About the Biomass Committee

The Biomass Committee was established to address one of the major barriers to forest restoration activities, namely, how to convert low/no value woody biomass from a waste product that incurs disposal costs to a sustainable resource integral to the production of bio-based products and energy.

Through monthly meetings and coordinated actions, the Biomass Utilization Committee is working to foster the growth of a new biomass industry in the San Juan-Chama region with the ultimate goal of upending the economic incentives around forest treatments, incentivizing landscape scale forest restoration.

Co-Chairs Will Donahoo and John Ussery have experience implementing biomass utilization measures at the Northern New Mexico College in El Rito and Sandoval County as part of the Bio-Futures Initiative. Current efforts are aimed at addressing issues of feedstock supply, public regulations around bio-energy production, the development of markets for bio-based products such as biochar and economic incentives related to biomass development.

Ways you can be involved in Biomass Utilization

The biomass committee is always looking for new members and one of the easiest ways to get involved is to participate in committee activities. Biomass utilization like many other watershed issues requires the close collaboration of individuals across a wide range of fields from foresters and land managers to researchers, economists, legislators and activists. If you would like to participate feel free to contact John or Will to get involved.

You can also work to promote biomass utilization by contacting your representatives, lobbying for forest focused legislation such as the Forest and Watershed Restoration Act and participating in working groups such as the one listed below and events the Partnership posts on the Events page.

Bio-Futures Initiative Working Group – The Bio-Futures Initiative working group brings together private, state and federal land managers, wood products developers, non-profits, researchers and legislators to promote the establishment of a bio-based manufacturer in the Sandoval County region. Contact co-chair Will Donahoo to get involved.

Projects / Resources

EMNRD Wood Biomass Electric Generating and Biochar Production Facility Feasibility Assessment and Business Model (File opens in new window)

Follow Action.Santafe on Instagram to stay up to date on environmental events occurring across Northern New Mexico.

Contact the Biomass Committee

Will Donahoo (Co-Chair), Environmental Coordinator with Adelante Consulting Phone: (505) 340-8353 Email: wdonahoo@adelanteconsulting.com

John Ussery (Co-Chair) Phone: (505) 927-1471 Email: john.ussery@nnmc.edu