Larimer County Woody Biomass Strategy: Project Newsletter | Update 1 | June 2024

[Alicia Blake]

Project Newsletter: Woody Biomass Strategy June 4, 2024 Update 1 This project will work to develop a comprehensive woody biomass strategy for Larimer County with a focus on liability biomass management. Our goal is to further wildfire mitigation efforts, climate resilience, and the ability of our natural systems to store carbon.   Project has Begun! Mid-May Advisory Team Members and the project consultant, Cambium, kicked off strategy development by visiting different partners throughout the supply chain. Larimer County Landfill Working with both commercial and residential partners, Larimer County's Green Waste Program diverts woody biomass from the landfill.  Industry Partner Uprooted Artistry works with Larimer Conservation District and others to support thinning projects and remove biomass from high-risk forests. Potential End-Use Product: Biochar An example end use pathway for woody biomass is biochar. The team toured Biochar Now's facilities to learn more about their sourcing and product potential. Fort Collins Woodlot The City of Fort Collins diverts city managed public trees from maintenance and operations to their own sort yard for reuse. The City's annual free mulch day is Saturday, June 8th. Larimer Conservation District Forest Restoration Site Larimer Conservation District's active forest restoration project at the Poudre River Ranch is made up of 7 landowners, constituting 235 contiguous acres being treated. USDA Forest Service Treatment Site At this planned lodgepole treatment site, USDA Forest Service is building off of existing patch cuts in this vicinity to further fire mitigation efforts. Firewood Bank Opportunities Larimer County partnered with the Alliance for Green Heat to host a webinar on Firewood Banks. The Alliance works to advance cleaner and more efficient residential heating technology, and in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, they have a Firewood Bank Assistance Program that provides a grant opportunity. See the presentation here. Next Up  In June and July, the team will be conducting in-depth interviews with wood generators (eg. forest managers, crews), processors (eg. sawmills, composting, biochar), wood purchasers, and community groups. If you'd like to speak with our team, let us know! Connect with us. In some cases, the volume of woody biomass generated through wildfire mitigation or forest health treatments is unmanageable and hampers the ability to easily undertake these treatment efforts. Simultaneously, there exists various potential avenues to utilize the wood. A local, common understanding of these associated challenges is paramount to increasing the pace and scale of wildfire risk reduction.  Underscored by a belief in the power of collaboration and coordination, we believe that together can work toward a future where a resolution of this challenge is realized. Please join us in our attempt to better understand this issue locally and with nuance, and help us in our effort to develop an action-ready strategy for the way forward. If you have questions about the woody biomass strategy project, please contact: Josh Roberts at josh.r...@larimer.gov.