Bioenergy from Trees: Using Cost-Effective Thinning to Reduce Forest Fire Hazards. Science Findings, Issue 117, October 2009

摘要

Increasingly large and severe wildfires threaten millions of forested acres throughout the West. Under certain conditions, mechanical thinning can address these hazardous conditions while providing opportunities to create renewable energy and reduce our carbon footprint. But how do land managers decide whether thinning is a good idea. How do they decide where to begin, and what to do with the removed trees. Prioritizing treatment areas and determining the most effective techniques for fuel hazard reduction depends on various factors such as owner objectives, forest types, and the availability of processing facilities. Scientists from the Pacific Northwest Research Station created an analytic system that allows forest managers to simultaneously assess fuel hazard treatment effectiveness, the location and capacity of processing facilities, and financial feasibility. The analysis framework uses the nationwide Forest Inventory and Analysis database, which enables foresters and analysts to use it as a tool to inform decisionmaking. Researchers applied numerous policy scenarios to a 28-million-acre, fourecosystem region of Oregon and northern California. The study showed that converting trees and logging residue that would otherwise have little or no commercial value into bioenergy shows promise for offsetting some treatment costs. Results indicate that removing large quantities of merchantable trees would be necessary to achieve fire hazard reduction goals.