New biomass harvesting guidelines released

June 30, 2010 – The Forest Guild’s
new Forest
Biomass Retention and Harvesting Guidelines for the Northeast address
questions of forest sustainability in a time of increasing interest in
harvesting forest biomass for energy security, climate mitigation, and economic
reasons. The guidelines are based on the best available science and are a
product of a six-month effort by a working group of 21 Forest Guild
members. The scientific background for the guidelines is summarized in an
accompanying document titled Ecology
of Deadwood in the Northeast. The working group also drew from existing
biomass harvesting guidelines developed by states and internationally. These
biomass harvesting guidelines are reviewed in the Guild’s newly released Revised
Assessment of Biomass Harvesting and Retention Guidelines.

The new Forest
Biomass Retention and Harvesting Guidelines for the Northeast are
intended to augment and enhance existing best management practices or
new state-based biomass guidelines that may, in some cases, leave managers and
policy makers looking for more detailed recommendations. It includes guidelines
and specific targets for retention of downed woody material, snags, and live
decaying trees, and offers data to tailor retention to forest type. It also
provides suggestions for forest harvest operations, silvicultural practices, and
carbon management. This is also the first time that carbon considerations have
been included in biomass harvesting guidelines.