Biomass and Small-Diameter Wood Utilization
In many forests regions in the western United States, including the Sierra Nevada, there has been a significant increase in the growth of small-diameter trees and understory vegetation. The reasons for these overly dense forest conditions -- that are not natural -- are complex, but are essentially due to the loss of old forest during the last century and a half of intensive logging, coupled with fire suppression.
The majority of the Sierra's ancient trees, with their huge, fire resistant boles, were logged out over the last century. Along with intensive fire suppression forces, the result has been a profuse buildup of understory trees that are unnaturally crowded in many areas.
Under the conditions of natural forest succession, the regular presence of fire would act to thin out these dense stands of woods. Over time, this natural thinning process results in the development of naturally fire resistant stands of massive trees.
Overstocked stands can increase the risk of insect, disease, fire, and drought damage, and they are costly to manage. Finding economical and marketable uses for this material, called biomass, would alleviate these problems and could provide opportunities for local communities to benefit while helping to offset forest management costs.
At the same time, the use of biomass for energy and fuel needs presents a unique set of potential environmental risks. Sierra Forest Legacy is committed to finding the right balance between sustainable uses for forest fiber, and long term protection of the rich natural resources and biological treasures that comprise the Sierra Nevada mountains.
The Forest Guild has developed a biomass policy statement which we support. The policy accurately summarizes the issues we are also concerned about. Here is an excerpt:
Biomass removal and utilization can provide ecosystem benefits by reducing forest fire risk, improving forest stand health and productivity, helping to meet rural community economic development goals as a renewable energy source, and mitigating climate change. Considerable risks are also associated with biomass removal including adverse effects on biodiversity, soil productivity, wildlife habitat, both water and air quality, and reduced carbon storage and sequestration. A finite supply of forest biomass exists that can be produced sustainably, and source forests cannot produce enough wood to meet more than a fraction of aggregate U.S. energy demand. Future demands for both existing and new competitive uses of woody biomass may produce an unsustainable market demand on U.S. forests. Public policy should limit the use of biomass to the amount that can be grown, harvested, and supplied sustainably.
It is also important to note that in the case of private timber industry logging in California, the California Forest Practice Rules are believed by many to be adequate to protect California's natural resources. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Although the language in the Rules is at times exemplary, in actual practise the rules allow sufficient flexibility that conservation goals are rarely achieved. The agency with jurisdiction for enforcement in California, "CalFire" (until recently the agency was named the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CDF) has demonstrated very little commitment to enforcement of the overarching aim of modern improvements to the Rules, such as protection of functional wildlife habitat and limitations on cumulative impacts to natural resources.
Currently, CalFire is in the process of developing new rules or at least a policy in regards to biomass harvests on California's private timber lands. You can check for updates at this website.
If you would like to learn more about Forest Guild's sustainable biomass policy for forestry, you can download the three page policy here. You can also read about appropriately scaled biomass projects on this website by following the links to your left.