`PROJECT INFORMATION`

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Background

In recent years, there has been a shift in forestland management strategies on both public and private lands. This shift calls for the increased removal of underutilized mixed species and small-diameter material, through thinning, to achieve such forest management objectives as watershed restoration and forest fuels reduction. Thinning is particularly targeted at dense, overstocked, small diameter stands of timber, which characteristically exhibit heavy fuel loading within the lower vegetative story. To reduce these high fuel conditions, the mechanical treatment and removal of excessive biomass in needed, which in turn improves forest vigor and restores forest landscapes. Over the next several decades, land management operations will produce large quantities of small diameter woody material and biomass.

New and innovative approaches to forest management, forest fuels reduction, and land restoration require efficient land management tools to address such matters as the:

Inherently high cost of fuels reduction programs;
Accumulation of excessive quantities of forest fuels;
Expanding high risk of catastrophic wildfires;
High fire suppression costs;
Need for more economical ways to reduce forest fuel loading; and
Need to develop a marketplace for the low-value material generated by thinning operations, fuels reduction work, and watershed restoration projects.

To this end, the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County (FSCNC) made application for, and received, a Community Protection Grant through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The $312,000 grant, which expires June 30, 2005, is specifically for the development of the FSCNC Fire Prevention Wood Use Center ( Wood Use Center ).

Project Objectives

The Project’s objectives are: 1) to explore existing products that can utilize small diameter timber and brush; 2) identify markets in the local area that can utilize this material; and 3) identify the viable markets for the material. Achieving these objectives would improve the economics of FSCNC operations, which would sustain the project and free services it offers to the residents of Nevada County .

In the initial stage of development, the FSCNC will primarily process small diameter woody material and underutilized species such as brush into such products as yard mulch and firewood.

Project Operations – Phase 1

The FSCNC proposes to accept up to 200 tons of organic material feedstock per day. Because the incoming material weighs approximately 900 pounds per cubic yard, the volume of incoming material is estimated to be 180 to 200 cubic yards per day. These materials will be delivered by trucks, usually with haul capacities ranging from 4-tons to 24 tons. Materials will arrive preground or not and will be stockpiled onsite for approximately two to three days, until there is sufficient volume to require 5 to 6 hours of grinding. Then grinding will commence until all feedstock has been processed.

Operations will involve the receipt, grinding and short-term storage of mulch materials, and production of such products as bundled firewood, fence posts and small-diameter poles.

Products materials will be transported offsite in large capacity haul trucks. In addition, FSCNC staff will perform the administrative duties from the mobile office placed at the Project site.

The Project will not accept nor sell materials to the public (i.e., no retail sales). However, FSCNC is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Corporation, created as a public benefit organization. This means the public will visit the FSCNC administrative office to pick up and deliver program forms, and obtain FSCNC program information from staff. The number of such visits is expected to be minimal and incidental to that of the Project.

In reply to expressed concerns, the FSCNC notes the Project will not be operated as a transfer station, nor is it proposed to be a biomass wood processing facility or co-generation plant.

PROJECT INFORMATION

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Background

Project Objectives

Project Operations – Phase 1

Letters of Support

`PROJECT INFORMATION`