Harnessing Biomass

1
Harnessing Biomass

• Biomass Supply from the Nipissing Forest
  Opportunities Challenges from a Forest Managers
  Perspective
• Peter Street, R.P.F
• General Manager, Nipissing Forest Resource
  Management Inc.

2
Overview

• Understanding the numbers
• Volume of round wood available
• Volume of tops braches
• Advantages of increase utilization
• Challenges to moving forward
• Recommendations

3
Background Quick Facts

• Nipissing Forest
• 11,932 sq km of which 578,000 ha of productive
  forest land available for management
• Population of approx. 90,000 within the forest
• Allowable harvest is 712,000 m3/yr - but only
  410,000 m3/yr being harvested on average (50
  less this year)
• Average yield - 82 m3/ha
• 1.5 million spent on silviculture annually

4
Understanding the Numbers Volume of Round Wood
Available

• The Forest Management Plan identifies what areas
  are available for harvest on a sustainable basis
• Available harvest volumes by species products
  are identified in FMP Table 18
• Projected utilization by recognized mills is
  identified in FMP Table 19

5
Understanding the Numbers Volume of Round Wood
Available

• The Forest Resource Inventory identifies tree
  species, ages, heights stocking levels
• Volume tables are used to convert FRI information
  into volumes by species and products
• Volume estimates are compared to past harvest
  yields adjusted if required

6
Understanding the Numbers Volume of Round Wood
Available

•  
• The Forest Management Plan balances economic,
  social environmental considerations
• Social considerations include, parks protected
  areas, old growth, protection for canoe routes,
  cross country ski trails, etc.
• Environmental considerations include wildlife
  habitat requirements, protection of water
  quality, etc.
• Economic considerations are primarily based upon
  the industrial demand on the forest
•  

7
Understanding the Numbers Volume of Round Wood
Available  

• The industrial demand (by species products) is
  based upon
• MNR Directives Supply Agreements
• MROLs MNR Recognized Operating Levels
• Past open market purchases
• To meet the Industrial Demand some surplus
  volumes are also generated

8
Understanding the Numbers Volume of Round Wood
Available

• Allocations are given to recognized licensees
  (harvesters) based upon their harvest rights
• 100 of the harvesting rights have been allocated
  on the forest
• Each Licensee has an Overlapping Licence
  Agreement (OLA) with the SFL and these are 5 year
  agreements

9
Understanding the Numbers Volume of Round Wood
Available

• This type of arrangement varies across the
  Province Single entity SFLs and Co-op type SFLs
• Harvesting Rights can be bought sold from
  existing licensees
• OLAs identifies wood directives and what wood can
  be sold on an open market basis

10
Understanding the Numbers Volume of Round Wood
Available

• So what are the volumes available?
• FMP Total Annual Volume Available 712,200 m3
• Unutilized (Surplus) Annual Volume 13,935 m3
• Annual Volumes to Quebec (other than Tembec
  Temiscaming) 10,674 m3
• Total Potential Annual Volume (Unutilized
  Quebec Wood) 24,609 m3

11
Understanding the Numbers Volume of Round
Wood Available

• So why did the MNR announce that there was
  309,100 m3 available annually from the Nipissing
  Forest that is a difference of 284,491 m3 ?
• The difference is the actual average level of
  utilization from the forest
• Which numbers should I use or consider available?
• That is the question?

12
Understanding the Numbers Volume of Round
Wood Available

• The reasons for the difference between volumes
  available and actual utilization are
• Our forest are very mixed and you need to have
  markets for all the species before you can
  operate in the stand
• Many stands are of low quality and low volume and
  cannot be economically harvested
• Currently there are insufficient markets for all
  of the low quality fibre

13
Understanding the Numbers Volume of Round
Wood Available

• If you can
• Find markets for all species
• Find ways to economically harvest low volume
  stand
• Then all this wood becomes available

14
Understanding the Numbers Volume of Tops
Branches Available

• MNR identified 394,900 m3 available annually in
  their request for expressions of interest
• Tops branches are currently being ground for
  hog fuel the initial yields are averaging 20 m3
  per hectare of cutover
• If we use this factor to stands normally
  delimbed at roadside this would work out to
  approximately 72,000 m3 annually

15
Understanding the Numbers Volume of Tops
Branches Available

• Again there is a huge range in the estimated
  volumes (322,900 m3/yr)
• The volumes of tops branches will also be
  effected by
• The silvicultural system being implemented
  (shelterwood selection harvesting)
• Advances in equipment design

16
Understanding the Numbers Volume of Tops
Branches Available

• Currently unutilized tops branches are required
  to be piled burnt
• Licensees would prefer not to have the expense of
  piling
• This material is under the control of the
  Licensee until the block has been closed in a
  compliance report
• In order to utilize tops branches an
  Overlapping Licence Agreement is required with
  the SFL
• The OLA will specify management fees and road
  responsibilities

17
Advantages to Increased Utilization

• Full utilization of the forest would almost
  double the current workforce in the bush and
  create 150 new jobs
• Increased harvest yields are expected to provide
• Additional revenue for forest renewal and/or
  reduce renewal costs
• Additional revenue for road construction
  maintenance

18
Advantages to Increased Utilization

• Full utilization will
• Assist in meeting FMP wildlife habitat
  objectives
• Assist in meeting FMP restoration objectives
• Improve the overall health of the forest
• Make more sawlog veneer logs available for
  existing mills

19
Challenges to Moving Forward

• Tenure Reform has created uncertainty
• MNR MNDMF appears to have created another level
  of bureaucracy
• Access to capital
• Numerous expressions of interest not sure who
  to work with? Or should we be working with
  everyone?
• Working with existing facilities and licensees

20
Recommendations

• Seek out business to business agreements with
  existing licensees
• Work with existing facilities to compliment wood
  utilization
• Hope for the best with respect to Tenure Reform
  and MNR/MNDMF

21
Slash pile burning
22
Slash pile grinding for hog fuel