Forest Management Issues for Bioenergy Production by NIPFs

Management Goals

Forest Resource Management Plan

Forest management is concerned with practical activities aimed at fulfilling the owners goals and objectives, while at the same time maintaining the productivity of the forest. An important first step is to define the objectives and long-term goals for the forest area being considered for a bioenergy operation. Existing management plans have objectives or goals detailed, although they may need some modification to realize the bioenergy potential. However, the majority of non-industrial private forests do not have a formally written plan although many owners have some idea of what benefits their woodlands provide. Many NIPF owners do not include timber production as a management goal but will often harvest timber when they become aware of an opportunity (Hicks 1998).

Long-term goals (management outcomes) need to be prepared for each management unit. Management units vary in size but are frequently delineated on maps by ownership boundaries and major changes in forest type or structure. Specific silvicultural practices are prescribed for each management unit, either formally or implicitly. These prescriptions identify actions to be undertaken in the unit and when each will occur. These silvicultural decisions, which are an integral part of management, are the most important decisions that the forest manager or landowner makes. They will greatly influence characteristics of the forest and the flow of benefits.

Commonly selected long-term goals usually include one or more of the following:

• 

  Landowner Objectives
  Wood production for specific industrial processes - e.g. pulp or chip wood, high-value logs, biomass for bioenergy and bio-based product industries, etc.
• Provision of firewood
• Non-timber forest products - e.g. hunting and fishing rights, medicinal plants, food, mushrooms, pine straw, etc.
• Erosion control, provision of clean water
• Ensuring the forests health and reducing fire and disease risks
• Lifestyle benefits associated with rural living
• Amenity/recreation
• Conservation/biodiversity
• Spirituality

Only the first three are likely to provide direct monetary benefits, although bioenergy production may benefit some non-commercial goals as well.

If needed, begin by listing and prioritizing the goals. This will clarify if bioenergy production will have a role and how it can be integrated into forest management and silviculture. For example, if fire control is critical, this could be enhanced by removal of shrubs and small trees or by thinning the forest stand; this biomass may have potential for bioenergy and at the very least help cover some of the costs of the operation. Bioenergy production may also be valuable in reducing the risk of insects (e.g. Southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis)) or disease in overstocked stands, and during the salvage of material after an epidemic. If amenity is the prime objective, then large-scale bioenergy production may be less attractive, although it could be helpful to remove unsightly logging slash and provide views within the forest. When creating habitat for large grazing animals, the creation of gaps by logging and thinning overstocked stands, may be desirable - both of which create opportunities for utilizing biomass for bioenergy.

Forest Management Plans for NIPF Owners

Hicks (1998) outlined how small owners or their professional forestry consultants should approach a forest management plan that often, although not always, includes some planned harvesting. The essential steps are as follows:

1. Know the essential features of the property - size, boundaries, access, topography, soils, and details of forest stands, including their species composition and condition. Stand history is also important.
2. Define the role of biomass for energy and other timber production within management goals.
3. Undertake an inventory of the area assessing features that are appropriate for the goals and the intensity of management an owner desires.
4. In the planning stage, management objectives are reconciled with various ecological conditions and the choice of silvicultural practices.
5. Work schedules are developed.
6. For wood production, assessment data are used to develop a sustainable yield plan that will match silvicultural activities (e.g. thinning, preparation for regeneration, harvesting mature trees, etc.). At this point detailed consideration would be given to how biomass for bioenergy fits into the silvicultural plans and harvesting schedule. The size and frequency of the cuttting operations need to account for the size of a viable timber sale.
7. Estimate economic implications.
8. Planning horizons should seldom be longer than 30 years.
9. Computer-based decision support systems may be helpful in this planning.
10. Write an easy-to-follow plan
11. Be prepared to modify this plan to adapt to changing situations (adaptive management).

For further information on developing management plans, see Forest*A*Syst available online at http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/PB1679.pdf. This publication also provides information on prioritizing goals and an introduction to forest management and silviculture.

Other Issues

Thinning Young Pine

Supplies of biomass to a bioenergy industry will depend on a developed market and infrastructure in the region (see Economics). Provision of firewood is less demanding in these respects.

Transporting biomass requires careful planning to accomplish efficiency. In Nordic countries, where the industry is best developed, the cost of transport for 40 miles can account for more than half of the cost of feedstock at the industrial plant (Andersson and others 2002). Thus, the location of the land in relation to the industrial plant utilizing the biomass, together with the road network, are important factors to consider.

Likewise, depending on the type of biomass to be utilized, there can be considerable efficiencies if specialized harvesting equipment or contractors are available in the local region. Since topography has a high impact on procurement costs, steep slopes (>40%) reduce the possibilities for utilization. NIPF owners who have small areas may not have enough biomass available to make collection economical, unless they are working with other owners in the locality to provide work for at least two weeks (Williston 1978). Small owners tend to have small sales volumes, cramped landing areas, and need frequent shifting of machines among sites, all of which increase costs (Hakkila 2004). For more information, see the section on Harvesting.

Biomass for energy is typically a low-value product. Even so, its use can be beneficial. Even where the direct costs of the operation are not covered by the revenues generated, biomass utilization can reduce overall costs of silvicultural operations and reduce other risks, such as from fire, or give other benefits. Indirect costs also need to be accounted for, such as ensuring sustainability by applying ash or fertilizer (see Biological and Environmental Sustainability). Thus, it is important to integrate bioenergy production into stand silviculture and forest management.