The Department of Natural Resources has announced partnerships with 4 pilot biomass projects, including one involving IWF and our partner Atlas Pellets, the largest wood pellet producer in Washington State, to move renewable energy from woody biomass along in Washington State.  In a Press Release, Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark said that the four partnerships "will put their technologies to work using forest products they purchase from state trust lands to produce clean, sustainable energy and rural jobs".

The Atlas Pellets/IWF pilot project, the Okanogan Woody Biomass Demonstration Project, is based in the Okanogan and will utilize woody biomass recovered from forest restoration work done by local forest practitioners to produce wood pellets for heating. 

As the Press Release states:

"Removing biomass feedstock in ecologically sustainable ways to produce energy (liquid fuels or heat and electricity) can:
•    Provide income for forest landowners while improving forest health;
•    Create rural jobs;
•    Reduce wildfires and greenhouse gas emissions; and
•    Aid in the production of renewable energy."

Along with the announcement of the partnerships, the DNR has asked the Legislature to allow the DNR to enter into long-term biomass supply agreements on DNR lands with the partnership organizations to enable the partnerships to secure reliable and predictably priced biomass feedstock supplies.  The Forest Biomass Supply Agreements Bill (SB 6236/HB 2481) is an executive-request legislation from Commissioner Goldmark that will not cost the State any money and may over time generate revenues.  The forest restoration work involved in biomass recovery will also assist in the DNR's program of lessening the impacts of forest fires.

The announcement from the DNR comes on the heels of a successful grant award from the State's Department of Commerce for IWF/Atlas Pellets, working with the cities of Tonasket, Oroville and Omak to support the sales of pellet stoves in the Okanogan.  That grant, announced in early December, will assist residents, businesses and the local governments to swap out old wood and oil stoves for new pellet stoves, thus saving significant heating costs and decreasing GHG emissions.  If successful, the entire Okanogan Woody Biomass Demonstration Project will be replicated in other rural areas in Washington State and, in the process, will assist the State's efforts to shift over its energy usage to a larger percentage of renewable energy.