Woody Biomass Harvest Guidelines: Historical Archive

Woody Biomass Harvesting Guidelines

2013 Biomass Harvesti​ng Guidelines Review Process

1st Stakeholder Adv​​isory Committee Meeting – 2/25/2013

Meeting Presenta​​tions

Historical Archive o​f Biomass Harvesting Guidelines Development

Past Documentation​​ and Announcements

The revised BHG Implementation Plan was accepted by the Council on Forestry at their March 17, 2009 meeting. Below are three documents that summarize the Implementation Plan process - a summary report of the proposed Implementation Plan, an implementation calendar and write-ups of individual implementation elements that provide additional details to supplement the summary report, and summarized and full-text comments received from stakeholders about the implementation plan.

Public Listening Ses​sion

There will be a Public Listening Session to discuss the implementation framework for Wisconsin's Forestland Woody Biomass Harvesting Guidelines from 1pm to 4pm on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at the Forest Products Lab at 1 Gifford Pinchot Drive in Madison. WDNR staff will be available to answer questions and receive written comments on the guideline implementation plan elements (attached below) including timeframe for implementation, training, site differentiation tools, field implementation, research, and monitoring systems. Please RSVP for the listening session by contacting Sarah Herrick by email or (608)267-7689.

The Final draft of Wisconsin's Forestland Woody Biomass Harvesting Guidelines was approved by the Advisory Committee at their December 3, 2008 meeting. The guidelines were subsequently forwarded to the Council on Forestry. The Council on Forestry heard discussion of the guidelines at their December 16, 2008 meeting and accepted the fifth draft of guidelines at that time.

Results of public list​ening sessions for proposed Forestland Woody Biomass Harvesting Guidelines

Note: The number that appears in the “Response” column of the Public Comments Spreadsheet refers to the detailed discussion of issue categories in the "Response to Issue Categories" document. Specific public comments that were not addressed by the issue categories were given a separate response.

Public Review of Draft Wis​​consin's Forestland Woody Biomass Harvesting Guidelines

A public review period for the proposed "Wisconsin's Forestland Woody Biomass Harvesting Guidelines" will take place between now and November 12, 2008. Please send written comments, using the form attached here, to: Eunice Padley; Wisconsin DNR - Division of Forestry; P.O. Box 7921- FR/4; Madison, WI 53707.

Public listening sessions will be held at four locations around the state. Members of the public will have the opportunity to submit written comments regarding the proposed guidelines. The DNR Division of Forestry Technical Team and members of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. For more information about the public listening sessions, please contact Sarah Herrick at (608)267-7689.

  • October 27, 2008: 4pm to 7pm at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station; W6646 Hwy 70; Spooner, WI 54801.
  • October 28, 2008: 4pm to 7pm at the Rhinelander City Hall; 135 South Stevens Street; Rhinelander, WI 54501.
  • November 3, 2008: 4pm to 7pm at the UW-Arboretum McKay visitors Center; 1207 Seminole Highway; Madison, WI 53711 (http://uwarboretum.org/visit/).
  • November 5, 2008: 4pm to 7pm at the Portage County Courthouse Annex room 1; 1462 Strongs Ave.; Stevens Point, WI 54481.

Backgroun​d

At its June 2007 meeting the Wisconsin Council on Forestry decided to focus its energy on woody biomass towards:

  • Harvesting and transportation issues relative to woody biomass.
  • Outreach education and identification of barriers specific to woody biomass.

Efforts in Pro​​gress

Woody Biomass Harvesting​ Guideline Development for Forestland in Wisconsin

In September 2007, the Council decided to sponsor the WDNR Division of Forestry in an effort to develop guidelines for the harvest of woody biomass on Wisconsin's forestlands. Guideline development will build on the work done by the Minnesota Forest Resources Council. The process will include expert review, stakeholder advisory committee input, and approval by the Wisconsin Council on Forestry. The guidelines are expected to be completed by December 2008. If approved, these guidelines may become part of Wisconsin's Forest Management Guidelines.

Guideline Object​ives

The guidelines will focus on the sustainable harvest of woody biomass from forested areas within the context of generally accepted forestry practices, while protecting soil, water, and biodiversity that are characteristic of sustainable forest ecosystems. Recommendations will be based on the best available information regarding harvesting effects on forest ecosystems. Although it is always an option not to harvest biomass, these guidelines are intended for cases where biomass harvesting is being planned or considered.

The objective is to provide guidance to forest resource managers, loggers, equipment operators, contractors, and landowners in Wisconsin. The guidelines will facilitate operational analysis and informed decision-making regarding the harvest of woody biomass from forestland. Attention to Minnesota's guidelines will ensure a greater degree of consistency for individuals and institutions that work across the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. The guidelines will provide a tool to enable sustainable forest management.

April 29 Advisory Commit​​tee Meeting Materials

June 19 Advisory Com​​mittee Meeting Materials

August 26 Advisory Co​mmittee Meeting Materials

Concluded Effo​rts

The Wisconsin Council on Forestry has convened a Woody Biomass Task Force, chaired by Bill Horvath, to help craft public policy and a legislative framework for more effective use of woody biomass to meet Wisconsin's growing demands for energy and fuel.