Impact of Large Biomass Demand Centers on the Forest Resource Base

摘要

This study explored the impacts of four wood-fired power plants on wood procurement systems and forest management in portions of the northeastern United States. The objective was to clarify the nature and extent of a wide range of possible impacts on forests and wood supplies from the operation of wood-fired power plants. This study was designed to gain a broad understanding of the harvesting-supply system, recognizing the methodological problems that would be encountered in a broad-scope study with limited financial resources. While the study was not expected to define specific impacts conclusively, it was expected that significant trends could be identified which will provide important information to policymakers and new directions for research. Those objectives were achieved by development of descriptive case studies of four wood-fired power plants located in Maine, Vermont, New York and Maryland; by surveys of loggers, foresters, chip suppliers and landowners who are directly involved in fuelwood chipping operations; and by on-site, post-harvest examinations of forest stands in northern New England that have been harvested to provide chips for wood-fired power plants. 234 refs. (ERA citation 13:011204)