biomass.forestguild.org - 1033 Biomass for Energy in Interior Alaska

Biomass for Energy in Interior Alaska

Yukon Flats, AK
Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments
Submitted by Peter J. Olsen, President, Private Lands and Resource Consulting and John Vitello, Bureau of Indian Affairs

Project ID: 1033

1. Name - Biomass for Energy in Interior Alaska

This case study is the first of two that focus on Alaskan communities. Both of these case studies are of projects in the early stages of using woody biomass from forests for energy needs. Rural communities in Alaska have some of the highest energy costs in the nation, so as oil and gas prices increase so does the interest in using woody biomass from forests to satisfy energy needs.

from Presentation on Biomass for Yukon Flats Region

In the Yukon Flats region, The Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments is collaborating with other native groups and consultants to develop a plan to use woody biomass for energy. The plan aims for ecological, social, and economic sustainability and focuses on local investment and involvement. Currently the project is trying to increase both the local demand for fuel wood as well as a reliable fuel-wood supply and distribution system. On the demand side, the Gwitchyaa Zhee Corporation is constructing gasification biomass infrastructure in Fort Yukon. Much of the woody biomass supply will come from private native lands and will be harvested using current best-management practices for interior Alaska. Forest stewardship goals include:

Grow as much wood as is consumed
Protect the forest values identified by the local communities
Enhance wildlife habitat
Reduce fuels for wildfire mitigation

Because of the importance of subsistence hunting and gathering in the region, the project emphasizes the integration of wildlife population and habitat management. For example, harvests are one way to increase habitat quality for moose.

Gwitchyaa Zhee Corporation will endeavor to integrate active forest management activities with wildlife management and enhancement practices, wildfire risk mitigation, and economic development for the benefit of each whenever it is practical to do so." Gwitchyaa Zhee Corporation Forest Stewardship Plan

Spruce-dominated coniferous forests cover the majority of the Yukon Flats landscape and occupy a variety of site conditions. White spruce (Picea glauca) forests occur on warmer, drier sites on hillsides, in timberline areas, and along rivers. Black spruce (Picea mariana) is found in similar areas but has higher tolerance for poorly drained soils and extends into bottomlands and other wet areas. River meanders support a continuous succession of colonizing willow (Salix spp.) and alder
(Alnus spp.), followed by balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), which are eventually replaced by spruce. Recently disturbed sites, areas near timberline, north-facing slopes, and wetter areas support scrub communites dominated by
willow, alder, and dwarf birch (Betula spp.). Wildfires are a common event in the Yukon Flats. Like much of the interior Alaskan taiga forest, wildfires are an important part of the forest disturbance regime in the Yukon Flats. Periodic drying and flooding of shallow wetlands along with wildland fire help maintain diversity and productivity. Since 1981, Yukon Flats has had over 260 lightning-caused fires burn in excess of 2.5 million acres.

Gwitchyaa Zhee Corporation plan to use harvest systems that efficiently and economically harvest and haul forest products for fuel and materials within Yukon Flats. The Yukon Flats project estimates cordwood production costs to range from about $500 to $200 per cord as production increases from 500 tons a year to 2,000 tons a year. Consumption in the Yukon Flats region could be as much as 10,000 tons a year to meet heat and energy needs. Local forest resources produce approximately 18 tons of woody biomass per acre on a 60-year rotation. Based on these estimates, the demand for 10,000 tons per year could be met by harvesting about 555 acres a year. The project goals for 2008 include the purchase of harvest equipment, field trials and operator training, and the production of about 600 cords of firewood for wood boilers in Fort Yukon.

Little applied forestry has been practiced on Corporation lands. Consequently no direct experience can be tapped to direct a reforestation and tree growing program. Wildfires and river flooding have been the key disturbance mechanisms in the Yukon Flats
forest for millennia. Natural reforestation has been occurring on these disturbed sites for nearly as long and the land base exhibits some
recognizable patterns. Some burn sites have taken a relatively long
period of time to naturally re-establish themselves. There are some indications that the growing capacity of a number of burned sites
has been diminished. This may have resulted from the combustion of the soils humus and litter layers resulting in degraded fertility. White spruce is the best growing native conifer species available. Establishing white spruce through a tree planting or seeding program will require gathering seed from standing timber. If possible, the seedlings (seed) should be purchased through other established reforestation efforts
with similar site characteristics as is found in the Yukon Flats.

from Presentation on Biomass for Yukon Flats Region

Links

from Presentation on Biomass for Yukon Flats Region

	2	Land Ownership Tribal
	3	Location Yukon Flats, Alaska
	4	Forest Type Spruce - Birch
	Context
	5	Is this project a part of a landscape plan? Yes
	6	In a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)? No
	7	Acreage treated
	8	Type of contract
	9	Funding source
	10	Collaborators and partners
	11	Project start date Summer 2008
	12	Project completion date
	Treatment Goals
	13	Restoration, watershed or habitat improvement
	14
	15
	16
	17
	Treatment Specifics
	18	Primary treatment objective Supply fuel
	19	How does biomass removal fit with other objectives? Primary objective
	20	Treatment description
	21	Description of contractors
	22	Travel distance for contractors
	23	Type of equipment used
	24	Treatment of residual slash if any
	25	Treatment cost per acre
	26	Trucking costs
	Utilization
	27	Products from project
	28	Price for products
	29	Date of Sale
	30	Did biomass markets exist previous to project? No
	31	Type of utilization
	32	How well did the woody biomass match the utilization options?
	33	Distance to utilization
	Treatment guidelines, targets, limitations
	34	Diameter limit
	35	Basal area reduction
	36	Crown coverage
	37	Fuel loading
	38	Retention guidelines
	39	Treatment of snags and downed logs
	40	Soil impacts
	41	Other ecological impacts monitored
	Pre Treatment
	42	Fuel load
	43	Stem density (stems/ac)
	44	Basal area (ft2/ac)
	45	Canopy closure (%)
	46	Height to live crown base
	47	Snags and downed woody material
	48	Size class distribution
	49	Tree species composition
	50	Presence/absence of invasive species
	51	Soil and other ecological data
	Post Treatment
	52	Fuel load
	53	Stem density (stems/ac)
	54	Basal area (ft2/ac)
	55	Canopy closure (%)
	56	Height to live crown base
	57	Snags and downed woody material
	58	Size class distribution
	59	Tree species composition
	60	Presence/absence of invasive species
	61	Soil and other ecological data

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