debbie Hartman 2nd. Motion carried 4/4 in favor)
In this resolution it states, “McGrath Native Village Council plans to utilize the $50K TCC distribution to assist with creating a wood bank and hiring people to go out and harvest wood.”
In September we were made aware we been using the term “wood bank” for the wood program interchangeably as we were unaware that the “wood bank” term was used like “food bank” where the wood was given for free, and it was staffed by mostly volunteers. That was not the intent of the term as the council was using it. We switched to calling it “wood program” after informing the council of the incorrect usage. This was part of a verbal report.
MNVC has utilized the 2023 TCC $50K funds to pay for helmets, employee wages for wood harvesting, parts & maintenance, insurance, and fuel. The LIHEAP funds used to purchase the wood delivered to the energy assistance households then roll over into this wood program and become unrestricted funds that do not have to be spent by the 2023 TCC $50K deadline and can continue to build on this program. Later on wood purchased from the program from others in the community will also go back into the wood program pot of funds to continue to pay for wages and other necessities of the program.

October 10, 2024 – REGULAR MEETING – APPROVAL OF PURCHASE OF 3 SNOWMACHINES
At the October 10th regular council meeting the council approved the purchasing of 3 titan snowmachines so the tribe could haul wood; (Debbie Hartman motioned to approve the purchase of the 3ea 650 Titan Polaris snowmachines, Sandra Gochenauer 2nd. Motion carried 4/4 in favor).

October 10, 2024 – REGULAR MEETING – LETTER TO THE MTNT BOARD –
At the October 10th regular council meeting the council approved the letter to the MTNT Board in response to the timber permit; (Debbie Hartman motioned to approve the letter to the MTNT board, Betty Magnuson 2nd. Motion carried 4/4 in favor).
In this letter it states, “Currently the LIHEAP program pays $395.00 per cord of dry wood. Most residents, especially our elders, do not have the means, transportation, tools, or bodily ability to go out and cut their wood for personal use. The McGrath Native Village Council is trying to help the community by providing a way for the community to get the wood they need by becoming a wood vendor. MNVC becoming a wood vendor will get those without the means of cutting wood for their homes a way to get wood.” The letter goes on to further explain the need for this program and request that MTNT waives the $300.00 fee for the timber contract or allows MNVC to utilize the personal permits for our households and LIHEAP wood recipients in order to waive the fee associated with the timber contract.
For all our LIHEAP wood recipients MNVC submits Personal Use Timber Permits & Release of Liability forms for all those we are hauling wood for as well as liability waivers for the workers who are cutting wood on their land at MTNT’s request. These forms will also be needed for any other wood we haul off of MTNT lands for the wood program.