Workshop: Emerging Biofuel Options for San Juan Forests

Join us to learn about ways to improve your forest’s health and use low value wood! Register today: http://sanjuans-biofuels.eventbrite.com

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!

Presentations from the workshop:

• Woody Biomass Fuel Options for the San Juans: 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 Production: 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.
• Marketing of low-grade timber products in the San Juans: 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.
• Charcoal: the Intersection of Sustainable Farming and Forestry: Results of a biochar study by a family forest owner.
  • Kai Hoffman-Krull: Hoffman-Krull Family Forest, Waldron, WA

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)
• WHERE: San Juan Island Grange #966 – 152 First Street North, Friday Harbor WA 98250

REGISTER AT: http://sanjuans-biofuels.eventbrite.com

All woodland owners are encouraged to attend!

For more details, go to: www.nnrg.org/sanjuans

Funding and support for this workshop is provided by:

Western Extension Risk Management Education & Northwest Natural Resource Group