By Tyler Hoguet (Image sources are linked below) As recently as 2017, just 11% of adults living in North America (surveyed by the North American Forest Partnership) would characterize the forest industry as “innovative.” And yet, we've seen the recent emergence of several cutting-edge wood technologies and forest products: from mass timber to cellulosic biofuels to [read more]
Forests and woodlands across the state of Arizona are in need of market development opportunities to facilitate on-the-ground restoration activities. Arizona State Forestry and the USDA Forest Service are committed to advancing the installation of commercially viable wood energy systems in the public and private applications that use woody biomass generated from public lands and [read more]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it has awarded nearly $10 million to a consortium of academic, industry and government organizations to research using insect-killed trees in the Rockies as a sustainable feedstock for bioenergy. "Infestations of pine and spruce bark beetles have impacted over 42 million acres of U.S. forests since 1996, and [read more]
A bipartisan group of Senators (Senators Angus King (I-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)) have introduced the Biomass Thermal Utilization (BTU) Act to include automated, high efficiency pellet stoves and boilers in the category of renewable energy that qualify for tax credits. By adding tax credits for modern wood and pellet stoves, [read more]
With support from the NASF Foundation and NASF have chosen the 2013 Photography Fellow. This year's fellow, Joel Prince of Ohio, was chosen from a pool of candidates who submitted their applications and portfolios earlier this month. The theme for this year's photo fellowship is "Embrace the Possibilities." "The phrase, “Embrace the Possibilities,” immediately stirs [read more]
State Foresters met with Butch Blazer, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, this week to discuss priorities established by NASF for the next term of the Obama Administration. The priorities include: I. Commit to Protecting the Nation’s Forests, Rangelands and Communities from Wildland Fire II. Support Efforts to Improve Markets for Forest [read more]
The National Alliance of Forest Owners has launched a website dedicated to offering information to inform the national dialogue on renewable biomass energy from wood. The site, www.renewablebiomass.org, offers research and white papers on biomass supply, demand, greenhouse gas benefits, and more; and features a "frequently asked questions" module highlighting biomass sustainability and the role [read more]
