IN THE NEWS

Drax Announces Arkansas Investment

Drax Group will begin constructing the first of three new “satellite” pellet plants in Arkansas, the company has announced.

The three plants are together expected to produce around 120,000 metric tons of sustainable biomass pellets a year from sawmill resi dues, supporting the renewable energy company’s plans to increase self-supply to its power station in the U.K.

Drax will begin construction of the first plant later this month near a West Fraser sawmill in Leola, Grant County—with commissioning expected in October. The company will begin construction on two more plants in other locations in the coming months. In total, Drax will invest $40 million in the state, creating approximately 30 new direct jobs and many more indirect jobs across three Arkansas communities.

The development of the satellite pellet plants is part of Drax’s strategy to increase biomass self-supply to five million tons by 2027, improving supply chain resilience while reducing pellet costs.

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, comments, “By building these new pellet plants Drax is bringing jobs and opportunities to rural communities in Arkansas, boosting the state’s post-COVID economic recovery. Through this investment, Arkansas will play an important role in combating climate change, supporting Drax to increase the amount of sustainable biomass we produce as part of our plans to pioneer bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. By using sustainable biomass, we have displaced coal-fired power generation, reduced carbon emissions and provided renewable electricity for millions of homes and businesses in the UK.”

The Leola satellite pellet plant is expected to produce around 40,000 metric tons of sustainable biomass pellets a year. Drax will utilize the sawdust and other dry residual materials from West Fraser’s co-located facility. By co-locating the pellet facilities with sawmills, Drax will benefit from lower infrastructure, operational and transportation costs.

The company will host job fairs to recruit for positions at the Leola site in late May.

Enviva Move Forward On New Plants

Enviva reports the possible development of a wood pellet plant in Bond, Miss., about 50 miles north of Gulfport. Enviva states it “recently advanced a site it controls in Bond, Mississippi to the next phase in its development process. This plant is expected to be designed to produce between 750,000 and more than 1 million tonnes per year.” Given its close proximity to the Port of Pascagoula, production from a Bond plant would be delivered to the Pascagoula terminal by truck for export worldwide.

Construction is ongoing at Enviva’s deep-water marine terminal in Pascagoula, which will have throughput capacity of more than 3 million MTPY. Construction is expected to be completed in the middle of this year with the first shipment from the terminal expected later this year. When fully constructed, the Pascagoula terminal will be able to receive wood pellets by truck, rail and barge.

Enviva reports that construction of a 750,000 tonnes wood pellet plant continues in Lucedale, Miss., with completion expected in the middle of this year.

Enviva continues to move forward on the development of a wood pellet plant in Epes, Ala. Enviva has acquired a wood products mill adjacent the Epes site and is evaluating utilizing the existing infrastructure there to reduce installation costs of the Epes plant, as well as increasing the Epes plant’s production capacity to more than 1 million MTPY.

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New Venture Forms Bioenergy Platform

ReEnergy Biomass Operations LLC and Ember Infrastructure announced plans to enter into a joint venture to create a bioenergy platform. The company will be named ReGenerate Energy and will be led by team members from ReEnergy and Ember. The new company will acquire an ownership interest in ReEnergy’s two biomass power plants in Maine, ReEnergy Stratton and ReEnergy Livermore Falls, and will look to expand the platform through the acquisition of additional bioenergy assets across North America.

Larry Richardson, CEO of ReEnergy Holdings and one of its cofounders, comments, “This is an exciting time in the history of ReEnergy. With the combination of Em ber’s capital and experience in the energy industry, and ReEnergy’s expertise in the bioenergy sector, we look forward to a period of new growth and innovation.”

The transaction is expected to close this summer.

ReEnergy Biomass Operations LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of ReEnergy Holdings LLC, which was formed in 2008 by a senior management team. ReEnergy Holdings LLC also owns ReEnergy Black River, a 60 MW biomass power facility located on the Fort Drum U.S. Army installation near Watertown, NY, and ReSource Waste Services LLC, which operates five facilities in New England that recycle construction and demolition waste materials.

The 48 MW ReEnergy Stratton and 39 MW ReEnergy Livermore Falls facilities support 50 direct jobs, more than 300 indirect jobs, spend more than $30 million annually and purchase more than 700,000 tons of fuel each year from Maine loggers/truckers and mills.

Founded in 2018, Ember is a New York-based private equity firm delivering capital solutions to businesses and assets seeking to reduce

carbon intensity and enhance resource efficiency.

Pinnacle Is Officially Part Of Drax

Pinnacle’s plant at Aliceville, Ala. and the entire Pinnacle portfolio of wood pellet plants has joined the Drax Group.

Drax completed its acquisition of North America industrial wood pellet produce Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. The transaction receiv ed overwhelming support from both sets of shareholders.

The acquisition increases Drax’s annual operational pellet production capacity to 4.9 million tonnes at 17 plants across Western Canada and the U.S. South—up from 1.6 metric tons. Of this increased capacity, 2.9 million will be available for Drax’s self-supply requirements. The deal also gives Drax access to four deep water port facilities and three major wood fiber baskets.

By advancing the strategy to increase self-supply and reduce biomass production costs, the acquisition paves the way for the company’s plans to deliver Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), permanently removing millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.

By becoming a world leader in BECCS, Drax can deliver on its purpose of enabling a zero carbon, low er cost energy future, and achieve its ambition to become a carbon negative company by 2030. Drax will seek to export its BECCS expertise around the world to support global efforts to address the climate emergency.

Strategic Biofuels Gains Ground

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards joined Strategic Biofuels LLC CEO Paul Schubert in an announcement that the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Louisiana Green Fuels, plans to develop a renewable diesel plant near the Caldwell Parish seat of Columbia. Situated on an 171-acre site at the Port of Columbia, the plant would produce up to 32 million gallons of renewable fuel annually through established refinery processes with wood waste as the feedstock. The company is completing feasibility and financing phases for the project in anticipation of a final investment decision by late 2022.

Louisiana Green Fuels would make a capital investment of at least $700 million. The company would create 76 new direct jobs and more than 400 new indirect jobs.

Strategic Biofuels reports it has raised 85% of its early-stage financing from investors in north Louisi ana. In addition to the Columbia renewable diesel refinery, the company envisions the development of additional Louisiana refineries that would target production of renewable aviation fuel, as well as diesel.

“Caldwell Parish is the ideal location for our Louisiana Green Fuels plant,” Schubert comments. “It combines the required forestry waste feedstock for fuel production and the right geology for carbon sequestration within the state of Louisiana’s visionary legislative framework, which has been further strengthened by the Climate Initiative established by Governor Edwards. We are especially thankful for his signature on the recent $200 million tax-free bond allocation, which substantially advances the financing for this project.”

“Louisiana Green Fuels is an example of how our state can merge traditional and emerging forms of energy in exciting ways to address climate change,” Gov. Edwards says. “The company has engaged Justiss Oil of Jena to drill a seques-

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Enviva, Drax Sign Letter To Biden

More than 400 businesses and investors with a footprint in the U.S., including major industrial wood pellet producers Enviva and Drax, as well as the likes of Amazon, Apple and Walmart, have signed a letter to President Biden indicating their support for the Biden administration’s commitment to climate action, and for setting a federal climate target to reduce emissions.

The letter demonstrates strong support for a highly ambitious 2030 emissions reduction target, or Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) pursuant to the Paris Agreement, in pursuit of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

Business signatories of the letter collectively represent more than $4 trillion in annual revenue and employ more than 7 million U.S. workers. Investor signatories of the letter collectively represent more than $1 trillion in assets.

A portion of the letter reads:

Dear President Biden,

We, the undersigned businesses and investors with a major presence in the U.S., applaud your administration’s demonstrated commitment to address climate change head-on, and we stand in support of your efforts.

Millions of Americans are already feeling the impacts of climate change. From recent extreme weather to deadly wildfires and recordbreaking hurricanes, the human and economic losses of the past 12 months alone are profound. Tragically, these devastating climate impacts also disproportionately hit marginalized and low-income communities who are least able to withstand them. We must act now to slow and turn the tide.

As business leaders, we care deeply about the future of the U.S. and the health of its people and economy. We join the majority of Americans in thanking you for re-entering the U.S into the Paris Agreement and for making climate action a vital pillar of your presidency. To restore the standing of the U.S. as a global leader, we need to address the climate crisis at the pace and scale it demands. Specifically, the U.S. must adopt an emissions reduction target that will place the country on a credible pathway to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

We, therefore, call on you to adopt the ambitious and attainable target of cutting GHG emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030.

New investment in clean energy, energy efficiency, and clean transportation can build a strong, more equitable, and more inclusive American economy. A 2030 target will also guide the U.S. government’s approach to more sustainable and resilient infrastructure, zero-emissions vehicles and buildings, improved agricultural practices, and durable carbon removal. Finally, the commitment would inspire other industrialized nations to set bold targets of their own.

Many of us have set or are setting emissions reduction goals in line with climate science since the establishment of the Paris Agreement. The private sector has purchased renewable energy at record rates and along with countless cities across the country, many have committed themselves to a net zero-emissions future.

If you raise the bar on our national ambition, we will raise our own ambition to move the U.S. forward on this journey. While an effective national climate strategy will require all of us, you alone can set the course by swiftly establishing a bold U.S. 2030 target.

10 Wood Bioenergy / June 2021 tration test well that will confirm the integrity of carbon storage a mile below the earth’s surface.”

Strategic Biofuels states its renewable diesel is significantly different from biodiesel and is not subject to biodiesel’s severe blending limitations. “Renewable diesel is a high performance, low emissions, ‘drop-in’ synthetic fuel. The greenhouse gas, primarily carbon dioxide, produced by Louisiana Green Fuels will be captured and permanently sequestered in underground geologic formations, there by preventing the captured carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.”

The site, 25 miles south of Monroe, is on an active port site with a Union Pacific rail line.

The company says the Port of Columbia site is located within one of the largest fiber baskets in the country ensuring long-term cost-effective feedstock supply; that within a 75-mile radius of the site there are more than 40% more tons of pine grown annually on private lands, mostly managed plantations, than are harvested.

The plant is expected to produce 83% renewable diesel and 17% renewable naphtha. Both renewable fuels are ‘drop-in fuels’ that are chemically identical to fossil-derived diesel and naphtha. The company says it will use gasification to convert wood waste into syngas, and that Fischer-Tropsch technology will reassemble the carbon monoxide and hydrogen syngas, followed by upgrading technology that converts the synthetic crude into transportation fuels.

Air Permit Issued For Proposed Plant

Renewable Biomass Group has been issued an air quality permit by the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Div. for the construction and operation of an industrial wood pellet mill in Adel, Ga.

The permit allows the processing of not more than 497,000 oven

dried tons of wood chips in the wood pellet dryer, not more than 337,968 tons of wood chips from the green hammermill, and not more than 246,234 tons of wood chips from the dry hammermills during any 12 consecutive months. The permit also requires the operation of a wet ESP and RTO.

Several environmental interests immediately petitioned the U.S. EPA to revoke the air pollution permit and asked that the state “correct its practice of issuing certain air pollution permits without the opportunity for public review.”

Last September the Adel City Council voted to annex an 171 acre industrial park area in Cook County into the city of Adel and to re-zone the property from agricultural to heavy-industry, where the new plant will be located.

The company hopes to begin commercial production in the first quarter of 2022.

The Renewable Biomass Group web site indicates the company wants to develop 2 million metric tons per year of industrial wood pellets projects over a seven-year period.

The RBG web site shows Craig Whitlock as CEO with experience in international business development; Jeremy Ham as CFO with experience in capital raising; and Patrick Madigan as general manager and director.

Madigan was head of Irish electricity producer Bord na Mona’s bioenergy division when that company announced its intention to build an industrial wood pellet plant in Georgia in 2017.

At an earlier city council hearing the executive director of the Cook County Economic Development Commission, Lisa Collins, spoke in favor of the project, calling it “monumental for Adel.”

The RBG air permit application indicates the plant will procure 1.1 million tons of softwood annually.

Hyuga Biomass Plans 50 MW Plant

ITOCHU Corp. of Tokyo is establishing Hyuga Biomass Power Generation Co., Ltd.—a business operation company funded jointly by Osaka Gas Co., Ltd., Tokyo Century Corp. and Tokyo Energy & Systems Inc—to construct a 50 MW biomass power plant in Hososhima Industrial District in Hyuga City, Miyazaki Prefecture.

Startup of the operation is expected in late 2024.

ITOCHU will provide a longterm supply of wood pellets and Green Power Fuel Corp. of Osaka Gas Group will provide domestic wood chips. In addition, Tokyo Energy & Systems will take a role in operation and maintenance, while Daigas G&P Solution Co., Ltd., a

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subsidiary of Osaka Gas, and Tokyo Energy & Systems will take a role in the owner’s engineering.

Located in Hyuga City, the Hososhima Port is a large-scale public port.

Along with its various renewable power generation businesses, ITOCHU is committed to developing the next generation power solutions utilizing energy storage devices that will play an important role in ensuring a consistent supply of renewable energy.

Lignetics Expands Pellet Offerings

Generational Capital Markets, a mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held businesses, announced the sale of its client, Great Lakes Renewable Energy, Inc., to Lignetics, Inc. (a holding of Taglich Private Equity, LLC).

Located in Hayward, Wis., Great Lakes Renewable Energy is a wood pellet manufacturer specializing in BBQ wood pellets, primarily under the Lumber Jack Grilling Pellets brand.

Lignetics, headquartered in Louisville, Colo., is the largest residential wood pellet manufacturing company in the U.S. with a production capacity of more than 1.2 million tons per year. The company now operates 17 manufacturing plants. Consumer categories include residential heating, home grilling, and most recently, the pet products category. Lignetics is dedicated to bringing innovative products to its consumers under various brands including the Lignetics (residential heating), Lumber Jack Grilling Pellets (through the GLRE acquisition), Bear Mountain BBQ (home grill ing) and Catalyst Pet (pet products) brands.

Enviva Joins Sea Cargo Charter

Enviva has joined the Sea Cargo Charter, a cross-industry partnership of more than 20 ship charterers that aims to establish a consistent global framework for transparently assessing and disclosing the climate impact of ship chartering operations.

Earlier this year, Enviva announced its goal to become net zero in its operations by 2030. As part of this commitment, Enviva will track and transparently report its progress in reducing its emissions, including its Scope 3 emissions, those generated as part of its upstream and downstream supply chain, annually. The company also vowed to work with partners to improve the environmental emissions intensity of its shipping and other transportation logistics.

Enviva plans on advocating for the development of new solutions and accelerating its work with stakeholders to bring those solutions to market. One such solution is the Sea Cargo Charter, which offers a standard greenhouse gas emissions reporting process that significantly simplifies some of the complexities often associated with reporting.

By joining the Sea Cargo Charter, Enviva will benefit from an industry-established, global baseline that quantitatively assesses and discloses shipping activities in line with the climate goals set by the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations’ agency responsible for regulating shipping. These goals include the IMO’s ambition for GHG emissions from international shipping to be cut by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 levels.

Gordon Lugsdin, Head of Chartering at Enviva, comments, “A standardized reporting framework is vital for the shipping industry to demonstrate its commitment to reducing GHG emissions, becoming more sustainable, and fighting climate change—core values we share at Enviva.”

The Sea Cargo Charter continues to grow since its inception in October of 2020, when some of the world’s largest vessel charterers launched the initiative to demonstrate their role in promoting responsible environmental behavior and incentivize the decarbonization of international shipping.

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Japan Power Plant Construction Starts

Renova-led Omaezakikou Biomass has started work on the construction of a 74.95 MW biomass power plant project at Shizuoka Prefecture.

Aside from Omaezakikou Biomass, Renova’s biomass power generation portfolio includes the Akita Biomass power generation facility, which has completed construction and is currently operating smoothly, and the Kanda and Tokushima Tsuda Biomass power generation facilities, which are under construction.

Omaezakikou Biomass operations are expected to commence in July 2023, and the intention is to contribute to the revitalization of the economy around Omaezaki City and Makinohara City.

Trillion Trees Act Grows Support

U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (RArk.) introduced the Trillion Trees Act, legislation that would plant 1 trillion trees globally by 2050 and incentivize the use of wood products as carbon sequestration devices. U.S. Reps. Kevin McCarthy (RCalif.), Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Andy Barr (RKy.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and David Joyce (R-Ohio) all joined the bill as original cosponsors.

“Trees are the ultimate carbon sequestration device,” Westerman says. “Every day, countless billions of plant cells are pulling carbon from the atmosphere and permanently storing it in wood. That’s why this legislation is so important. We’re taking proven science and turning it into practical solutions. Not only are we setting an ambitious goal of planting 1 trillion new trees by 2050, but we’re also reinvesting resources into managing forests and using wood products.”

“I am proud to stand with our loggers in introducing this legisla-

tion, as the forest and paper industry is a cornerstone of northern Minnesota’s economy,” Stauber adds. “The legislation will increase our logging output, rightfully recognize the carbon neutrality of biomass, and provide a commonsense solution to carbon in the atmosphere without needlessly driving up the cost of energy.”

The Trillion Trees Act is based on a July 2019 Swiss report featured by the American Academy for the Advancement of Science that concluded planting 1 trillion trees across the world could sequester 205 gigatonnes of carbon. That’s roughly the equivalent of two-thirds of all manmade carbon since the Industrial Revolution.

The bill has three parts: —Plant more trees in urban areas and on marginal agriculture land domestically while offering technical support and assistance for other countries to maximize forest growth internationally and reverse deforestation. —Grow more wood in existing forests and make them more resilient to insects, diseases and catastrophic wildfires. —Store more carbon by incentivizing innovative building practices with a sustainable building tax credit.

Stored Solar Buys Biomass Power Plants

Based in Enfield, Maine, Stored Solar LLC has acquired four nonoperating wood chip power plants in New Hampshire and is attempting to bring them back on-line. In 2020, Stored Solar purchased biomass power plants in Whitefield and Springfield, both previously owned by EWP Renewable Corp., and the Pine Tree Power biomass power plants in Bethlehem and Tamworth.

The New Hampshire plants had been closed since 2019 following Gov. Chris Sununu’s veto of a bill to subsidize the wood-burning power plants, which were having a difficult time competing as the wholesale price of electricity fell.

IP Helping Fund Research Programs

Again this year, International Paper (IP) is offering a program that’s funded $500,000 in academic research grants the past two years to explore new technology and key issues for forest landowners and the forest products industry. Since 2019, International Paper has asked U.S. universities for research proposals to explore innovations in: remote sensing technology; timber supply modeling; understanding and managing risk from the forest to the mill; and the relative advantages of important global wood baskets.

During the past two years, six

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programs at four universities were selected for funding. North Carolina State University (NCSU) and Mississippi State University are researching timber supply modeling with the ultimate goal of improving market models that predict resource trends and prices. Virginia Tech and Texas A&M are exploring remote sensing technologies that will help characterize forest attributes.

Virginia Tech is evaluating satellite and aerial imagery to estimate stand characteristics over large areas, and Texas A&M will be studying the use of space-borne and aerial sensors. Mississippi State University and NCSU are also conducting a comparative assessment of global wood fiber production.

SC Road Entrance Permit Now In Effect

In South Carolina, the SCDOT Blanket Encroachment Permit is now in effect for temporary logging road entrances. The department requires an encroachment permit any time travel or work is done on or across a state owned right-of-way. The permit lets SCDOT know where the access is and what type of activity is being conducted and is required to be kept on the job site.

The SC Timber Producers Assn., Forestry Assn. of SC and the SC Forestry Commission worked with SCDOT to develop the temporary logging road access encroachment permit. The permit is annual, and there is no fee charged.

Project Learning Tree Releases Curriculum

Project Learning Tree (PLT) recently released a new curriculum guide to engage kindergarten through grade 8 students in exploring their environment. Project Learning Tree is a long-established, award-winning environmental education program that uses trees and forests as windows on the world to advance environmental literacy, stewardship, and pathways to green careers.

The guide includes 50 fieldtested, hands-on activities that integrate investigations of nature with science, math, English language arts, and social studies. It incorporates outdoor education and connects youth to nature.

SFI Launches Urban Forest Initiative

Officials with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced the launch of a partnership to develop a new SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard for application in North America and potentially globally. SFI will collaborate with five urban forestry leaders: American Forests, Arbor Day Foundation, the International Society of Arboriculture, the Society of Municipal Arborists and Tree Canada.

“The SFI network is looking forward to collaborating with our urban forestry partners to promote the establishment of sustainable urban and community forests that meet local needs, while mean ingfully contributing to national, bi-national and global initiatives such as the 2 Billion Tree initiative in Canada,” says Kathy Abusow, SFI President and CEO.

Northern Spotted Owl Is Back In Court

Preservationist groups and timber industry interests have filed lawsuits against the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service over developments concerning critical habitat acreage designation for the Northern Spotted Owl (NSO), which has been listed as a “threatened” species (not endangered) since 1990 under the Endangered Species Act.

Federal acreage set aside for the owl, and related reductions in national forest timber sales caused a major disruption to the Northwest forest products industry in the 1990s that lingers to this day.

Preservationists filed a lawsuit March 23 in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, Portland Division, claiming USFWS bypassed procedures, laws and all reasonable discretion when in January the USFWS ruling published in the Federal Register eliminated 3.472 million acres of federal land from the owl’s critical habitat designation in Washington, Oregon and California counties—an amount that was increased from 204,000 acres in 15 Oregon counties in a preliminary proposal by USFWS in 2020. Preservationists are asking that the USFWS ruling be totally struck. Some of the preservationist groups acting as plaintiffs include Wilderness Society, Sierra Club, Audubon Society and the Environmental Protection Information Center, among others.

Meanwhile USFWS delayed the effective date of its ruling through the end of April and possibly beyond, calling for more public comment. One of the reasons for the delay, according to USFWS, was that the incoming presidential administration recommended that all rules published in the Federal Register but that had not taken effect should undergo further review. USFWS stated, “We are delaying the effective date of the final rule to give us time to consider questions of law, policy and fact in regard to that final rule,” adding that “in light of the litigation history of Northern Spotted Owl critical habitat designation, we are reviewing whether the rulemaking was procedurally adequate.”

Subsequently, American Forest

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They’re back!

Resource Council joined the Assn. of O&C (Oregon & California) Counties and other counties in Washington, Oregon and California in a lawsuit challenging the USFWS delay in implementing its January ruling.

The January 2021 critical habitat designation removed areas that are not habitat for the owl and have been set aside for timber production under the Northwest Forest Plan and federal law, according to AFRC, adding that acreage setasides for the owl this century have cost Pacific Northwest communities more than a billion dollars and over a thousand family-wage jobs, while providing little benefit for species conservation.

“The 2021 designation aligns NSO critical habitat with federal law, modern forest science, and common sense at a time when unprecedented and severe wildfires threaten both owls and people from northern California to Washington State,” AFRC stated. “We are challenging the delay because it violates federal laws and wrongfully restricts timber harvests on non-NSO habitat.”

The delay also restricts the use of active forest management tools that help reduce the risks of severe wildfires—the kind burned more than 560 square miles of suitable nesting and roosting spotted owl habitat in Oregon last year, AFRC stated. The AFRC lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges USFWS failed to provide a lawful justification for the delay, nor did it provide the public with notice or opportunity to comment.

Critical habitat acreage designation for the owl has hovered around 6.8 million acres of federal land, not including national parks, national wildlife refuges and congressionally designated wilderness areas where logging is largely prohibited, since the original USFWS designation in 1992.

The AFRC lawsuit argues the USFWS critical habitat designation was the product of extensive public comments and is consistent with the agency’s obligations un der the Endangered Species Act and the O&C Act. The lawsuit asks the U.S. District Court to vacate the USFWS’ delay and declare the 2021 critical habitat designation as immediately effective.

Good Earth Names Management Team

Arizona-based Good Earth Power AZ and its operating entity, NewLife Forest Products, have formed a new senior management team to expand forestry management and lumber manufacturing operations. l Adam Cooley has been appointed as Vice President, Corpo-

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rate Development. His responsibilities include supporting the company’s strategic planning processes and building relationships with key stakeholders. As a fourth generation lumberman in the Arizona forest products industry, Cooley is proficient in sales, purchasing, operations, production, transportation, credit management and USDA procedures for international lumber shipments. l Josh Ray has been named Manager of Finance & Administration and oversees all accounting, finance and administration. l Kevin Ordean has been appointed as Forest Operations Mana ger. Ordean is responsible for overseeing all forest related operations from planning to harvesting and ensuring that NewLife is in compliance with the U.S. Forest Service regulations. l Mark Chamberlin has been appoint ed as Mill Operations Manager overseeing mill operations at NewLife’s Heber and Williams facilities in addition to planning and building of the new sawmill in Bellemont.

GEPAZ is managing Phase I of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) contract with the U.S. Forest Service. The mission of the 4FRI program is to restore the health of 2.4 million acres of Arizona forestland.

Rural Schools Gain USDA Funding

USDA Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen announced the issuance of more than $193 million to support public schools, roads and other municipal services through the agency’s Secure Rural Schools program. The funding will be delivered as payments to more than 700 eligible counties in 41 states and Puerto Rico.

In addition to payments for schools and roads, the Secure Rural Schools program supports Firewise Communities programs, reimburses counties for emergency services on national forests, and funds development of community wildfire protection plans.

The Forest Service retains a portion of Secure Rural Schools program funds to support projects that improve forest conditions and support jobs in rural communities. Resource advisory committees, made up of local residents representing varied areas of interest and expertise, review and recommend projects that meet their local needs.

Beginning in 1908, the Secure Rural Schools program allowed the Forest Service to share 25% of its revenues from timber sales, mineral leases, livestock grazing, recreation fees, and other sources with counties in and around national forests. By the 1980s, large ly because of dimin-

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ished timber sales volume, Forest Service revenues from these sources began to decline. The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 replaced the revenue sharing model with a guaranteed level of payments, giving forestdependent rural communities a more reliable set of funding, while protecting forest resources that provide clean water, recreation opportunities and other benefits. These payments were most recently reauthorized for fiscal years 2019 and 2020 by the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020.

Payment amounts are determined by a number of factors set in the law, including acres of federal land within an eligible county, an income adjustment based on the per capita personal income for each county, and the 5% reduction in the overall payments each year.

Book Teaches Kids About Logging

Stephanie Fuller, who works for the Forest Workforce Training Institute (ForestryWorks), has authored an illustrated book for children about the logging profession.

Fuller is the daughter of Todd and Shelia Fuller, owners of Full er’s Logging in Chambers County, Alabama. The experiences gain ed from being a child in the industry inspired Fuller to write Lucy Meets a Logger, a children’s book about logging. The book’s purpose is to educate young students about the opportunities and benefits of timber harvesting.

Lucy Meets a Logger follows the main character, Lucy, as she ventures into the woods and meets Mr. Logger, who explains to her why logging is good for society and the environment.

Alabama Forestry Assn. and For est Workforce Training Institute have begun touring Alabama with legislators on the “Lucy Tour.” This tour allows legislators to visit schools in their area to read Lucy Meets a Logger and ➤ 38

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