Factors Affecting Increases in Factors Affecting Increases in Biomass Production From Biomass Production From

Maine ForestsMaine ForestsRobert G. Wagner1, Jeffrey G. Benjamin1, Aaron

R. Weiskittel1, and Kenneth M. Laustsen2

1School of Forest Resources, University of Maine2Maine Forest Service

Woody Biomass Energy Research SymposiumUniversity of Vermont, Burlington, VT,

April 28�30, 2011

Robert G. WagnerRobert G. Wagner11, Jeffrey G. Benjamin, Jeffrey G. Benjamin11, Aaron , Aaron R. WeiskittelR. Weiskittel11, and Kenneth M. Laustsen, and Kenneth M. Laustsen22

11School of Forest Resources, University of MaineSchool of Forest Resources, University of Maine22Maine Forest ServiceMaine Forest Service

Woody Biomass Energy Research SymposiumWoody Biomass Energy Research SymposiumUniversity of Vermont, Burlington, VT,University of Vermont, Burlington, VT,

April 28April 28��30, 201130, 2011

U.S. Biomass ResourceU.S. Biomass Resource

Maine Wood Processing FacilitiesMaine Wood Processing Facilities

Pulp & Pulp & Paper Paper MillsMills

SawmillsSawmillsBiomass Biomass Energy Energy PlantsPlants

Maine has a diverse forest products industry with a highly integrated processing and transportation system – All poised to immediately handle increased biomass yields if available.

Maine is Already Doing It!Maine is Already Doing It!•• 15 15 -- 20% of state harvest goes to 20% of state harvest goes to

produce electricity and into wood produce electricity and into wood stovesstoves

•• Wood provides over 20 Wood provides over 20 -- 25% of the 25% of the electrical generation in Maineelectrical generation in Maine

•• Highest proportion of biomass Highest proportion of biomass electrical generation in USelectrical generation in US

•• Highest nonHighest non--hydro renewable hydro renewable electrical generation in US because of electrical generation in US because of woodwood

Current Harvest in Current Harvest in MaineMaine’’s Forests Forest

• Forest industry currently harvests 15-17.5 million green tons of wood annually

• Harvest:Growth are currently in 1:1 balance

• It’s all biomass!!

Maine Wood Products Breakdown Maine Wood Products Breakdown 20082008

Energy Wood:

3.1 million green tons

Energy Energy Wood:Wood:

3.1 million 3.1 million green tonsgreen tons

Recent demand increase due to: • Loss of residues from mill shut downs• High oil prices• Renewable energy & climate policy (RGGI, RECs, BCAP)

Biomass Harvesting TrendBiomass Harvesting Trend

Source: Coup 2009

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

Mill

ions

of G

reen

Ton

s

Year

Biomass Chips Harvested from Maine Forests

Biomass chip harvest more than doubled

over past 5 years

BUT, total harvest decreased 9.5% from 2000 to 2008. So, change was a

shift from sawlog and pulpwood products

Source: Ken Laustsen, Maine Forest Service

Maine Harvest by Product 1904Maine Harvest by Product 1904--20082008(green tons, 5(green tons, 5--yr trailing average)yr trailing average)

Sustainable harvest level (~20 MM green tons)Sustainable harvest level (~20 MM green tons)

Most of the sustainable harvest is currently

being used by Maine forest products industry

Most of the sustainable harvest is currently

being used by Maine forest products industry

Can we Can we sustainably sustainably

increase biomass increase biomass production from production from MaineMaine’’s forest?s forest?

Methods of Increasing Methods of Increasing Biomass ProductionBiomass Production

1. Increasing harvest/utilization in stands being harvested

2. Entering stands previously considered as not commercial

3. Intensifying silviculture to increase stand growth and yield (and allowable cut)

Sawlogs� Sawlogs�

Pulpwood� Pulpwood�

Energy�wood� Energy�wood�

Improved�u liza on�(FIA)�

Thinning�fully�stocked�stands�(BTR)�

More�intensive�silviculture�(UMaine)�

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5�

10�

15�

20�

25�

30�

35�

40�

Current�Harvest�(2008)� Biomass�Increase�Es mate�

Woo

dy�Biomas�(m

illion�green�tons)�

Most Optimistic Biomass Additions Most Optimistic Biomass Additions to Current Maine Harvestto Current Maine Harvest

~150% increase

above current

harvest level possible ???

Saw

log

Pulp

Pulp

Sources of Biomass for Increased Sources of Biomass for Increased UtilizationUtilization

Energy Wood

Energy Wood

Ener

gy W

ood

Ener

gy W

ood

How much more energy wood can

we get?

Reduction in Harvest / Utilization from Current Reduction in Harvest / Utilization from Current HarvestsHarvests

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1�

2�

3�

4�

5�

6�

7�

8�

9�

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11�

12�

13�

14�

Poten al�Available� Realis c�U liza on�with�Biomass�Reten on�

Guidelines�

Woo

dy�Biomass�(M

illion�Green

�Ton

s)�

Saplings�

Salvable�Dead�Trees�15.0"+�DBH�

Salvable�Dead�Trees�5.0�‐�14.9"�DBH�

Cull�Trees�15.0"+�DBH�

Cull�Trees�13.0�‐�14.9"�DBH�

Cull�Trees�5.0�‐�12.9"�DBH�

Branches�&�Tops�

Larger cull and dead trees left

Only 66% available

Only 15% available in forwarder trails

Only 3.8 million green tons feasibly available with

biomass retention

guidelines

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Billion�Tons�Report�Es mate�(Increased�u liza on�from�exis ng�

fuel�treatment�thinnings)�

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Woo

dy�Biomass�(m

illion�grren�tons)�

Reduction in Billion Tons Report Estimate of Reduction in Billion Tons Report Estimate of Additional Biomass Available From Overstocked Additional Biomass Available From Overstocked

StandsStands

Only 1.5 million green tons feasibly available with feasible harvest

of fully and overstocked stands

Source: Ken Laustsen, Maine Forest Service

Optimum

Herbicide (x1000 acres)PCT (x1000 acres)

30% increase in annual sustainable harvest possibleME is here

Source: Wagner, Bowling, and Seymour. 2003. Maine Forest and Agriculture Experiment Station, Technical Bulletin 186. 105 p.

Go this

way

, Alic

e

Increasing MaineIncreasing Maine’’s Annual s Annual Sustainable Harvest LevelSustainable Harvest Level

Increased Silvicultural Increased Silvicultural Investment on Extensively Investment on Extensively

Managed ForestManaged Forest• Invest in highest productivity sites (top

quartile of sites, SI50 76 - 99) = 455,936 acres

• Double annual yields on those acres from 0.37 to 0.74 cords/A/yr through more intensive silviculture (vegetation management and PCT)

• Could produce an additional 169,608 cords per year or 0.61 million green tons per year in additional merchantable wood and

i t d idSource: Ken Laustsen, Maine Forest Service

Sawlogs� Sawlogs�

Pulpwood� Pulpwood�

Energy�wood� Energy�wood�

0�

5�

10�

15�

20�

25�

30�

35�

40�

45�

50�

Current�Harvest�(2008)� Adjusted�Biomass�Increase�Poten al�

Woo

dy�Biomas�(m

illion�green�tons)�

Sustainable Biomass Additions Sustainable Biomass Additions to Current Maine Harvestto Current Maine Harvest

~40% Increase above current

harvest level (or ~2X more energy wood) reasonably

available

Can we capture this increased

amount???

Improved utilization (65%)

Harvest from uncommercial stands (25%)

More intensive silviculture (10%)

Additional 5.9 million green tons

Constraints to Constraints to Increased Increased UtilizationUtilization

Biomass Recovery Technology Currently Biomass Recovery Technology Currently Based on a Sawlog & Pulpwood Based on a Sawlog & Pulpwood

TechnologyTechnology

Pic of a chipper

Photo credit: Jeff Benjamin

Photo credit: Jeff BenjaminPhoto source: www.ces.ncsu.edu/forestry/biomass/pubs/WB011.pdf

Physical & Financial LimitationsPhysical & Financial Limitations

Source: Benjamin, 2010, UMaine

• Can contractors afford to own and operate specially designed equipment?

New TechnologyNew Technology

John Deere 1490D Slash Bundler

$600,000$600,000

Landowner / Logger Incentive to Produce BiomassLandowner / Logger Incentive to Produce Biomass

Stumpage Price by Wood Product for Maine (2004-08)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Veneer Sawlog Studwood Boltwood Pallet Pulpwood Firewood (EnergyWood)

Biomass

Wood Product

Pric

e ($

/ gr

een

ton)

Source: Maine Forest Service Stumpage Price Reports

Price incentive

Biomass is available today only because it is subsidized by higher

value sawlogs & pulpwood

Biomass Retention GuidelinesBiomass Retention Guidelines

Public Perceptions of Biomass Harvesting

“The Fear”

Public Perceptions of Public Perceptions of Biomass HarvestingBiomass Harvesting

““The FearThe Fear””

Biomass Harvesting“The Reality”

Biomass HarvestingBiomass Harvesting““The RealityThe Reality””

Biomass harvesting will force unsustainable logging is a #1 concern of the public and those in mill towns (Marciano et al. 2009)

47% of small woodland owners are either somewhat or very unfamiliar with biomass harvesting (Leahy 2010)

25% of the small woodland owners who want to harvest are concerned about biomass harvesting (Leahy 2010)

Biomass harvesting will force unsustainable Biomass harvesting will force unsustainable logging is a #1 concern of the public and logging is a #1 concern of the public and those in mill towns those in mill towns (Marciano et al. 2009)(Marciano et al. 2009)

47% of small woodland owners are either 47% of small woodland owners are either somewhat or very unfamiliar with biomass somewhat or very unfamiliar with biomass harvesting harvesting (Leahy 2010)(Leahy 2010)

25% of the small woodland owners who want 25% of the small woodland owners who want to harvest are concerned about biomass to harvest are concerned about biomass harvesting harvesting (Leahy 2010)(Leahy 2010)

Constraints to Constraints to More TSI & More TSI & Thinning in Thinning in

Overstocked Overstocked SmallSmall--Dimension Dimension

StandsStands

Overstocked Stand Needing TSI and ThinningOverstocked Stand Needing TSI and Thinning

Overstocked softwood standsOverstocked softwood standsOverstocked softwood stands

Overstocked mixedwood standsOverstocked mixedwood standsOverstocked mixedwood stands

•• Over 1.1 million acres available Over 1.1 million acres available above current harvest of above current harvest of ““fully fully stockedstocked”” and and ““overstockedoverstocked””landslands

•• Could feasibly thin or TSI an Could feasibly thin or TSI an additional 37,600 acres per yearadditional 37,600 acres per year

•• Gain an additional 1.5 million Gain an additional 1.5 million green tons of biomass per yeargreen tons of biomass per year

•• Improve the growth, Improve the growth, composition, and financial value composition, and financial value of future forestof future forest

TSI Harvesters for Small Diameter StemsTSI Harvesters for Small Diameter Stems

Tigercat 822 with a low tail swing for “strip” thinning

Constraints to Constraints to More Intensive More Intensive

SilvicultureSilviculture

Maine Forestland Ownership Maine Forestland Ownership ChangesChanges

Source: Hagan, J.M., L.C. Irland, and A.A. Whitman. 2005. Changing timberland ownership in the Northern Forest and implications for biodiversity. Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Report # MCCS-FCP- 2005-1, Brunswick, Maine, 25 pp.

Decline in Silvicultural InvestmentsDecline in Silvicultural Investments

Area of Tree Planting, Herbicide Application, and PCT in Maine from 1994-2008

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

Land

are

a (x

1000

acr

es) Herbicide

PCTPlanting

Maine Stumpage Revenues on Wood Products Maine Stumpage Revenues on Wood Products (1996(1996--2008)2008)

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Stat

ewid

e R

even

ue (m

illio

n $)

Sawlog PulpwoodBiomass

Source: Maine Forest Service, Stumpage Price and Wood Processor Reports

Sawlogs and pulpwood subsidize biomass Same tons

harvested in 2008

Landowners have no financial incentive to produce more biomass. Only is possible as a

byproduct of harvesting higher value products

Maine Partial CuttingMaine Partial Cutting

ShortShort--Rotation Woody Crops for the NERotation Woody Crops for the NE

Hybrid poplar

Willow• Available markets?• Relatively stable prices?• Government subsidies?• Bad memories from 1970s? • Amount of suitable land?

ShortShort--Rotation Woody Crop Opportunities in Rotation Woody Crop Opportunities in Maine?Maine?

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Timberland ‐ Rural

Timberland ‐ Other Forestland

Timberland ‐ Urban Forestland

Forested Land ‐ Productive Reserved

Forested Land ‐ Unproductive Reserved

Forested Land ‐ Other

Nonforest Land ‐ Cropland

Nonforest Land ‐ Pasture

Nonforest Land ‐ Other

Nonforest Land ‐ Noncensus Water

Million Acres

20062001

Source: Aaron R. Weiskittel and David Timmons. 2010. Evaluation of short rotation woody crops and perennial grasses in Maine

Only 2.7% of the Maine’s land area (~537,000 acres) is currently available for SRWC.

ConclusionConclusion• Energy wood (biomass) will continue to be

an important byproduct from Maine’s naturally regenerated and extensively managed forest – Can’t all be sold as sawlogs or pulpwood

• Current biomass harvests and any future increases in biomass will depend upon having a strong building and paper products industry

• Maine has the potential to sustainably double its energy wood production, BUT many significant and complex constraints

Many Many ““MoonsMoons”” Have to Align to Capture Have to Align to Capture Potential for Increased Biomass ProductionPotential for Increased Biomass Production

Strong Strong sawlog & sawlog & pulpwood pulpwood

marketsmarkets

Public Public perceptionsperceptions

Future Future pest pest

outbreaksoutbreaks

Suitable Suitable land &land &

economics economics for SRWCfor SRWC

Legacy of Legacy of partial partial cuttingcutting

Incentives Incentives to produce to produce low value low value

wood wood

Land Land ownership ownership changes changes

Logging Logging technology & technology &

capacitycapacity

Biomass Biomass retention retention guidelinesguidelines

Biomass Biomass market market

availability availability & volatility& volatility

These These ““MoonsMoons”” Have to Align to Capture Have to Align to Capture Potential for Increased Biomass ProductionPotential for Increased Biomass Production

ITIT’’S NOT EASY S NOT EASY BEING OPTIMISTIC!BEING OPTIMISTIC!

Strong Strong

sawlog & sawlog &

pulpwood pulpwood

marketsmarkets

Public Public

perceptions

perceptions

Future Future

pest pest

outbreaksoutbreaks

Suitable Suitable

land &land &

economics

economics

for SRWCfor SRWC

Legacy of Legacy of

partial partial

cuttingcutting

Incentives Incentives

to produce

to produce

low value low value

wood wood

Land Land

ownership

ownership

changes changes

Logging Logging

technology &

technology &

capacitycapacity

Biomass Biomass

retention retention

guidelinesguidelines

Biomass Biomass

market market

availability

availability

& volatility& volatility