Forest Biomass Sustainability:Policy Themes & Research Needs

Alan A. Lucier, Ph.D.Senior Vice President, NCASI

FIA User Group Meeting & Biomass / Bioenergy Workshop February 23-25Houston, Texas

1

Premise• Government policies and market forces portend rapid

growth in use of “cellulosic biomass” for renewable energy and materials.

• Today, timber is the dominant feedstock for renewable materials and biomass energy in the U.S. – Corn is the dominant feedstock for liquid biofuels in U.S.

• In the future, major feedstock categories may include: – timber – annual crop residues– logging residues and other lower-value forest biomass– perennial biomass crops (e.g., switchgrass, poplars)

2

3

Production Category

Dry Weight in Millions of Tons

Products & Feedstock from Private Forests 236Products & Feedstock from Public Forests 23Urban Wood, Food and Other Process Residues Used for Energy

35

Biomass Converted to Liquid Biofuels 18Biomass Converted to Bioproducts 6Cotton Lint 4

Total 322

Annual U.S. Production of Renewable Materials and Biomass Energy Feedstock Circa 2005

Options for Increasing Forest Biomass Production

• Increase the extent and productivity of working forests and agro-forestry.

• Increase utilization of lower-value biomass such as logging residuals (e.g., tree branches) and small trees harvested during forest thinning operations.

4

Current Themes in US Biomass Policy

• Discourage timber harvesting in naturally-regenerated forests.

• Discourage establishment of new forest plantations.

• Encourage new uses of biomass but not traditional uses in the forest sector.

5

Example – Renewable Fuels Program• Feedstock for renewable transportation fuel

must NOT include:– Timber from naturally-regenerated forests– All biomass (timber & lower-value) from:

• federal forestlands (WUI exception?)• rangeland • forestland defined as ecologically sensitive • tree covered areas in intensive agricultural crop

production settings• plantations established after December 19, 2007

– Mill residuals from excluded sources of biomass6

Implications of Policy Themes

• Higher costs in supply chains for segregating and tracking biomass in several categories defined by feedstock source and end use.

• Fewer opportunities to develop “forest biorefineries” that make biofuels from wood residuals at pulp and building products mills.

7

Implications of Policy Themes

• Fewer opportunities for forest thinning and invasive pest control to improve ecosystem health and reduce wildfire hazards on private and public lands.

• Higher rates of private land conversion from forest to non-forest uses.

8

In Summary: Current themes in biomass policy for forest conservation are self defeating.

• Impose high opportunity costs for producers and users of forest biomass

• Discourage investment in forest stewardship and forest-based value chains

• Will have generally negative impacts on ecosystem services

9

An Alternative Approach?• Instead of imposing ad hoc costs and restrictions on

forest-based value chains, biomass policies could treat the forest sector as a valuable platform for innovation in bioenergy, biomaterials, and natural resource conservation.

• Ideally, biomass policies would supplement established laws and conservation programs that encourage sustainable forest management and sustainable growth in forest-based manufacturing of new and traditional products.

 10

Changing Direction

• The social license to expand production and use of forest biomass hinges on:

– demonstration that the forest biomass resource and forest ecosystem services will be sustainable when new uses are added to traditional uses.

– resolution of environmental concerns associated with combustion and other processing of wood in many different applications.  

11

What is NCASI Doing ?

• Continuing research and technical support on relevant topics through its regular program.

• Organizing a Forest Biomass Cooperative to engage “new users” of forest biomass in a coordinated research program with traditional users and forest owners.

12

Mission of FBC

• Sponsor and direct the execution of scientific investigations that will support sustainable production and use of biomass grown in forestry and agro-forestry settings.

13

Potential Scope of the FBC• Sustainability of Working Forests

– Resource monitoring & assessment– Water quantity & quality – Biodiversity– Forest technology

• Sustainability of Biomass Processing– Carbon footprints of products / value chains– Emissions of particulate matter, ozone precursors,

CO, hazardous air pollutants

14

15

Questions?

Discussion?