Following on the heels of the Forest Guild Membership and Policy Committee’s unanimous approval on November 10, 2009, the professional membership has voted overwhelmingly to approve the Forest Guild Biomass Policy Statement. This statement will represent the Forest Guild policy on a variety of key issues including the promise and limitations of biomass for energy and its context in an overall energy strategy, protections for forest health, highest and best utilization of biomass, the sustainable use of biomass to mitigate climate change, biomass removals on public lands, and more. Adherence to these policies will ensure that biomass can play an important role in our energy future while sustaining ecosystem health over the long term.   READ MORE

Excerpts from Statement:

Biomass removal and utilization can provide ecosystem benefits by reducing forest fire risk, improving forest stand health and productivity, helping to meet rural community economic development goals as a renewable energy source, and mitigating climate change. Considerable risks are also associated with biomass removal including adverse effects on biodiversity, soil productivity, wildlife habitat, both water and air quality, and reduced carbon storage and sequestration. A finite supply of forest biomass exists that can be produced sustainably, and source forests cannot produce enough wood to meet more than a fraction of aggregate U.S. energy demand. Future demands for both existing and new competitive uses of woody biomass may produce an unsustainable market demand on U.S. forests. Public policy should limit the use of biomass to the amount that can be grown, harvested, and supplied sustainably.

The degree to which the use of forest biomass can mitigate build up of greenhouse gases is directly related to:

1. the future condition of the residual forest stand;
2. the carbon emitted in growing, harvesting, and transporting the biomass;
3. the relative efficiency conversion of biomass to energy; and
4. the total carbon footprint of forest products versus products they might replace.

The Forest Guild believes that source forests should always maintain the functions, structures, and composition that support the health of the entire forest ecosystem. The Forest Guild supports federal, state, and local policies that guide sustainable management practices at the stand level for biomass as well as its efficient post-harvest use. Each state should implement or amend best management practices (BMPs) to include biomass harvesting standards appropriate for forest types in that state.

This biomass policy statement focuses on four issues: 1) assurances for sustainability; 2) highest and best utilization of biomass for energy; 3) climate change mitigation; and 4) biomass removal on public lands.   Download Statement

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