April 6-7, 2006 ~ Running Y Ranch ~ Klamath Falls, OR

Day One: April 6, 2006

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Commissioner John Elliott, Klamath County, OR
Chairman Allen Foreman, The Klamath Tribes

Plenary Case Studies

This plenary session will showcase projects and/or programs that integrate ecological, economic, and community needs through the management and utilization of forest biomass material. The objective of this session is to share lessons learned and examples of community-driven solutions, and to provide a common framework and point of discussion for participants to reference during panels, technical sessions, and roundtable discussions.
Case Studies to be Presented:

• Warm Springs – Larry Potts, Warm Springs Forest Products
• Lakeview, Oregon – Jim Walls, Lake County Resources Initiative & Catherine Mater, Mater Engineering

Concurrent Sessions in Three Tracks

Ecological Effects Track:
Skills and Tools for Monitoring (Technical Session)
This session will introduce participants to monitoring projects currently in place to investigate the ecological effects of biomass utilization projects. Workshop leaders will teach participants about monitoring process and principles, selecting and measuring key indicators, data collection and databases, data analysis, sharing lessons learned, and additional resources that they can draw from to develop monitoring projects in the future.
Session Experts:
Nick Goulette, Watershed Research and Training Center
Nils Christoffersen, Wallowa Resources

Economic Considerations Track:
Economic Short Term and Long Term Sustainability: Does it Pencil Out? (Panel Presentation)
A panel will consider both operating and proposed biomass projects and demonstrate whether or not they are economically sustainable with consideration given to raw material and production costs, market trends and prices, and incentive, credit and subsidy programs.
Moderator: Ryan Temple, Sustainable Northwest
Panel Speakers:
Cal Mukumoto, Warm Springs Forest Products Industries
Glen Zane, Continental Resource Solutions
David Schmidt, Sustainable Northwest

Mixed Track:
Biomass Technologies: Real and Emerging (Technical Session) Experts in the field will detail the pros and cons of various biomass-to-energy technologies including standard power generation, co-generation (electricity and heat/steam), and gasification, as well as a number of emerging and alternative technologies, all at a variety of feasible scales.
Session Experts:
Larry Swan, USDA Forest Service (with information generously provided by TSS Consultants)
Jan Barynin, DynaMotive Energy Systems Corporation (including publication: DynaMotive BioOil Book)

Concurrent Sessions in Three Tracks

Ecological Effects Track:
Making Biomass Work for the Forest (Panel Presentation)
This panel will present concepts and science detailing the ways in which forest treatments that include biomass removal can lead to the restoration of forest structure and function in fire adapted ecosystems. Presentations will focus on the relationships between mechanical biomass removal and natural disturbance regimes and their respective effects on forest structure and function.
Moderator: Maia Enzer, Sustainable Northwest
Panel Speakers:
Todd Schulke, Southwest Center for Biological Diversity
Carl Skinner, USDA Forest Service, PSW Silvicultural Lab
Warren Alford, Sierra Forest Protection Campaign
Darren Borgias, The Nature Conservancy, Oregon

Economic Considerations Track:
Scalable Economic Modeling (Technical Session)
Social, ecological and capital constraints will influence the size of projects considered. This session will familiarize participants with economic models that address a variety of scales. Participants will walk through the use of the models including determining key inputs and assumptions.
Session Experts:
Jeremy Fried, USDA Forest Service, PNW Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
Catherine Mater, Mater Engineering

Concurrent Sessions in Three Tracks

Ecological Effects Track:
Ecological Principles (Discussion Group)
Discussion will focus on the range of ecological principles that can guide responsible harvest and utilization of forest biomass. Participants will discuss considerations for protecting and enhancing wildlife habitat, non-timber forest products, native plant communities, ecosystem function, soil compaction, nutrient cycling, and more.
Moderator: Maia Enzer, Sustainable Northwest
Group Experts:
Eric Holst, The Forest Guild
Rick Brown, Defenders of Wildlife
Oshana Catranides, Lomakatsi Restoration Project

Economic Considerations Track:
Pricing, Markets, and Financial Support (Panel Presentation) Biomass generation from well-managed forests has values that may exceed those of traditional, fossil fuel-based energy. Panelists will discuss how those values can be quantified, and review market and policy developments that could help increase support for this tool. The present and future of renewable energy credits, carbon credit trading, and “green power” premiums will be discussed, along with examples of current efforts to capture the value of biomass generation.
Moderator: Jim Walls, Lake County Resources Initiative
Group Experts:
Dr. Mark Nechodom, USDA Forest Service SW Research Station
Mark Trexler, Trexler Climate + Energy Services

Mixed Track:
Oregon Biomass Opportunities, Barriers and Strategies
The Oregon Forest Resources Institute is sponsoring a study of opportunities for biomass energy and biofuels from Oregon forests. This session will feature an open discussion by conference attendees on the opportunities for biomass development, the barriers or constraints for biomass development, and potential strategies to overcome these constraints and take advantage of these opportunities.
Group Experts:
Mike Cloughesy, Oregon Forest Resources Institute
Roger Lord, Mason, Bruce and Girard
Melanie Stidham, OSU Forest Resources Department

Day Two: April 7, 2006

Plenary Case Studies

This plenary session will showcase projects and/or programs that integrate ecological, economic, and community needs through the management and utilization of forest biomass material. The objective of this session is to share lessons learned and examples of community-driven solutions, and to provide a common framework and point of discussion for participants to reference during panels, technical sessions, and roundtable discussions.
Case Studies to be Presented:

• SBS Wood Shavings – Sherry and Glen Barrow, SBS Wood Shavings & Constance Zipperer, USFS-Lincoln NF
• Apache Sitgreaves – Rob Davis, Forest Energy Corporation
• Watershed Research & Training Center – Lynn Jungwirth

Concurrent Sessions in Three Tracks

Policy Implications Track:
Federal and State Grant Programs (Technical Session)
This session will focus on the details of the existing grant programs aimed at facilitating biomass utilization the national level, as well as programs in the state of Oregon. National programs will be outlined and participants will learn about available funds, program requirements, and preparing competitive proposals. Oregon programs will be outlined as a means of detailing how other states might attempt to facilitate biomass utilization.
Moderator: Lynn Jungwirth, Watershed Research & Training Center
Session Experts:
Mark Kendall, Oregon Department of Energy
Adam Serchuk, Energy Trust of Oregon
Don Hollis, USDA Rural Development

Making It Happen Track:
From Idea to Implementation: The Process of Development (Panel Presentation)
This panel will teach participants about the interests, costs and requirements of the most important players in the process of developing a biomass power project. It is designed to provide participants with an understanding of the complexity and dynamics of shepherding biomass utilization from a concept to on-the-ground operation. From consultants who help with assessing overall feasibility, to understanding the role and interests of utilities and power purchasers, to working through state and federal regulation, and finally, to the interests and requirements of developers, community leaders must work with a very diverse array of interests and issues.
Moderator: Lynn Jungwirth, Watershed Research & Training Center
Panel Speakers:
Larry Swan, USDA Forest Service/Blair Moody, Bureau of Land Management
Greg Corbin, Stoel Rives, LLP
Paul Woodin, Western Wind Power
Glen Zane, Continental Resource Solutions

Mixed Track:
Making Biomass Work for the Forest (Panel Presentation)
This panel will present concepts and science detailing the ways in which forest treatments that include biomass removal can lead to the restoration of forest structure and function in fire adapted ecosystems. Presentations will focus on the relationships between mechanical biomass removal and natural disturbance regimes and their respective effects on forest structure and function.
Moderator: Maia Enzer, Sustainable Northwest
Panel Speakers:
Todd Schulke, Southwest Center for Biological Diversity
Carl Skinner, USDA Forest Service PSW Silvicultural Lab
Warren Alford, Sierra Forest Protection Campaign
Darren Borgias, The Nature Conservancy, Oregon

Concurrent Sessions in Three Tracks

Policy Implications Track:
Goals and Performance Measures (Panel Presentation)
Panelists will discuss the goals and associated performance measures of the current biomass policies of the federal government and the federal land management agencies. Discussion will focus on the details of the agencies’ strategic plans for biomass utilization, and how they plan on evaluating successes and failures over time.
Moderator: Scott Aycock, Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council
Panel Speakers:
Jim Hallberg, Bureau of Land Management
Ed Gee, U.S. Forest Service
Bill Carlson, (Western Governors Association) Carlson Small Power Consultants

Making it Happen Track:
Partnerships for Developing Community-based Power (Panel Presentation)
Financing biomass power projects requires complex institutional arrangements that may involve private industry, utilities, grants and incentives, and private capital. This panel will explore the “requirements” and interests of various potential financing partners, and provide examples of institutional arrangements that may be used by rural communities to leverage capital for development.
Moderator: James Honey, Sustainable Northwest
Panel Speakers:
Paul Woodin, Western Wind Power
Ted Bernhard, Stoel Rives, LLP

Concurrent Sessions in Three Tracks

Policy Implications Track:
Policy Priorities (Panel Presentation)
National and regional groups will outline and discuss their priorities for affecting change upon national policy to facilitate biomass utilization. Discussion will focus on current policy shortcomings and institutional barriers to successful biomass utilization, and investigate policies being to pursued to overcome these shortcomings and barriers.
Moderator: Lynn Jungwirth, Watershed Research & Training Center
Group Experts:
Gerry Gray, American Forests
Nick Goulette, Watershed Research and Training Center
Jay Jensen, Western Forest Leadership Council

Making it Happen Track:
Biomass Technologies: Real and Emerging (Technical Session)
Experts in the field will detail the pros and cons of various biomass-to-energy technologies including standard power generation, co-generation (electricity and heat/steam), and gasification, as well as a number of emerging and alternative technologies, all at a variety of feasible scales.
Moderator: David Schmidt, Sustainable Northwest
Session Experts:
Larry Swan, USDA Forest Service (with information generously provided by TSS Consultants)
Jan Barynin, DynaMotive Energy Systems Corporation (including publication: DynaMotive BioOil Book)

Mixed Track:
Upper Klamath Basin: Organizing for Forest Management and Biomass Utilization (Discussion Group)
Space will be available for parties interested in forest management and biomass utilization in the Upper Klamath Basin to meet and discuss opportunities for local action.
Discussion leaders:
Bob Rogers, Oregon Institute of Technology
Trey Senn, Klamath County Economic Development Association