On November 1, 2007 The Collins Companies and Marubeni Sustainable Energy hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new small diameter sawmill and a kickoff event for the Lakeview Biomass Energy Plant in Lakeview, Oregon.  The ceremony marked an important step for all involved in the pursuit of creative, collaboratively developed solutions to some of the forest health and economic issues being addressed in Lake County.

“Lake County is on a path toward leading the state of Oregon in renewable energy production.  The building of a new small diameter sawmill and a biomass plant that serve as tools to restore forest health is a new way of doing business and one that will serve as a model for other communities across the country,” said Jim Walls, Executive Director of the Lake County Resources Initiative.

The newly built $6.6 million small diameter sawmill will process small logs from the 80,000 acre Forest Stewardship Council certified Collins Lakeview Forest, in addition to logs from private timber owners, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Utilizing a “single pass machine” built by Coe Newnes McGehee (CNM), Tigard, Ore., the mill will be able to process logs less than 10 inches in diameter.  Many forests in the Northwest are overstocked with low-value small diameter timber due to decades of overharvest and fire suppression.

The $20-million Lakeview Biomass Plant, which is still in the planning stages, will be built at the Lakeview Sawmill.  It is expected to annually produce about 13 megawatts of renewable energy, enough to power over 10,000 single-family homes. The Lakeview plant will be the first new biomass facility in Oregon since 1992.

The two facilities are estimated to retain 80 jobs, according to Betty Riley, Executive Director of the South Central Oregon Economic Development District, Klamath Falls Ore. These facilities will allow for the local processing of some of the smaller woody material from public and private lands. The removal of this material will aid in forest restoration and help reduce the buildup of hazardous fuels.  “This is a win-win situation. These two new facilities will allow the county to benefit economically through responsible forest stewardship,” said Riley. 

After the ceremony, a 20-year Memorandum of Understanding was signed to confirm all cooperating organizations’ commitment to providing a predictable, economical and ecologically sustainable supply of biomass.  Signatories included The Collins Companies, Portland; Ore.; Marubeni Sustainable Energy, San Diego, Calif.; Lake County Resources Initiative; Fremont-Winema National Forests; Lakeview District of the Bureau of Land Management; Oregon Department of Forestry; Lake County; Town of Lakeview and City of Paisley.