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Biomass can be made up of any fibrous material such as used
pallets, construction waste, downed trees, underbrush and invasive
tree species, municipal waste piles or sub-merchantable wood.
Lambert's is one of the very few forest management companies
that will remove biomass from your property. In addition to the
aforementioned waste products, biomass includes the tree tops,
limbs, needles, leaves, and other woody parts that most loggers
leave behind. This practice leaves you with a more aesthecially
pleasing forest, diverse and healthier growth, it decreases the
risk from wild-fire and can increase and improve the habitat for
wildlife. Leaving the slash on the forest floor can also make your
forest more susceptible to insect infestation.
For many, the removal of the biomass is considered an
environmentally friendly process largely because the slash created
during a logging operation can be chipped and used for the
production of electricity or heat in cogeneration power plants.
There can be some limitations for biomass harvesting. Terrain,
types of harvests such as clear cutting vs. single tree selection,
small volume sales, and depleted soil types. The State has
developed biomass harvesting guidelines or BMG's to assist in
determining whether or not a site is appropriate for biomass
removal.
Environmental benefits of woody biomass:
• Less emissions (sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxide,
mercury and particulates) than coal.
• Woody biomass is carbon neutral. If not burned, wood releases
carbon dioxide as it decomposes.
• Less ash is produced compared to coal, reducing landfill.
• Promotes healthy forests and reduces the risk of devastating
fires.
• As a local product, the fuel does not have to be transported as
far as coal sources.
• Provides a beneficial use for material that has been considered
a detriment and taken to the landfill.
Economic benefits of local woody biomass:
• Uses existing power plants and electric transmission
lines.
• One of the least-expensive forms of renewable energy. The
delivered cost is much less than the cost of delivered wind and
solar.
• Benefits the local economy by generating jobs in the collection
and transporting of forest and other wood products.
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