Foresters with the South Carolina Forestry Commission have developed guidelines that address the emerging practice of harvesting woody biomass for energy. Biomass generates energy. Forest products manufacturers have known this for generations and have produced their own electricity on-site using bark, sawdust and other waste wood.
“Woody biomass is a renewable resource that has the potential to supply 12-13 percent of the electricity used in South Carolina,” said Dr. Tim Adams, the commission’s resource development director.
The new biomass harvesting guidelines are aimed at protecting water quality, plant and animal diversity, soil nutrition/quality, and site productivity in and around harvesting operations. These are places where logging residue and other woody materials accumulate.
The recommendations build upon existing and successful best-management practices used by landowners and timber harvesters to minimize environmental impacts and stay within compliance of regulations.
As was recently announced, SCFC sees a 93 percent compliance rate with its guidelines for harvesting timber. Logging, road building, site preparation, and even tree planting are intensive operations and reputable operators in South Carolina can be trusted to work in such a way as to protect the land and water. On the national scale, South Carolina is a success story in this area.
From The Times and Democrat: https://thetandd.com/business/state-develops-guidelines-for-woody-biomass-harvest/article_c87d41b2-b9aa-11e2-b093-001a4bcf887a.html?comment_form=true