Field tour demonstrates Clarksburg poplar bioenergy potential

AHB-logo-100DAVIS, Calif. – Join researchers for a day in the field at the Advanced Hardwood Biofuel (AHB) Clarksburg 50-acre poplar demonstration site. At the peak of their second growing season, the trees will show their full potential as a sustainable feedstock for biofuel and bioproduct production.

Hear from a local landowner, environmental specialists, researchers, policy makers and extension professionals. Topics will include: Growing poplar as a short rotation woody energy crop; sustainable production and environmental impacts on soil, water and wildlife; the best areas to develop biofuel and bioproduct industries; and biomass production with operational and research poplar plots.

Clarksburg-Field-Tour-May-2014--550
Clarksburg field tour in May 2014.

The tour will be noon-2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 10. Lunch will be provided.

RSVP to Nora Haider at nora.haider@wsu.edu or 425-741-9962. The field tour is part of the AHB annual meeting at the University of California Davis Sept. 10-12.

AHB is a consortium of educational and industry partners, including Washington State University, working to prepare northern California, Oregon, Washington and northern Idaho for a sustainable hardwood biochemicals and biofuels industry. See http://hardwoodbiofuels.org.

Field tour speakers will include:

Bob Kirtlan, whose family has farmed in the Sacramento delta for several generations and owns the Clarksburg site. He will speak about biomass production and opportunities.

UC Davis researchers, who will demonstrate a computer model for finding best locations for growing poplar.

Daniel Cassidy, U.S. Department of Agriculture bioenergy scientist, who will discuss the nationwide importance of research and development of biomass for biofuels, biochemicals and bioproducts.

Rick Gustafson, University of Washington environment and forestry professor, who is primary investigator for the AHB project and co-leads the sustainability team.

Tim Eggeman, chief technology officer of Zeachem – a developer of cellulosic conversion technology and biorefineries – who will discuss bioproducts business opportunities in California.

Brian Stanton, chief science officer of GreenWood Resources, who will talk about his company’s role in leading feedstock demonstration efforts in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington and the potential of poplar in the renewable biomass industry.

Kirk Wallace and Rich Suren, project consultant and GreenWood Resources manager of tree improvement operations, respectively, who will discuss the challenges and yield potential for growing poplar in the delta.

Jesus Espinoza, director of silviculture research at GreenWood Resources, who will lead a field tour of research to improve poplar yields and production costs.

 

Contact:
Betsy Fradd, Advanced Hardwood Biofuels, 253-241-5043, fradd@wsu.edu