[Carpenter Prairie Discussion] biomass

[Hamilton Native Outpost]

CRP as we have known it in the past may have been a fescue field or a rank
stand of native grasses with little diversity.  Conservation is ready to
step up to the next level and create rare and declining habitat.  To marry
biofuels with wildlife conservation has the added benefit of bringing
disturbance into the picture.  Disturbance is important to grasslands; fire,
herbivores, and climatic extremes once acted as disturbance factors.  The
use of the mowing on the biofuel ¼ or 1/3 would be a forn of disturbance as
would the burning on another ¼ or 1/3.  Some of the grassland wildlife is
even dependent on this disturbance.  I think this has lots of potential.

 

Amy Hamilton

Hamilton Native Outpost  

 

  _____  

From: Frank Oberle [mailto:foberle at nemr.net] 
Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2009 2:00 PM
To: Rudi Roeslein; Carol Davit; Kevin Carpenter; Jon Wingo
Cc: Ben Duffield; Amy Hamilton; Amy Buechler; Mervin Wallace; John Hoskins;
John Burk; John Knudsen; Steve Mowry; Amy Buechler; David Erickson; Denny
Donnell; Wayne Morton; George Seek; John Burk; Kelly Srigley Werner; Linda
Tossing; Steve Mowry; Alan Leary; Ted Cooper; Susan Hazelwood; Mike Currier;
Steve Heyling; Andrew Forbes; James Trager; Scott Woodbury; Tim Barksdale;
Tim Reinbott; phil wire; DeeCee Darrow; John Murphy; Dave Murphy; Bill
Bergh; Bill McGuire; Dwaine Gelnar; Allen Powell; JR Flores; Eddie Hamill;
Dwaine Gelnar; Gene Gardner; Tim Banek; Darlene Johnson; Karen Brinkman;
Brent Jamison; Keith Jackson; Aaron Jeffries; Jean Herman; Steve
Bruckerhoff; Steve Flick; Jerry Kaiser; Ken Struemph; Andrew Forbes;
staceyg at missouri.edu
Subject: Fw: biomass

 

 

 


 

Policy and Policymakers


In Washington,
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102878250501&s=2761&e=001GCQRvDWWio9VqdgKxH5ka5Xk
UUSUmFWBbXSArjKjhTtaDOpWohH_PRRKv98bxvAubhTlGoXmbGveN7sRWa6GEz4ju1VmK5fz7-Oq
pEpiZsRNmEHUh-ZPKMJQ_9Lmsi62vUvUvzcSOTrOW1QTo1XQ0tfM52QbPr-asoVf5UQ5iEb8wjfs
Z3fSYNt0wbMkB-ANWdUk6lb7IMctDHv-k97r1T8NzZddbx0Uo1mq8IRZa-emZtr0p6VBCbXhd-zP
jLC9> the popularity of the USDA's Biomass Crop Assistance Program has
soared, with the number of qualifying facilities now exceeding 280. The
Biomass Crop Assistance Program assists agricultural and forest land owners
and operators with matching payments for the amount paid for the collection,
harvest, storage and transportation of eligible material by a qualified
Biomass Conversion Facility.

 

 

Conservationist,

       I believe the time has come here in Missouri to begin a very
strategic plan

on how we can become not only serious players in the biomass industry, but
how can

we improve wildlife habitat at the same time. I will emphatically state
there is

known scientific evidence that will validate this claim--especially all CRP
lands that

currently--and maybe futuristically--are enrolled in a plant material--like
fescue and 

brome--that has very little environmental benefits. 

     In order to move an idea forward there has to be action. And there is
no action

until there is movement. My passion and cause for our state is to add
wildlife,

environmental and green energy benefits for Northern Missouri. How do we add

value to an economically depressed area? Firstly, like a Doctor's oath of
promise 

for receiving his degree: "Never to do Harm."  We need to emulate nature's
blueprint

and follow a path of least resistance. It is always more difficult to bend
mother

nature to our wants, than it is to assimilate to an ideology that heeds to
bending

with her.

      One known truth evident here in N. Missouri is that we can grow native
grass and

broadleaf legumes. Cellulosic's greatest asset is that indigenous plant
material suited to the soil and climate adds to the success of the project.
We have the potential of

rebuilding CRP with an ecologically sound plant material that will boost
biodiversity 

and reviving rural economies. 

     Please do not take my word for any of this, use the science at hand.
There

are entrepreneurs willing and hoping for such an opportunity. Does anyone 

out there have any suggestions on where or how to begin this endeavor? We
have 

nearly 1.5 million acres of CRP here in Missouri. One plan could be that
once

the re-established CRP acres of any single tract of ground was deemed ready

to be engaged into a regime of biomass/wildlife management rotation, one
forth to one

third of the tract would be allowed to be harvested in the months of October

through January. There would be no rental penalty for the landowner to pay
if the plant material was used in some biomass project. The next designated
portion to be

harvested--rather it be one third to one forth--would be eligible for a late
spring burn 

to encourage both forb growth and grass development. When there is plenty of

thatch build-up, there are less forbs that will have vigorous growth. We
have

experienced this fact in our production fields. It works like this. Plants
store starches

and sugars in their roots systems. In early spring, if there is a canopy of
thatch which

creates enormous shade, when the emerging plant sends it first two basal
leaves 

for light scouting, perennial and long lived native plants will not take the
risk of

expending large amounts of root reserves to overtake the canopy--just too
risky. 

    There are many possibilities that could be worked out. Currently,
though, I believe

we could be passing on a great opportunity to rebuild our landscape to a
vegetation that is suited to attract and sustain our rare and declining
wildlife, but too, the biomass entrepreneurs. It also would be good for
pollinators, producers and weaning our

nation's dependency on imported fossil fuels. I'm not saying the above is
the perfect set of blueprints for a run away success story, however, I can
say with wisdom and discernment that CRP could use a make-over that gives
the customer--our hard working American taxpayers--real dividends for their
investment.

     In the beginning of the Conservation Reserve Program, the goals of
preventing soil erosion and cleaning up our streams was an industrious and
very successful 

conservation accomplishment. We have progressed immensely in the field of
understanding and implementing native plant communities and the adverse
affects of toxic and invasive fescue. The research going on at NRCS's Plant
Material Center and 

MU's Bradford Farm will yield much to the enhancement of a myriad of
wildlife and biomass concerns. Thanks to all those partners supporting these
exigencies.   fo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

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