Commercial-scale woody biomass utilization technologies

Two woody biomass demonstration harvest workshops will be conducted in September in the Western and Eastern Upper Peninsula. The purpose of these workshops is to inform loggers, foresters, and landowners about the operational aspects of harvesting woody biomass and the ecological constraints that should be applied.

Interest in wood-based bioenergy is greatly increasing as people look for renewable and alternative forms of energy.  This is especially true in Michigan's Upper Peninsula where nearly 80% of land is in forest. This workshop, held on 10 March 2009, brought together foresters, natural resource professionals, loggers, forest industry members, conservation districts, government organizations, and others to explore the future of woody biomass utilization in the region and what that might mean for local forests, economies, and communities.

Funding for this project was provided by the National Association of Conservation Districts

The workshop agenda and copies of all presentations are available at: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/niacs/tools/bioenergyworkshop/

The target audience for this conference includes: Local Government, Economic Development Staff, Foresters/Land Managers, Resource Agencies, State Legislators, School Boards & Superintendents, State & Local Associations, Wood Products Industry, Utilities, and Entrepreneurs

Registration Deadline is April 10 - No Registration at the Door

Click on the link below for the workshop schedule, speakers, and registration form.

November 26, 2008 - A new report released by the Forest Guild, A Market-Based Approach to Community Wood Energy: An Opportunity for Consulting Foresters, identifies the benefits of community wood energy for rural communities and highlights the central role consulting foresters can play in successful projects. The report utilizes lessons learned from Forest Guild community wood energy pilot projects in Bristol, Vermont and the Mahoosuc Region of Maine and New Hampshire as well as from discussions with Forest Guild members. The report defines a role in these community projects for consulting foresters to develop local networks of family forest landowners to supply wood fuel that is Sustainable, Efficient, Local and Fair (SELF). In addition to consulting foresters, this report may also be of interest to landowners, policy makers, and community activists.

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm approved an energy package on October 6 that includes a requirement for 10% of the state's electricity to come from renewable energy sources by 2015.

Harnessing the Power of Local Wood Energy is a community resource guide, written by Caitlin Cusack, that weaves technical information with the personal stories of community members who want to heat their local school with sustainably produced woodchips. It details how a rural community can take advantage of the cost savings of wood energy while assuring the wood is sourced and utilized in a "Sustainable, Efficient, Local, and Fair (SELF)" manner.

Public Service of New Hampshire has made the move to renewable energy-and significantly reduced emissions-with the $75 million conversion of a coal-fired power plant to a biomass power plant that is fired with wood chips.

With a lumberjack for a mascot, perhaps it's no surprise that the St. Maries School District is turning to the nearby forest to cut its power bill. Beginning next school year, the district will fire up a wood burner at Heyburn Elementary School. Puny trees and branches that would have once burned on slash piles at North Idaho logging sites will be converted into heat for more than 400 students and staff. The program is part of the Forest Service's "Fuels for Schools," an ambitious effort to thin fire-prone forests and provide a renewable fuels source for cash-strapped rural districts.