The Skidder Online

Mark Ryans Webinar Slides and Audio

REQUEST for feedback!

Hi: I have one request and one resource to pass on. 

1. I have asked Rik Aikman, Environmental Coordinator for Buchanan Forest Products in Ontario and chair of the Ontario SFI Implementation Committee, to address our project on the topic of "Challenges facing the Forest Products Industry in Ontario.”  He will do this through a guest commentary on the Skidder.  Would you please hit the “comment” button below and list any specific questions that you would like Rik to address?  Please post your questions by Wednesday, July 30, so I can forward them to Rik in a timely manner.


2. Biomass Commodity Exchange:  I thought you might be interested in this recent announcement out of Madison, WI regarding the implementation of the Biomass Commodity Exchange (BCEX) project.  The project is charged with “creating an implementation plan for a commodity exchange as a means to increase the efficiency of the supply chain providing biomass to the existing biobased fuels industries and the emerging concept of the forest biorefinery”. The implementation plan will also examine “the future trade of closed-loop energy crops, such as willow, poplar and switchgrass and as an approach to offset CO2 emissions through synergies created with other regulated exchanges such as the Chicago Climate Exchange.  Organizers of the effort are seeking public and trade input to the business plan for a woody biomass commodity exchange.

Webinar: Opportunities and Challenges in Biomass Harvesting in Canada

Save the date!  10 a.m., Wednesday, August 20 Mark Ryans of FPInnovations will present a webinar, "Opportunities and Challenges in Biomass Harvesting in Canada," for our project on August 20 at 10 am. 

This is a reprise of the presentation he gave to our group during the trip to Thunder Bay.  Please RSVP to Lisa at lrluokkala@blandinfoundation.org, and feel free to invite others to attend. 

Here's a synopsis of what Mark will discuss: "The forest industry is a positive contributor to “green” energy across Canada. Moreover, it is well-positioned to take on a greater role in the emerging sector of renewable energy and chemicals from the forest. The recovery of harvest residues for bioenergy has occurred in Canada for over a decade, although until recently, there were only a limited number of operations. Compared to Nordic countries, we have some catching up to do in terms of our practices, guidelines and knowledge of the environmental impacts. However, time is of the essence if the industry is to seize the opportunity."

BURN-UP

Skidders - I attended a forestry meeting in the UP of Michigan this past weekend and heard a presentation from Chris Burnett – Consulting Forester on project BURN-UP (Biomass Utilization and Restoration Network in the Upper Peninsula). Some of their initiative is based on information obtained from Ontario and Sweden. It was an excellent presentation that relates well to our situation in northern MN. I think that we can learn a lot from the “Yoopers” in this arena. Here is a link to their website (http://upwoodybiomass.org/) and I also have a copy of his power-point presentation.

Mark Jacobs