Emerging Biofuel Options for San Juan Forests

Join us to learn about ways to improve your forest’s health and use low value wood!

Often there are significant byproducts from forest management and restoration treatments that amount to slash and other woody biomass left on the ground. This low value material includes small diameter trees, limbs, needles, leaves, and other woody parts. Many forests in the San Juan Islands are severely overstocked with a considerable assortment of low value material that is a potential fire hazard and limits biodiversity. Learn what you can do with this non-commercial wood material. This workshop will present new ways to use and sell woody biomass. Removing woody biomass from your forest will reduce the risk of forest fire, improve ecological health, and maybe even pay for itself!

Topics & Speakers:

• Options for using woody biomass: Innovative, current technologies to make the most of woody biomass, from small-scale wood pellet manufacturing to cogeneration. Terry Meyer: Convivium Renewable Energy, Bellingham, WA. Keynote speaker.

• Biochar manufacturing: One forest landowner’s experience using forest thinnings to produce biochar, a cutting-edge charcoal used to amend soil that holds exciting possibilities for carbon sequestration. Steve Bensel: Nootka Rose Farm, Waldron, WA.

• All things firewood: One family’s experience selling firewood in the San Juans, including the needs and opportunities for converting non-commercial timber into firewood. Rich Harvey: Harvey Logging, Eastsound, WA.

• Thinning in the San Juans: The rationale for ecologically-based thinning in San Juans’ overstocked forests to improve forest health, increase, timber production, and reduce fire risk. Kirk Hanson: Northwest Natural Resource Group, Olympia, WA.

• Additional topics include: municipal heat & power generation, wood boilers for residential & commercial heating, and much more!

Details and registration:

WHEN: Saturday, March 19, 2016 – 12-5p (Ferries stopping at Lopez, Shaw, and Orcas Island arrive in Friday Harbor at 11:30 and depart at 5:25)

*NEW VENUE*: San Juan Island Grange #966 – 152 First Street North, Friday Harbor WA 98250

For more details about our San Juans work: www.nnrg.org/sanjuans

All woodland owners are encouraged to attend. Space is limited, so register today!

Funding and support for this workshop is provided by:

Western Extension Risk Management Education & Northwest Natural Resource Group