Posted November 13, 2013
USDA recently announced an award of almost $10 million
to a consortium of academic, industry and government organizations led by
Colorado State University (CSU) and their partners to research the use of trees
killed by beetles as a sustainable feedstock for bioenergy. The USDA news release is available here.
The award is provided under the Agriculture and Food
Research Initiative (AFRI) and is part of USDA’s effort to develop modern
solutions for climate challenges in agriculture and natural resources
management. AFRI is provided under the
2008 Farm Bill.
Secretary Vilsack highlighted the need for passage of
the new farm bill, stating:
“Infestations of pine and spruce bark beetles have
impacted over 42 million acres of U.S. forests since 1996, and a changing
climate threatens to expand the threat from bark beetle on our forest lands…As
we take steps to fight the bark beetle, this innovative research will help take
the biomass that results from bark beetle infestation and create clean,
renewable energy that holds potential for job creation and promises a cleaner
future for America. This is yet another
reminder of the critical investments provided by the Farm Bill for agricultural
research, and I urge Congress to achieve passage of a new, long term Food, Farm
and Jobs Bill as soon as possible.”
CSU researchers and scientists from other universities,
government, and private industry in the region created the Bioenergy Alliance
Network of the Rockies (BANR) to address these challenges, according to an
article by the Aspen Business Journal available here.
“Utilization of the beetle-kill wood and other waste
biomass from forest thinning and fire hazard reduction has great potential for
biofuel production,” said Keith Paustian, professor at CSU and BANR project
director. “However, we need to carefully
assess both the economics and environmental impacts to maximize the benefits to
local communities and the country as a whole.”
For more information on renewable energy, please visit
the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
