Biomass and stewardship contracting — an uneasy marriage
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Whether or not the drive to use "biomass harvesting for energy generation production" is a workable strategy over time remains questionable, as is the application of stewardship contracting to get the job done. Pros and cons appear in the articles to follow: the cost of the boilers necessary to produce the energy and whether the current funding mechanisms will do the job — the need for additional equipment for efficient harvesting — the trees on the ground required to supply sufficient timber over time without then requiring the taking of large diameter trees — the ability of mills to absorb transportation costs — the problems of a "disappearing forestry workforce" — and perhaps above all, a "can-do-it" mentality on the part of the agencies as well as mill operators.
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Or perhaps to fill a need for alternative power
EXCERPTED FROM A STORY BY ERIC BONTRAGER, LAND LETTER, 01/18/07
Since its shift from pilot program to federal tool for forest management in 2003, stewardship contracting has been slow to pick up much momentum. As a means to manage forests at a minimal cost and with maximum public involvement, contractors continue to have mixed feelings over whether the exchange of labor for the timber and biomass cleared is worth the costs and regulatory hassle....
Under revised law in 2003, the two agencies may enter "end result stewardship contracting" arrangements with local groups or communities that allow the application of revenues from timber harvesting to habitat restoration projects....
And now the quest for healthy forests is intersecting with another green goal: alternative power generation. A growing number of communities, states and companies are showing interest in developing alternative power sources that run on biomass like wood from forest thinnings.
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Biomass and the Apache-Sitgreaves approach
Elaine Zieroth, Forest Supervisor for the voluminously publicized (by the Forest Service) White Mountain Stewardship Project is a leading spokesperson for the necessary thinning. The White Mountain project being implemented in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
was the first 10-year program, now followed by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation agreement and plans being made for additional long-term contracts.
WHITE MOUNTAIN JANUARY 2007 BRIEF >>
WHITE MOUNTAIN ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS OF JANUARY 2007 >>
WHITE MOUNTAIN STEWARDSHIP PROJECT HOME >>
Plan unveiled for Blackfoot Valley lands
BY EVE BYRON, HELENA INDEPENDENT RECORD, 01/25/07
An unusual coalition of environmental groups, a timber company, the U.S. Forest Service and ranchers unveiled a plan Wednesday that could lead to the first expansion of Montana wilderness areas in more than two decades.
The proposal would also open new lands for snowmobiling and create a new power generation plant in Seeley Lake....
"This proposal represents a common-sense approach that recognizes diverse uses of the land," said Bob Ekey, Northern Rockies regional director for The Wilderness Society. "The proposal fosters forest management, fuel reduction and restoration on lower elevation Forest Service lands that have already been roaded, and as one moves upslope, backcountry stewardship is emphasized, combining areas suited for backcountry recreation and wilderness."
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DOWNLOAD PROPOSAL (.PDF) >>
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