Forest
Stewardship News Release
April
1, 2008- For Immediate Release
Contact: Allyson
Muth, Phone: 814-865-3208, E-mail:
Bioenergy Opportunities from Pennsylvania's Forests
Written by: Charles Ray, Assistant Professor, and Michael Jacobson, Associate Professor, Penn State School of Forest Resources, 814-863-0401, cdr14@psu.edu, mgj2@psu.edu
Pennsylvania's forests cover 60 percent of its land area and forestry is one of the Commonwealth's most important economic sectors contributing over $5 billion to the economy annually. Most of the revenue from Pennsylvania's forests comes from its high-quality hardwoods. However, there is potential for bioenergy production from small-diameter trees that are often left in the forest. Furthermore, underutilization and overcrowding of small-diameter trees hinders regeneration and future forest values. The Pennsylvania Hardwoods Small Diameter Task Force established by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources estimates that approximately 469 million tons of "low-use" wood across 16 million acres of forestland in the Commonwealth might be available for harvest as a bioenergy feedstock. In addition to this already standing volume of unused wood, there are thousands of acres of abandoned mine lands and old agricultural fields that could be planted in fast growing bioenergy species such as hydrid polar and American chestnut.
The looming energy crisis and the US effort to become more self-sufficient in energy use provide unique economic and environmental opportunities for Pennsylvania's forest community. The forest products industry will benefit by diversifying markets for forest products. Experts agree that pulpwood and chip markets that have historically supplied wood to paper mills and engineered wood operations such as particleboard and medium density fiberboard plants are likely to continue to decline in Pennsylvania.
Economic production of the "low use" wood may increase land values and enhance forest landowner's revenues. Given long timber growing periods, making money from Penn's Woods is difficult. Harvesting smaller diameter and faster growing species could provide continuous revenue streams for landowners. Moreover, the ability for landowners to gain more income from their land reduces the likelihood for land conversion to development uses.
Environmental benefits from "energizing" Pennsylvania forests are numerous. Harvest of "low use" wood in our maturing hardwood forests provides flexibility and opportunity in management options, including regeneration, and accelerating mixed-aged forest structure.
Public groundswell for small and medium-scale localized energy production continues to grow. The forest industry needs to be proactive by developing resource utilization and biomass flow databases, and site-specific harvest standards for energy harvests. In addition, it is imperative for professional foresters to show that harvesting "low use" wood promotes sound forest management and does not negatively impact other forest values society currently enjoys. We are facing a critical juncture in history which could well make the difference between increased energy independence or continued reliance on more distant and less controllable sources of energy.
The Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program provides publications on a variety of topics related to woodland management for private landowners. For a list of free publications, call 1-800-235-WISE (toll-free), send e-mail to , or write to: Forest Stewardship Program, Forest Resources Extension, The Pennsylvania State University, 320 Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA 16802. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and USDA Forest Service, in partnership with the Penn State's Forest Resources Extension, sponsor the Forest Stewardship Program in Pennsylvania.
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