Environment
Environmentally, the appropriate utilization of biomass is not only sustainable, but a great benefit of managing our valuable biomass resources. Biomass is renewable. When the appropriate management of our fields and forests requires the removal of certain materials, a valuable resource is created. It is our responsibility to find the best use for this valuable resource. Since plants continue to grow, residues will always be produced from restoring and maintaining our forests, from protecting our homes and communities from fire, and from maintaining safe places for us to enjoy the outdoors. Converting this residue to energy is a wise use of a valuable resource and makes a sustainable, continuing contribution to the environmental health of our community.
Carbon Emissions
Fossil fuel and biomass combustion produce emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to global climate change. However, unlike fossil fuels, biomass fuels are classified as carbon neutral because the carbon absorbed during photosynthesis as the plant grows is then released by decomposition or burning. The increased plant growth resulting from forest treatment or biomass cultivation conducted to create the fuel offsets the carbon emitted during combustion. In the short term, biomass combustion results in net zero carbon emissions. Using carbon-neutral fuels doesn’t contribute to climate change…(more)
Healthy Forests
The worst wildfires in history have scorched the West over the last five years. Forestry experts agree that reducing the risk of wildfire involves more than simply creating defensible space around homes; it involves a process of forest restoration. The costs for thinning unhealthy forests range from $300 to $1,000 per acre depending on location. The costs to fight fire are double and even triple in some cases. The generally accepted truth about “thinned” versus “left-alone” forests is that thinned forests do not burn out of control. A movement in the 1970s from a heavily managed approach to a more hands-off approach resulted in crowded, homogenous forests that are prime to burn in catastrophic way…(more)