Woody biomass is great in that it grows — that is, it’s
renewable — but much remains to be learned about how and where
it could become a viable way to produce cleaner energy on a
large scale. We have millions of acres of trees in Washington
but to get down to figuring out where and how that might turn
into a source for a biomass industry will require research. DNR
today announced that the University of Washington, School of
Forest Resources was selected as part of the research team to
study the supply prospects of Washington’s working forests. It
will be the first study of its type in the nation to examine the
economic and environmental aspects of a state’s biomass supply
potential. Today’s research project announcement is part of
DNR’s efforts to ensure that the harvest of biomass for use in
clean energy products is done in a manner that does not harm
clean water, forest habitat or species. Forest biomass can be
converted to energy and energy products in a number of ways in
addition to direct combustion. The