ISF has recently finished a biomass utilization project funded by the USDA Forest Service. The project culminated in a forum at the Mateel Community Center on September 24, 2003. At the forum, experts shared valuable information on the utilization of biomass for energy.

ISF's Mishka Straka, the project coordinator, shared experiences from fieldwork where data was collected from local forest-thinning projects. The most difficult aspect of efficient biomass utilization is in transporting the materials from the forest to the generating site. Any fuel must compete in the market place with fossil fuels. In the past, forest residues have been used when they are a part of an existing waste stream such as sawdust and bark from a lumber mill. However, small-scale, portable generating units create options for biomass to be efficiently utilized
by communities.

Sustainable biomass utilization for energy can be a viable alternative to fossil fuels and, when combined with saw log harvests, can reduce the risk of catastrophic fire while yielding valuable resources.

For more information go to
info@isf-sw.org

More Updates

• August, 2003 Update
  
• March, 2003 Update
  
• January, 2001 Update
  

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