Dave Atkins - July 20, 2005
Society of American Foresters
Biomass
KUFM SAF Biomass Commentary
Final
7/18/05
Good evening, I’m Dave Atkins. Today I am speaking to you on behalf of the more than 400 natural resource professionals who are members of the Montana Society of American Foresters. Part of our mission is “…to ensure the continued health and use of forest ecosystems and the present and future availability of forest resources to benefit society.” With this in mind, I want to share the SAF position regarding the use of forest biomass for energy and other products.
What do I mean by “forest biomass”? I am referring to the small-diameter trees, logging residue, and accumulated forest fuels. Dealing with this small material is a real logistical and financial challenge when managing forests to make them healthier.
When we trim our shrubs or trees at home, we have to dispose of that biomass. Most of us pay someone to haul it away, haul it ourselves, or some folks burn it. When foresters need to cut trees to protect against wildfires or insect outbreaks, they face a similar disposal problem. Several choices exist.
The biomass could be left in the forest where either wildfires or prescribed burns could consume the material. Or it could be removed and utilized for a variety of forest products, including energy production.
As we are all aware, some wildfires have undesirable impacts and threaten human lives and property as well as watersheds, wildlife habitat, and timber. Prescribed fires are an important tool for managing forestlands in Montana. However, the usefulness of prescribed burning to reduce forest biomass is greatly constrained by human health concerns, the current density of many forests, air quality regulations, and weather conditions.
Mechanical removal can be preferable for several reasons:
First are Safety and human health. Mechanical treatments can help reduce the risk to firefighters and private and public property when wildfires do occur. Smoke is an irritant for many, but for some people it is a serious health issue. The more biomass that is burned in the forest, the greater the health effects are. Utilization gives us a way to reduce the amount of smoke and provides more control over when, where, and how much smoke will be produced.
The second reason is disposal of forest biomass can be very expensive in places without the ability to utilize it. Fortunately Montana still has an integrated wood products industry that can help pay for the disposal problem by utilizing it. Utilization of forest biomass adds diversity to our economy, through manufacturing jobs, forest and transportation workers, equipment sales and maintenance. Conversely, the tourism/recreation industry is a part of the economy that can be negatively impacted by wildfires and burning large piles of small trees.
Finally there is the environment. A recent report by the Departments of Energy and Agriculture identified 1.3 Billion tons of forest and agriculture biomass that could be sustainably used for energy production. That is equivalent to 30% of our nation’s oil use. Forest biomass utilization done properly will help restore healthy forests, maintain clean water, and critical wildlife habitat, while reducing our dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels.
Substantial efforts by industry and the government are ongoing to increase biomass utilization and the profitability of using forest biomass. During the past 5 years, over 6 million dollars in grants have helped businesses develop and market new products from small trees. Examples of projects include the roundwood trusses at the Darby library, kiosk at Traveler’s Rest state park and the city park in Townsend; also larch and Douglas-fir wood flooring; blue-pine paneling and roundwood furniture. The Fuels for Schools effort that is converting fossil fuel heating systems to wood chips had three systems operating in Montana this past winter and will have 4-6 more next winter. The Eagle Stud mill installed steam electrical generators driven by woody biomass, and let’s not forget Smurfit-Stone Container, the largest user of small-diameter trees in Montana.
Sustainability is a goal of professional foresters; we want to sustain our environment, our community and our economy. Utilization of forest biomass is a key part of sustainability, and the Society of American Foresters supports the utilization of forest biomass.
This is Dave Atkins on behalf of the Montana Society of American Foresters encouraging you to learn more about forestry by visiting our website at www.safnet.org. Thank you and have a good evening.
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