We appear to be on the brink of a widespread movement toward greatly increased harvesting of woody biomass for fuel and chemical feedstocks. At the global level, an indication of this trend can be seen in a recent analysis of investments related to climate change in which biomass production schemes play a prominent role[1]. At the regional Lake States level, a large-scale, biomass-fueled power plant has recently been completed in Minnesota, and there are multiple plans for the construction of large wood-fired facilities in Michigan and Wisconsin. Pressure on Lake States wood resources is not limited to regional markets. A plan to annually export several 100,000 tons of wood chips from Duluth to the Europe was announced in November 2007. Biomass energy conferences abound throughout the country and major news magazines have had cover stories on biomass fuels. While most of the press has focused on ethanol from corn, more astute analysts realize that woody biomass is more likely to be at center stage in future biomass-to-energy scenarios.
To the degree they develop, the expected increases in woody biomass markets will create new opportunities for better forest management and new risks to forest sustainability. Both the opportunities and the risks stem primarily from the new ability to profitably remove wood that was formerly uneconomical to harvest, due largely to its small diameter. The opportunities can be viewed as silvicultural tools for forest restoration, such as control of invasive species, re-diversification of native tree species composition, acceleration of complex stand structure, and emulation of natural disturbances, especially fire. The risks are several, with negative impacts on soil, water, and habitat being the dominant concerns. The main soil issues are erosion, compaction, and depletion of nutrients and organic matter. Sedimentation and flashier hydrological regimes are the water impacts of most concern. The clearest impacts on habitat are excessive removal of snags and large woody debris, although many other negative effects can also occur.
The Biomass Utilization and Restoration Network for the Upper Peninsula (BURN-UP) was developed as a response to these challenges in northern Michigan. The project, which is funded by the U.S. Forest Service and administered by the Upper Peninsula Resource Conservation and Development Council, is simultaneously promoting greater utilization of woody biomass and developing guidelines to limit harvesting to sustainable levels. The overall purpose of the grant is to highlight examples of landscape-scale partnerships involving forest restoration and the use of woody biomass. Accordingly, the project has numerous partners throughout the Upper Peninsula from both the public and private sectors and will be demonstrating how fuelwood harvesting can be used to restore forest health.
In terms of promotion, the BURN-UP Project is addressing both the demand and supply sides of the equation. On the demand side, the project is providing technical and financial assistance to schools and other mid-sized facilities that could realize substantial savings by converting to wood-fueled heating systems. There are a few places (e.g., near large wood processing mills) where large wood-fired plants make sense, but due to the geographically scattered and low energy-density nature of most biomass resources, small- to medium-scale facilities offer the best opportunity for developing the demand where it can supplied from "primary biomass" (i.e., biomass directly from the woods), the utilization of which directly influences forest conditions. On the supply side, the project is conducting demonstration harvest workshops that include various forest types, harvesting equipment configurations, and levels of biomass removal. The purpose of the here is to interest more loggers in biomass harvesting by providing first- and second-hand information on harvesting equipment and methods.
The conservation component of the project emphasizes the site-specific nature of forest ecology as it relates to limitations on biomass harvesting. The approach being taken is a GIS suitability analysis primarily based on soil fertility, soil depth, organic matter, and physical site factors such as slope and proximity to riparian areas. Additional factors for some fish and wildlife concerns will be included.
In addition to the balancing act of promoting biomass utilization while simultaneously developing harvesting limitations, the BURN-UP Project's third main component is a website for information on woody biomass production and utilization in the Upper Peninsula. The site (now under construction) will include a biomass exchange for sellers and buyers of woody biomass, success stories of wood-heated facilities, harvesting guidelines, and more.
Christopher Burnett, Ph.D., is the Director of the BURN-UP Project, owner of Big Creek Consulting Forestry. He has been a member of the Forest Guild since its inception. For more information, contact
burn-up@charterinternet.com , 906-226-2461 X122, or
http://www.upwoodybiomass.org/.
[1] Investment in Climate Change. An Asset Management Perspective. October 2007. Deutsche Asset Management.
