Economic Benefits of Biomass
During the recent past, Southern forest landowners have been faced with decling pulpwood markets which utilize small diameter and low value trees (below). Removal of these trees is necessary to provide growing space and other resources for the production of larger, higher-value products. Additional markets need to be developed to replace this market for small diameter trees. In addition, a significant portion of harvested timber is left on site in the form of logging residues. Finding or developing markets for this material can provide additional income for landowners.
For communities dependent on timber, market changes can have dramatic impacts on employment, stability, and viability. Diboll (right), located in East Texas, was founded by Thomas Temple as a sawmill settlement in 1894. The Southern Pine Lumber Company, under Temple family direction, provided homes, a commissary, medical services, and infrastructure to the community. In 1962, the town was incorporated but remains strongly tied to the forest products industry. Diboll is currently the home of many Temple-Inland Forest Products, Inc. manufacturing facilities. Diboll is only one example of a community throughout the South dependent upon timber products for their livelihood.
Many of these rural communities need additional, high value markets in which to trade timber products. Sustainable forestry for bioenergy and bio-based products can provide one solution to the problems faced by timber dependent communities in the South. Harvesting logging residues, building processing facilities, and utilizing the products created can bolster economic conditions in Southern rural communities. More information on the economic impacts of bioenergy and bio-based products is included in the section on Economics.
Encyclopedia ID: p1143
