The Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council will hold its second annual "Biomass Briefing" to answer these questions and more. The free briefing will be held March 30 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the Ramada White House, 1450 Veterans Dr., Richland Center.

 

The briefing will highlight the 2009 results from the "True Costs of Harvesting Woody Biomass in the Driftless Area" project and the "Switchgrass Research to Determine Best Management Practices for Maximizing Yield in Southwest WI" project. 

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Coordinator Steve Bertjens will provide an overview of biomass projects being implemented by Southwest Badger and the Driftless Area Initiative (DAI). Mark Renz, University of WI Extension Weed Specialist will highlight the second year production data from the six switchgrass demonstration plots in Grant County. Southwest Badger foresters Patrick Dayton and Aaron Wright willdiscuss volumes and harvesting costs associated with 13 woody biomass harvesting demonstrations. Terry Mace, WI DNR wood utilization specialist will discuss Woody Biomass Trends and Markets in Wisconsin. Bill Johnson, manager of biofuel development with Alliant Energy will discuss Biomass from a utility perspective as well as new biomass demonstrations being funded by Alliant in 2010.

 

The briefing is free and open to the public.

 

For more information contact Southwest Badger RC&D at 608-723-6377 extension 136 or email swbadger@tds.net