BLM Utah Biomass Resources Partnership Project

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Background: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Forestry Program has been working to encourage collaboration among agency and industry biomass stakeholders. Opportunities for biomass utilization in BLM Utah are great; however, currently available markets and costs associated with removing/hauling material make small scale utilization profit negligible. In many instances, in regard to restoration treatments, biomass utilization as opposed to mastication or burning can be viewed as financially impractical while the overall ecosystem and carbon benefit of biomass removal is greater. In order to financially balance land management goals into the future, upfront investment into biomass utilization efforts will be needed to increase local and rural capacities for the marketability of biomass. With a functioning biomass market in Utah, industry may contribute to local and rural economies while better meeting land management goals. New products and technologies in biomass utilization are on the horizon. A very limited biochar reclamation pilot test project has already been initiated between the BLM, USFS, Utah State University, and Questar Exploration & Production Company (QEP) on a single well site located within the Red Wash Oil Field of the Uinta Basin. This partnership will aim to expand the very limited ongoing pilot project to encompass the testing of additional soil profiles within the Basin as well as obtain resources in kind from interested oil and gas operations who would like to participate in the biochar soil amendment pilot. There is great interest in learning reclamation techniques of disturbed arid lands, and there is an abundant supply of disturbed sites of varying soil and vegetation attributes to apply differing techniques. Therefore, this project concept has already proven to be quite feasible and is appearing to be productive in nature. Objectives: The main purpose of this partnership is to create a well-rounded and functioning collaborative group that will facilitate the utilization of biomass, assist in establishing a biomass market, generate community support, add to the local economy, and help meet forest and woodland health and management goals. Additionally, this group will help land management agencies provide a leading role in fulfilling goals for a new energy economy based on a rapid and responsible move to large-scale production of solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass energy. BLM Utah is looking to form a partnership to share a multitude of support and participation in efforts to foster and maintain the local and regional use of woody bio-renewable products from Public Lands. Participating representatives currently include BLM Utah, Forest Service, Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, Utah Department of Natural Resources, Utah Partners for Conservation Development, Farm Services Agency, Governors Energy Advisor, Utah Department of Agriculture, USU Forestry Extension and multiple interested private individuals and industry. This partnership would provide science as the source of information and facilitation to enable BLM to collaborate with other partners and agencies concerning woody biomass issues statewide. This information will be synthesized and used to direct sound land management decisions that directly benefit public resources. Public Benefit: Over the last several decades, energy related development has resulted in the disturbance of several thousand acres of salt and sodium affected soils that have not been successfully reclaimed. This has resulted in a large increase in erosion and sediment rates and corresponding salt amounts. Creating biochar soil amendments will help sustain and enhance soil and site stability as well as sequester carbon within the soil. By learning what is required to reclaim disturbed arid lands with high sodium and salt contents, then energy developers will be able to apply the improved techniques to disturbed areas, thereby reaching the goal of successful reclamation. There is considerable interagency, academic and energy industry project support. Interested and/or participating stakeholders include: BLM, USFS, State of Utah, local county governments, oil and gas industry operators, reclamation service contractors, land treatment stewardship contractors, Uintah Basin Campus of Utah State University through the Bingham Entrepreneurial and Energy Center and Utah State University. The need to improve reclamation success in areas where reclamation failure has been quite high is supported by the public, local government and environmental groups. Biomass utilization techniques benefit the public by stimulating and benefitting rural economies. Water quality and quantity are also improved when reclamation techniques are successful on public lands and ecosystem services are properly restored.

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