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Forest Fuel Feasibility Study
Forest in North Central Washington have increased fuel loads primarily due to the aggressive fire suppression from the last century. A major decline in logging and wood removal (90%) in the last decade, as well as increased insect and disease problems has dramatically decreased much of our forests over all health. Timber sale activities remain low and there is an increased emphasis in road closures that create an even greater threat to fire danger and our ability to suppress it (or access lands to manage forest fuels).
Dense forest stands with high fuel loads have become an overall problem on private, state, and federal grounds with no economic means of feasibly reducing those fuel loads, thinning stands, removing, disposing or processing of the materials. While faced with concerns of catastrophic fire, ecological derogation, and economic depression, Ferry Conservation District has been working to find solutions that would help to solve some of the above problems while protecting other ecological concerns (ie. nesting trees, fish a wildlife habitat, nutrient recycling, etc).
The habitat portion of our study included using logs and root-wads, etc., and incorporating them into stream-bank stabilization and habitat improvement projects. This has already been implemented into all of our engineered designs and utilized throughout our management programs. The development of composting programs is in the works within our county; both on the farm storage scale and in a feasibility study of a commercial operation.
The results for the estimates for biomass availability for thinning and fuel reduction activities on a twenty year treatment cycle would amount to 473,695 GT per year. Allowances for reserved lands and inaccessible lands must be made before this figure can be used to make realistic projections. If we conservatively assume that only 50% of the potential amount could be recovered, we end up with a figure of 236,847.5 tons available per year. To this we then add the 137,498 tons of biomass available from timber harvest activities to arrive at a final value of an estimated annually available tonnage of 374,345.5 GT per year.
This study touched on just a few of the possibilities for utilizing biomass within the area. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of uses for biomass that are currently or soon will be available for the development of industry within the study area. While this study has demonstrated that there is sufficient material with in the study area to supply the needs of large industrial developments there was no way to ascertain the access to the material with any degree of certainty. Forest Service lands and the Tribal lands form the bulk of the timber holdings within the study area. The choice of which options to pursue will be heavily influenced by what industrial investors perceive to be the management philosophy that will be implemented on these lands. There must be a strong commitment from these two segments to provide an assured supply of material. Multi-million dollar project developers will not make commitments for investments of funds until there is a reasonable assurance of supply. Federal and tribal land and resource managers will need to engage in open collaborative planning processes with area and industry stakeholders to provide the required level of assurances to insure investment.
There is adequate supply from private property at current harvest and treatment rates to supply small to medium sized ventures with material provided that the venture can afford to pay for material at competitive rates. The concept of an industrial park for small biomass associated companies has some possibility to spur interest for the development of these small industries. The processing waste from these small business could be pooled to provide fuel for a biomass CHP plant to serve the thermal heating and electrical needs of the industrial park with excess electrical capacity, if any, sold to the wholesale market. If the industrial park was designed to host pilot plant scale demonstrations of emergent commercial processes, it could serve as a spring board for future expansion of the emerging industries as material feedstock becomes available. It could also serve as a site for research and development of new technologies. The successful development of such an industrial park would be a boon to the service and support industries in the area as well.
The FIBER, FUEL, AND HABITAT 2004 Report is available at the Ferry Conservation District. For more information please contact us.
Headwaters of the San Poil (HOSP)
In 2004, with funding from the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE), FCD staff set out to study water quality in the headwaters streams of the San Poil watershed. For 2 1/2 years, twice each month, we gathered water samples from fourteen different sites on six different tributary streams plus the main stem of the river. The data we collected has given us an accurate image of the river’s health. Staff is still compiling the data into a readable form. Check back with this site for the information in the near future.
To summarize, water quality in the upper San Poil is still good, although it could be improved, and we need to do what we can to protect its high quality. Most of the year the water is clear and cool. It was very reassuring to find out, and also gratifying to show the regulatory community, that we have been doing a good job of taking care of the San Poil.
With the help of our Project Management Team, we sought Best Management Practice (BMP) projects that will help us to maintain the river’s health. We implemented eight projects in the San Poil watershed. They are as simple as fencing cattle away from the stream-bank and as complex as rebuilding a quarter mile of stream channel. All eight projects have the same goal and will produce the same result: they will improve water quality in the San Poil River.
The final project summary is available in pdf format by following this link:
HOSP Final Report
Little-known fact about the name 'San Poil':
In the western U.S. the word San is usually the Spanish word for Saint… and surely people have been wondering for years who is this Saint Poil? In this case 'San' is French for without, and 'Poil' is derived from the French word for 'fur'; which to early trappers meant 'beaver'. A long time ago when somebody wrote San Poil on the map, it meant, “No beaver, so don’t go up there.” But the name stuck, and it is pleasant.
Ferry County Pride Guide
Spring Plant Sale and Conservation Fair
Well, it’s that time of year again! The time when Spring returns so many things to us -- birds, blooms, blossoms, warmer days and nights -- and the permission to finally give in to that eternal urge to dig in the dirt and plant, plant, plant! Excitement is in the air and we’re all waiting impatiently for those first buttercups to push bravely through the disappearing crusts of snow. Really! Spring’s Coming!!!
The Conservation District’s 2009 Spring Plant Sale and the Ferry County Conservation Fair are right around the corner. These events will be held at the Ferry County Fairgrounds April 17th and 18th. Our plant sale will begin Friday, April 17th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We’ll be available again on Saturday, April 18th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Conservation Fair will be held on Saturday, April 18th from 10a.m. - 1p.m., and it has the makings of a truly fascinating collection of booths and events! We will have composting, gardening, and tree planting workshops, and possibly a native plant walk. There will also be educational displays, conservation activities for kids, and food booths.
Plant sale brochures were mailed to everyone on our mailing list in early February. If you did not receive one, please be sure to let us know! We’ll send you one and update our mailing list, too! Or stop by our office for a visit and pick one up.
We have a great variety of fruit trees, shrubs, hardwood trees, and conifers for you to choose from! Grass seed is available again, too. Although we’ve only listed a few in our brochure, there are many additional lawn, habitat, and hay/pasture mixtures available. If you don’t see what you’re looking for in our brochure, please give us a call. We can send additional details to you and a special order form so you can find and order just what you need! Our grass seed supplier is Rainier Seed, a company that sells only the highest quality, certified grass seed.
The 2009 Spring Plant Sale and the Conservation Fair are part of Ferry County Pride Month, a series of positive community activities in celebration of Ferry County’s natural resources. The Pride Guide will be mailed early in April.
So grab your gardening gloves (to put you in the mood) and start planning your garden – if you haven’t already! We hope you’ll join us April 17th and 18th to greet the Spring of 2009!