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Wildfire Treatments & Waste Biomass: Policy Options to Boost New End Uses

In response to California’s devastating wildfires over the past several years, government and private landowners are removing more debris and residual material from forested areas, such as removing dead trees and creating fire breaks. This vegetation management is one component of a broader forest and wildfire management strategy. However, when land managers complete these actions, they must remove and dispose of residual waste material in a responsible manner to avoid allowing it to burn or too much of it to decompose in the forest, with the attendant carbon emissions and air pollution. Currently, land managers have little financial incentive to remove the material, often leaving debris on the forest floor.

One strategy to improve vegetation management outcomes is to support markets for this residual material through wood products, chips and mulch, or other end uses. CLEE and the UCLA Law Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment's new policy report “Branching Out: Waste Biomass Policies to Promote Wildfire Resilience and Emission Reduction” explores market options—and key policy steps and limitations—for existing and expected debris materials generated as a result of increased vegetation management activity in California.

CLEE and UCLA Law will host a public webinar on Monday, May 9 from 4:00pm to 5:00pm Pacific Time to discuss report findings and hear from a panel of experts who will share their insights on the problem and potential solutions.

- Jessica Morse, Deputy Secretary, California Natural Resources Agency
- Phil Saksa, Ph.D., Co-founder & Chief Scientist, Blue Forest

May 9, 2022 04:00 PM in Pacific Time (US and Canada)