Transcript Document

Knowledge Products
to Inform Rural Communities about
Sustainable Forestry
for Bioenergy and Biobased Products
C.T. Smith, L. Biles, D. Cassidy, C.D. Foster, J. Gan,
W.G. Hubbard, B.D. Jackson, C. Mayfield and H.M. Rauscher
Texas A&M University, Southern Forest Research Partnership,
Southern (USA) Region Forestry Extension,
University of Georgia, USDA Forest Service
IUFRO Conference on
Transfer of Forest Science Knowledge and Technology
Troutdale, Oregon
10-13 May 2005
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Outline
• Describe the issues and opportunities facing
rural communities in the southern USA
• Provide overview of USDA funded project
• Stimulate questions and discussion
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13 Southern states
Geographic region
and dominant forest types
Eastern forest types
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Situation in the rural South
Forces of change described in the
Southern Forest Resource Assessment
Wear and Greis, 2002 -- http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/sustain/
Five forces are reshaping forests:
• Land markets – losses to urbanization
• Timber markets – increased Southern production
• Social institutions – increasing regulations
• Biological factors – spread of native and exotic pests
• Physical factors – increased pollution and catastrophic disturbance
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Issues and opportunities facing the South
• The South provides 60% of the USA timber supply
• Many rural communities are:
• richly endowed with forest resources
• heavily dependent on forestry
• socially & economically disadvantaged
• Recent setbacks in pulpwood markets
• Urgent need to diversify utilization of forest resources
• Potentially large resource of underutilized biomass
• small diameter, dense stands
• stands posing high fire risk in WUI areas
• harvest residues
• manufacturing and processing residues
• Bioenergy and biobased products are:
• timely and viable option
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If Bioenergy and biobased products are
a timely and viable option,
What is necessary to seize the moment?
• Educate key communities of interest about
• Resource availability
• Sustainable forest management
• Harvesting and transport logistics system design
• Processing systems
• Woody biomass utilization opportunities
• Assuming factors key to implementation include
• awareness of opportunities
• technical knowledge
• coordination of key communities of interest
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Critical Components of Sustainable Bioenergy Production Systems
Environmental
Sustainability
Consumer
Demand
Sustainable
Production of
Biobased
Products
Sustainable
Forest
Operations
Manufacturing/
Energy Production
Product Delivery
Logistics
Rural
Economic
Development
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Martin Holmer, 2001
IEA Bioenergy Task 31
Source: Spatial Science Laboratory, Texas A&M
Source: Texas Forest Service, 2004
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Operational Electricity Capacity Based on
Logging Residues from Growing Stock &
Other Sources
Capacity (MW)
300or above (9)
200 to 299 (7)
100 to 199 (12)
50 to 99 (4)
0 to 49 (18)
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Logistical
options
to recover
loose residues
Source: Björheden
Courtesy Tapio Ranta, VTT Processes 2002
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Forest energy is important in Nordic countries…
Denmark 5, Norway >10, in Sweden and Finland ~25%
< 5 TWh
Recycled wood
Forest sector
> 50 TWh
~ 3 TWh
Imports
0.7 TWh
Thinning
Residues
4.4 TWh
Chipwood
1 TWh
By-products
5 TWh
Black liquor, Pine oil
> 35 TWh
Source: Björheden 11
U.S. Department of Energy
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Office of the Biomass Program
Advanced Biomass R&D
Sugar Platform
Sugar Feedstocks,
Lignin Intermediates
Residues
Biomass
Combined
Heat &
Power
Fuels
Chemicals
& Materials
Clean Gas
Thermochemical
Platform
Conditioned Gas
Bio-oils
Systems Integration = Biorefineries
Source: Russo
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Communities of interest for bioenergy and biobased products
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The logic model: a framework for program performance evaluation
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Recent policy and legislation in the USA includes:
• Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000
• Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003
• containing Title II: Biomass Research
Related development of USDA-DOE program titled
“Biomass Research and Development Initiative”
• DOE funded topics
• USDA funded topics
• Topic 5 – Harvesting and feedstock supply
• Topic 6 – Environmental and economic sustainability
• Topic 7 – Training materials development
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Project funding from USDA-DOE program titled
“Biomass Research and Development Initiative”
Objectives
• Synthesize scientific and technical knowledge
• sustainably managing, harvesting, processing and
utilizing woody biomass
• Produce a variety of information products
• curricula, fact sheets, bulletins, videos
• web-based hypertext encyclopedia of knowledge
• web-based courses
• Craft products into curricula, training events and programs
• Target program delivery to forest managers and communities
• Provide program evaluation of training curricula and materials
• peer review
• beta testing
• user-audience evaluations and feedback
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Six major training modules
• Introduction to forest biomass use in the South
Darwin Foster & Chyrel Mayfield, Texas A&M
• Silviculture treatments for enhanced biomass production
Darwin Foster & Chyrel Mayfield, Texas A&M
• Harvesting and processing biomass
Ben Jackson & Daniel Cassidy, University of Georgia
• Utilizing biomass for bioenergy, biofuels and biobased economy
Ben Jackson & Daniel Cassidy, University of Georgia
• Socio-economic impacts and community development issues
Jian Gan & Chyrel Mayfield, Texas A&M
• Developing environmentally sustainable production systems
Tat Smith & Chyrel Mayfield, Texas A&M
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Proposed strong conceptual basis for modules
IEA Task 18 & 31 book –
Richardson, J., Björheden, R., Hakkila, P., Lowe, A.T. and
Smith, C.T. (eds.). 2002. Bioenergy from Sustainable Forestry:
Guiding Principles and Practice. Kluwer Academic Publishers,
Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 344 p.
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Web-based hypertext encyclopedia of knowledge
to be developed in contribution to the
Forest Encyclopedia Network (FEN)
• developed by Mike Rauscher and colleagues
4 existing encyclopedias:
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Southern Appalachian Ecosystems
Southern Fire Science
Southern Bioenergy Resource
South-wide Forest Science
more planned…
• Core group of 12 editors and developers working since 2000
• Bottom line – many participants, ongoing expansion, substantial
progress, efficient software infrastructure, and
welcome new participants
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Proposed new design for the
Forest Encyclopedia Network
by Bryan Jordin
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Draft web site for hypertext encyclopedia
by Michael Rauscher
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Landownership Patterns in East
Texas
Public
7%
Public
NIPF
61%
Industry
7%
Industry
NIPF
61%
17%
32%
Investors
15%
Historical
2003
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The Texas Forestry Extension Model
Extension
Program
Council
Forestry
Extension
Specialists
County
Extension
Agents
Texas Forest
Service
Coordinators
People
Science/
Research
Program
Delivery
Extension
Education
Programs
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Education and technology transfer challenges
related to demographics and forest ownership
patterns in the South
• Mostly in hands of non-industrial private owners (NIPF)
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Diverse education, socio-economic, ethnic backgrounds
Busy folks, with limited free time
Wide spread geographic locations
Increasing percentage of NIPF are absentee owners
• Emphasizes need for new education and training methods
• Train-the-trainer approaches
• Southern forestry extension and state forestry agencies key
• Web-based materials
• Satellite download to many locations simultaneously
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Thanks!
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