Woody Renewables Resources

By no means do these resources constitute an exhaustive compilation; literally hundreds of projects, studies, and reports that relate to woody renewables utilization have been completed in California alone. They are simply meant to demonstrate the scope of different organizations working on woody renewables and provide helpful information to those who are looking to implement woody renewables utilization programs.

Annotated Literature Review

This review details three previously compiled literature reviews pertaining to woody renewables utilization. Topics covered include environmental impacts of harvesting, feasibility of supply, types of value-added uses for woody renewables, and public and legal hurdles confronting woody renewables usage, among others.

Community Biomass Groups Map

Check out this map created by the Woody Biomass Utilization Group that maps community groups of all varieties across the state who are working to utilize biomass from forest health projects.

Feasibility Studies

Follow this link to read a number of woody biomass feasibility studies funded by the California Association for Resource Conservation and Development Councils.

Summary of Publicly Available Woody Renewables Documents

This is a compilation of reports, assistance programs, and organizations that can provide information on woody renewables technologies, harvesting techniques, value-added uses, economic and environmental impacts, and feasibility.

Small-scale Biomass Heating Report

The Sierra Institute recently completed a report on heating small-scale community facilities with woody biomass. It details how a biomass heating system works, different types of biomass fuel, facilities that are currently using wood heating, and incentive programs that can help fund the startup costs of a new biomass system.

Woody Renewables FAQs

This is a link to the Biomass Energy Resource Center's compilation of Frequently Asked Questions about biomass. The list addresses concerns over supply, pollution, ecological impacts of harvesting, and biomass energy and heating systems.

Woody Renewables Glossary

This is a glossary that defines both common and technical biomass and woody renewables terms related to harvesting, processing, and power and heat generation.

Woody Renewables Capacity Across Northern California

This map is a depiction of the human capacity for increasing the utilization of woody renewables measured by county.

Woody Renewables Facilities Statewide Map

Click the link above to see a map developed by the Woody Biomass Utilization Group at UC Berkley showing the status of woody renewables to energy facilities across the state.

Woody Renewables Summit Information

List of Attendees

Woody Biomass Basics: Utilization and California Trends (presentation)                    Gareth Mayhead, Academic Coordinator for Forest Products, UC-Berkeley

Ecological Sustainability (presentation) Craig Thomas, Executive Director, Sierra Forest Legacy

California Groups Working to Further Woody Renewables Utilization

This is a list of groups in California working both locally and statewide to increase the use of woody renewables to promote forest restoration, prevent catastrophic wildfires, and improve economic outcomes in rural communities (to view a map of the areas these groups are working in, click the link above):

Amador Calaveras Consensus Group

The Amador Calaveras Consensus Group is a community-based organization that works to create fire-safe communities, healthy forests and watersheds, and sustainable local economies in Amador and Calaveras counties. In an effort to achieve their mission, the group has recently begun expanded projects dealing with biomass utilization in rural areas in hopes of stimulating these economies and reducing forest fire risk.

Interagency Forest Working Group

The Interagency Forest Working Group was created to review and provide guidance for all California forest and climate change related activities. The primary purpose of the Group is to help California achieve healthy forests while reducing forest fire risk, as well as address the state’s climate change goals.

Mendocino County Woody Biomass Working Group

The Mendocino County Woody Biomass Working Group is examining the many potential benefits of expanded woody biomass utilization, such as healthier forests, job creation, and forest fire prevention, and working to develop ways to make these uses more feasible for the community.

Northern Sierra Biomass Initiative

The Northern Sierra Biomass Initiative has the goal of producing an additional 50 megawatts of renewable energy from 11 biomass facilities already existing in Northern California. This project is expected to create an additional 350 jobs for the region and spur an estimated $36 million in economic activity.

Northern Sierra Biomass Task Force

The Northern Sierra Biomass Task Force attempts to promote fuels reduction in forests through the utilization of forest biomass for energy. Their hope is that such a project will promote renewable energy resources, improve forest health, and advance economic outputs in rural communities.

Placer County Biomass Utilization Program

The Placer County Biomass Utilization Program attempts to reduce forest fire risk and promote community energy production through the removal and use of woody biomass in Placer County. The Program also hopes its initiatives will improve air quality in the region.

Quincy Library Group

The Quincy Library Group promotes forest restoration and fuels reduction projects in northeast California. The Group hopes that fuels treatments, such as the removal of excess biomass, will help reduce the risk of forest fire and that the benefits of these treatments can be extended on a state-, and nation-, wide scale.

RBOG (Rural Business Opportunity Grant)

The USDA Rural Development RBOG includes Sierra, Lassen, Plumas, Yuba, Butte, and Nevada Counties. Its aim is to help develop markets and technologies to utilize woody biomass for energy. Capitalizing on available forest resources, this project will coordinate research and testing among partners and businesses to use this abundant material.

Sierra Nevada Forest and Community Initiative

The Sierra Nevada Forest and Community Initiative is a coordinated effort between state and federal agencies, tribes, environmental groups, local governments, and private businesses working to promote long-term environmental, social, and economic wellbeing throughout the Sierra Nevada region. The Initiative hopes to achieve this by creating healthy forests and watersheds that will enhance habitat and water quality while reducing the risk of forest fire.

Siskiyou Biomass Utilization Group

The Siskiyou Biomass Utilization Group is attempting to maximize the opportunities for biomass use in Siskiyou County. The hope is that more broad scale use of biomass in the county will help reduce forest fire risk and provide a renewable option for electricity generation.

Sustainable Forest Action Coalition (Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

The Sustainable Forest Action Coalition is a group of chambers of commerce, counties, and timber professionals. The Coalition is working to facilitate the transfer of public timber and biomass removal to private control and is also promoting full enactment of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act and advocating for the establishment of Forest Stewardship contracts.

Sustainable Forests and Communities Collaborative

The Sustainable Forests and Communities Collaborative initiates and supports efforts that promote a healthy sociological system of forests, watersheds, and economies in the communities of the south-central Sierra by employing a transparent, collaborative, and mutually supportive process within a diverse and committed stakeholder group.

The California Biomass Collaborative

The California Biomass Collaborative is a statewide partnership of government, industry, academia, and environmental groups. It is sponsored by the California Energy Commission and works to enhance the sustainable management and development of biomass in California for the purpose of renewable energy and biofuel production.

The Watershed Research and Training Center

The Watershed Research and Training Center is based in the Klamath area of Northern California. They work to strengthen rural communities by protecting the ecosystems where people live and work. As pertains specifically to biomass, they are currently working on a community forest management program as well as a fire fuels reduction project.

The Woody Biomass Utilization Group at UC Berkley

The Woody Biomass Utilization Group provides information and technical assistance to businesses and communities on the potential uses of woody biomass. They also offer workshops to groups interested in biomass utilization and give resources for grants and other assistance programs related to biomass.

The Yuba Watershed Protection and Fire Safe Council

The Yuba Watershed Protection and Fire Safe Council is a group of citizens and fire professionals working together with law enforcement agencies, county government, foresters, timber companies, and conservation groups in Yuba County. Some of their goals include: maintaining forest health, preventing wildfires, mitigating the negative impacts of fires on wildlands and watersheds, and researching innovative applications for forest products.

Weaverville Community Forest

The Weaverville Community Forest is a partnership between the Bureau Land Management, the US Forest Service, and Trinity County Resource Conservation District to manage 13,000 acres of federal forest land as a community forest. A Forest Stewardship Contract enacted with the community in 2003 works to maintain aesthetic quality while improving fire resiliency and forest health.

Western Forestry Leadership Coalition

The Western Forestry Leadership Coalition is a state and federal partnership that administers programs to help family-forest owners, rural and state fire organizations, and community forestry groups in the hope of improving forest health, promoting conservation, and stimulating community economic recovery.

Yosemite-Stanislaus Solutions

Yosemite-Stanislaus Solutions works to restore and maintain healthy forests and watersheds, fire-safe communities, and sustainable local economies by using a science-based approach in the Yosemite-Stanislaus National Forest area.