Washington state requests biomass supply study

Aug. 23,
2010, Olympia, WA – The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
has released a request for proposals to assess forest biomass availability and
sustainable harvest thresholds on forested lands throughout Washington state.
In July 2010, DNR received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Forest Service, with a portion of the funds allocated to the study.

“We are
serious about sustainability in our forests and applying science to make sure
our forests will be healthy now and generations into the future,” says
Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark. “This study will provide us and
prospective biomass investors with critical information that can be used to
determine the best locations, scales, and processing technologies for forest
biomass in the future. It is a very important next step of this emerging
industry.”

As
directed by the 2010 legislative bill, 2SHB 2481 on long-term supply
agreements, the DNR must complete a supply study prior to being authorized to
enter into long-term agreements for forest biomass from public lands. The bill
was intended to foster the continued growth of Washington’s bioenergy sector;
the study will ensure that as the bioenergy sector grows, it will do so
sustainably.

Information
on the request for proposals is available at:
www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/em_rfp_forest_biomass_supply_assessment.pdf.
Proposals are due September 13, 2010. Work is requested to begin November 1,
2010, and is expected to be completed within six months.