Central Oregon Bitterbrush Broads • Entered by Mary Fleischmann on November 3, 2024
Biomass presentation
October 29, 2024
Participants and Hours
| Pre Planning hours | 1.5 |
| Post Admin hours | 0.75 |
| Activity Hours | 2 |
| Participants | 3 |
| Total Hours | 8.25 |
Key Issue: Public Lands Health & Protection
Activity Type: Education & Outreach (tabling, films & lectures, regional B-walks/works)
Key Partners: Juniper Sierra Club;
Short Description of Activity
Presentation of a company our of Eugene Oregon promoting Biochar as an additive to amend potting soils.
Reflection/Evaluation
Very pro promotion for Biochar and how “they try to sell it as good for adding to soil’s as an amendment”. There was also someone from Mt. Bachelor who is currently working on developing biomass at the ski resort as a means for heat. Lots of promotion but many gaps in the presentation and acknowlegements that there needs to be more research/study. When I approached the sustainabilty issue, I was met with that there is plenty of forest land that needs to be “thinned” for fire protections, and that thinning would entail hauling all this material 30 -40 miles south to be treated and then returned to the ski resort. Some of the facts missing is that there is minimal carbon capture and in the long term nutrients are removed from the soil. THis is a big push right now in western US. They have demolished forests in the south and east coast so now approaching the west coast. Lots of subsidies are being thrown in this direction and much of this product is shipped to Europe, not necessarily used here.