[Carpenter Prairie Discussion] SUSPECT: Re: biomass
Kevin Carpenter
kevinc at mysticplains.org
Wed Feb 3 11:23:06 CST 2010
That was my thought. Quite honestly, burning the residual would work as a
heat source for the plant, but as Tim points out, would need to be used
exclusively to avoid contamination with coal by-products. The ash would
be much lower volume & weight allowing for cheaper shipment back to the
farm.
In practice: I could see a like-for-like arrangement, where the plant
sends out a truck with the ash from somewhere else, picks up the biomass,
and comes back next year. Segregating the ash from one farm from another
would be impractical, as well as having to ship it back - even from 35
miles away.
Still concerned what the biomass plant would use as feedstock the rest of
the year, presuming we only provided it fall prairie grass feed.
Kevin
> Please clarify, Tim. How does one burn what has been harvested? Do you
> mean burn the uncut residue?
>
>
>
> James C. Trager, Ph. D.
>
> Biologist - Naturalist
>
> Shaw Nature Reserve
>
> P.O. Box 38
>
> Gray Summit MO 63039
>
> 636-451-3512 ext. 6002
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Reinbott, Timothy M. [mailto:reinbottt at missouri.edu]
> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 7:11 AM
> To: Timothy Barksdale
> Cc: Kevin Carpenter; Carpenter Prairie in the Mystic Plains COA; Scott
> Woodbury; Hamilton Native Outpost; Frank Oberle; Carol Davit; Jon Wingo;
> John Knudsen; Jean Herman; Aaron Jeffries; Dwaine Gelnar; Steve Mowry;
> Karen Brinkman; John Hoskins; Bill McGuire; Ted Cooper; Steve Bruckerhoff;
> Wayne Morton; Denny Donnell; Bill Bergh; Tim Banek; phil wire; Dave
> Murphy; Alan Leary; Susan Hazelwood; Ben Duffield; JR Flores; Darlene
> Johnson; Mervin Wallace; DeeCee Darrow; Steve Flick; Kelly Srigley Werner;
> Allen Powell; Gene Gardner; Amy Buechler; David Erickson; George Seek;
> John Burk; Andrew Forbes; Linda Tossing; Stacey, Gary; Eddie Hamill; James
> Trager; Steve Heyling; Keith Jackson; Jerry Kaiser; Mike Currier; Ken
> Struemph; Brent Jamison; Nathan, Manjula
> Subject: SUSPECT: Re: [Carpenter Prairie Discussion] biomass
>
>
>
> Essentially yes, if the biomass is harvested in the fall and burned
> returning the ash back to the land should keep most nutrients at
> acceptable levels. How often? I am not really sure, however I would base
> it on soil test levels and watch the nutrient levels.
>
> Ash content will reflect the total content of the plants so along with P
> and K, Calcium will be quite high and some Magnesium and micronutrients.
>
>
>
> Tim
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: Timothy Barksdale <mailto:curlew at 3riversdbs.net>
>
> To: Reinbott, Timothy M. <mailto:ReinbottT at missouri.edu>
>
> Cc: Kevin Carpenter <mailto:kevinc at mysticplains.org> ; Carpenter Prairie
> in the Mystic Plains COA <mailto:carpenter at mysticplains.org> ; Scott
> Woodbury <mailto:scott.woodbury at mobot.org> ; Hamilton Native Outpost
> <mailto:hamilton at train.missouri.org> ; Frank Oberle
> <mailto:foberle at nemr.net> ; Carol Davit
> <mailto:davitleahy at earthlink.net> ; Jon Wingo <mailto:djmaint at aol.com>
> ; John Knudsen <mailto:john.knudsen at mdc.mo.gov> ; Jean Herman
> <mailto:jean.herman at mo.usda.gov> ; Aaron Jeffries
> <mailto:aaron.jeffries at mdc.mo.gov> ; Dwaine Gelnar
> <mailto:dwaine.gelnar at mo.usda.gov> ; Steve Mowry
> <mailto:stevem4444 at aol.com> ; Karen Brinkman
> <mailto:karen.brinkman at mo.usda.gov> ; John Hoskins
> <mailto:john.hoskins at mdc.mo.gov> ; Bill McGuire
> <mailto:bill.mcguire at mdc.mo.gov> ; Ted Cooper <mailto:ted at tswllc.com> ;
> Steve Bruckerhoff <mailto:steve.bruckerhoff at mo.usda.gov> ; Wayne Morton
> <mailto:wayne2946 at yahoo.com> ; Denny Donnell
> <mailto:hddonnell at hotmail.com> ; Bill Bergh
> <mailto:bill.bergh at mdc.mo.gov> ; Tim Banek <mailto:tim.banek at mdc.mo.gov>
> ; phil wire <mailto:phw222 at googlemail.com> ; Dave Murphy
> <mailto:dmurphy at confedmo.org> ; Alan Leary
> <mailto:alan.leary at modot.mo.gov> ; Susan Hazelwood
> <mailto:hazelwoods at mchsi.com> ; Ben Duffield
> <mailto:duffieldben at yahoo.com> ; JR Flores
> <mailto:jr.flores at mo.usda.gov> ; Darlene Johnson
> <mailto:darlene.johnson at mo.usda.gov> ; Mervin Wallace
> <mailto:mowldflrs at socket.net> ; DeeCee Darrow
> <mailto:deecee.darrow at mdc.mo.gov> ; Steve Flick
> <mailto:steveaflick at earthlink.net> ; Kelly Srigley Werner
> <mailto:kelly_srigleywerner at fws.gov> ; Allen Powell
> <mailto:allen.powell at mo.usda.gov> ; Gene Gardner
> <mailto:gene.gardner at mdc.mo.gov> ; Amy Buechler
> <mailto:abuechler at confedmo.org> ; David Erickson
> <mailto:david.erickson at mdc.mo.gov> ; George Seek <mailto:seekg at grm.net>
> ; John Burk <mailto:jburknwtf at ktis.net> ; Andrew Forbes
> <mailto:andrew.forbes at mdc.mo.gov> ; Linda Tossing
> <mailto:ltossing at aol.com> ; Stacey, Gary <mailto:staceyg at missouri.edu>
> ; Eddie Hamill <mailto:eddie.hamill at mo.usda.gov> ; James Trager
> <mailto:james.trager at mobot.org> ; Steve Heyling
> <mailto:ashlandbirdman at yahoo.com> ; Keith Jackson
> <mailto:keith.jackson at mdc.mo.gov> ; Jerry Kaiser
> <mailto:jerry.kaiser at mo.usda.gov> ; Mike Currier
> <mailto:mike.currier at dnr.mo.gov> ; Ken Struemph
> <mailto:ken.struemph at dnr.mo.gov> ; Brent Jamison
> <mailto:brent.jamison at mdc.mo.gov>
>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 5:18 AM
>
> Subject: Re: [Carpenter Prairie Discussion] biomass
>
>
>
> So Mr Reinbott,
>
>
>
> To keep this system intact you are only needing to return the ash to the
> prairie. How frequently would this be needed and in what concentration.
> My thinking is that the ash is rather concentrated with the Potassium and
> Phosphorus - No?
>
>
>
> Too heavy or two frequent would create additional problems as more may
> not be better. Additionally, what other elemental (or other things)
> residues could be concentrated in the ashes?
>
>
>
> Tim
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Timothy R. Barksdale
>
> Birdman Productions L.L.C.
>
> & MundoAveLoco! L.L.C.
>
> P.O. Box 1124
>
> 65 Mountain View Dr.
>
> Choteau, MT 59422
>
>
>
> Home Office: 406-466-2111
>
> birdman-hd -at- 3riversdbs -dot-net
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Feb 2, 2010, at 5:48 PM, Reinbott, Timothy M. wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> Kevin,
> That is a valid question. Native warm season grasses such as Switchgrass
> remove 9 lbs P205 and 46 lbs K2O per ton removed for hay. So 5 tons
> would be 45 P and 230 lbs K which is similar if you took off the corn
> grain and stover. However, the native grasses have extremely deep roots
> and are mining minerals from a very deep profile-6 ft or more. This is
> why we hardly ever see a response to Native grasses to P and K in the
> glacial till soils of Central and North MO. Ozarks and SW MO, maybe not.
> If harvested for biofuel after dormancy (October or later) then much of
> the P and K is recycled back to the roots and very little is removed.
> This is true for most perennial crops.
> So in a nutshell, yes if you harvest these prairies for hay and do not
> return the manure then you will remove a tremendous amount of nutrients
> from the soil and could get into trouble within a decade or two. For
> biofuel production, a much slower process but a need to return the
> nutrients from the ashes.
>
> Hope this helps,
> Tim
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kevin Carpenter"
> <kevinc at mysticplains.org>
> To: "Carpenter Prairie in the Mystic Plains COA"
> <carpenter at mysticplains.org>
> Cc: "Scott Woodbury" <scott.woodbury at mobot.org>; "Hamilton Native
> Outpost" <hamilton at train.missouri.org>; "Frank Oberle"
> <foberle at nemr.net>; "Carol Davit" <davitleahy at earthlink.net>; "Jon Wingo"
> <djmaint at aol.com>; "John Knudsen" <john.knudsen at mdc.mo.gov>; "Jean
> Herman" <jean.herman at mo.usda.gov>; "Aaron Jeffries"
> <aaron.jeffries at mdc.mo.gov>; "Dwaine Gelnar" <dwaine.gelnar at mo.usda.gov>;
> "Reinbott, Timothy M." <ReinbottT at missouri.edu>; "Steve Mowry"
> <stevem4444 at aol.com>; "Karen Brinkman" <karen.brinkman at mo.usda.gov>;
> "John Hoskins" <john.hoskins at mdc.mo.gov>; "Bill McGuire"
> <bill.mcguire at mdc.mo.gov>; "Ted Cooper" <ted at tswllc.com>; "Steve
> Bruckerhoff" <steve.bruckerhoff at mo.usda.gov>; "Wayne Morton"
> <wayne2946 at yahoo.com>; "Denny Donnell" <hddonnell at hotmail.com>; "Bill
> Bergh" <bill.bergh at mdc.mo.gov>; "Tim Banek" <tim.banek at mdc.mo.gov>; "phil
> wire" <phw222 at googlemail.com>; "Dave Murphy" <dmurphy at confedmo.org>;
> "Alan Leary" <alan.leary at modot.mo.gov>; "Susan Hazelwood"
> <hazelwoods at mchsi.com>; "Ben Duffield" <duffieldben at yahoo.com>; "JR
> Flores" <jr.flores at mo.usda.gov>; "Darlene Johnson"
> <darlene.johnson at mo.usda.gov>; "Mervin Wallace" <mowldflrs at socket.net>;
> "DeeCee Darrow" <deecee.darrow at mdc.mo.gov>; "Steve Flick"
> <steveaflick at earthlink.net>; "Kelly Srigley Werner"
> <kelly_srigleywerner at fws.gov>; "Allen Powell" <allen.powell at mo.usda.gov>;
> "Gene Gardner" <gene.gardner at mdc.mo.gov>; "Amy Buechler"
> <abuechler at confedmo.org>; "David Erickson" <david.erickson at mdc.mo.gov>;
> "George Seek" <seekg at grm.net>; "John Burk" <jburknwtf at ktis.net>; "Andrew
> Forbes" <andrew.forbes at mdc.mo.gov>; "Linda Tossing" <ltossing at aol.com>;
> "Stacey, Gary" <staceyg at missouri.edu>; "Eddie Hamill"
> <eddie.hamill at mo.usda.gov>; "James Trager" <james.trager at mobot.org>;
> "Steve Heyling" <ashlandbirdman at yahoo.com>; "Keith Jackson"
> <keith.jackson at mdc.mo.gov>; "Jerry Kaiser" <jerry.kaiser at mo.usda.gov>;
> "Mike Currier" <mike.currier at dnr.mo.gov>; "Ken Struemph"
> <ken.struemph at dnr.mo.gov>; "Brent Jamison" <brent.jamison at mdc.mo.gov>;
> "Tim Barksdale" <curlew at 3riversdbs.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 5:22 PM
> Subject: Re: [Carpenter Prairie Discussion] biomass
>
>
> I have one basic question that's been bothering me:
>
> Are prairie grass yields somehow sustainable without replacing the
> nutrients taken off the land? When I say "sustainable" I mean over
> decades. Most know that one can't hay a field repeatedly without
> fertilization, if you try, you "wear the field out". I can see pulling
> large quantities of bio-mass off a prairie a few times (just look at the
> one across from Franks house any summer if you doubt that!), but what
> impact would repeated harvesting have? Yes, the macro nutrients, like
> nitrogen, can be naturally replaced, but what about the phosphorus,
> potash, calcium, and dozens if not hundreds of other minerals that are
> removed when prairie grass is harvested but recycled when prairies are
> burnt?
>
> Kevin
>
>
>
>
> Here is a later version of some more of their work on this topic. Happy
>
> reading.
>
>
>
> Rudi Roeslein
>
> CEO
>
> Roeslein & Associates, Inc.
>
> 9200 Watson Road, Suite 200
>
> St. Louis, MO 63126 USA
>
> [cid:image001.gif at 01CAA420.5CAD4B10]
>
> Main: +1 314 729 0055 x8807
>
> Direct: +1 314 270-8807
>
> Mobile: +1 314 280-3762
>
> Fax: +1 314 729 0070
>
>
>
> E-mail: rroeslein at roeslein.com<mailto:jhart at roeslein.com>
>
> www.roeslein.com<http://www.roeslein.com/>
>
> www.imt-mfg.com<http://www.imt-mfg.com/>
>
>
>
> From: Rudi Roeslein
>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 11:04 AM
>
> To: 'Scott Woodbury'; Hamilton Native Outpost; Frank Oberle; Carol
> Davit;
>
> Kevin Carpenter; Jon Wingo
>
> Cc: Ben Duffield; Amy Buechler; Mervin Wallace; John Hoskins; John Burk;
>
> John Knudsen; Steve Mowry; David Erickson; Denny Donnell; Wayne Morton;
>
> George Seek; Kelly Srigley Werner; Linda Tossing; Alan Leary; Ted
> Cooper;
>
> Susan Hazelwood; Mike Currier; Steve Heyling; Andrew Forbes; James
> Trager;
>
> Tim Barksdale; Tim Reinbott; phil wire; DeeCee Darrow; John Murphy; Dave
>
> Murphy; Bill Bergh; Bill McGuire; Dwaine Gelnar; Allen Powell; JR
> Flores;
>
> Eddie Hamill; Gene Gardner; Tim Banek; Darlene Johnson; Karen Brinkman;
>
> Brent Jamison; Keith Jackson; Aaron Jeffries; Jean Herman; Steve
>
> Bruckerhoff; Steve Flick; Jerry Kaiser; Ken Struemph;
>
> staceyg at missouri.edu
>
> Subject: RE: biomass
>
>
>
> Dr. David Tilman is the most cited scientist regarding this subject and
>
> from all of the information I have been able to gather probably not
> biased
>
> or influenced by the various interest groups. I am including a science
>
> article on this subject. The other factor that should be considered are
>
> the annual input costs, the maintenance costs, establishment costs and
> the
>
> long term cost to our environment. How many invasive species do we need
>
> to experiment with before we figure out that maybe nature and God had it
>
> figured out with our prairie.
>
> I recently attended a two day seminar on alternative bio fuels at the
>
> University of Illinois that ended up being a big promotional campaign
> for
>
> Miscanthus. The establishment costs were cited as being $3000.00/ acre,
>
> and no real data on the total life cycle costs. Yields of 40tons per
>
> acre were being tossed around but again no real long term data to
> provide
>
> total life cycle costs. I just completed a 70 acre planting of 6
>
> different grasses and 25 forbs on my Putnam county farm and this will
>
> cost 10% of this Miscanthus figure and require very little in the way of
>
> additional input or maintenance cost in the future. An occasional
>
> cutting in the early stages of development to prevent weed competition
>
> and a burn or grazing interruption once established.
>
> I believe the proven attributes of a bio diverse prairie must be
>
> considered in this new movement towards more invasive species to degrade
>
> our remaining marginal lands and eliminate more wildlife habitat. The
> CO2
>
> sequestering capability of prairie grasses are getting studied and have
>
> been cited by the University of Minnesota after 20 years of studies.
>
> Their ability to store and filter water are also getting real scientific
>
> research and not just biased promotional advertisement. Our soil
> erosion
>
> problem in Missouri is one of the worst in the country and could be
> helped
>
> significantly by a prairie root system that can be 15 ft deep and not
> only
>
> prevent soil erosion but provide some of the most fertile soil in the
>
> nation. These attributes all have a real $ value and should be
> identified
>
> and quantified. Lets all get more informed on this subject, especially
>
> those responsible for the direction we take in this exciting new field
> of
>
> alternative energies.
>
>
>
> Rudi Roeslein
>
> CEO
>
> Roeslein & Associates, Inc.
>
> 9200 Watson Road, Suite 200
>
> St. Louis, MO 63126 USA
>
> [cid:image001.gif at 01CAA420.5CAD4B10]
>
> Main: +1 314 729 0055 x8807
>
> Direct: +1 314 270-8807
>
> Mobile: +1 314 280-3762
>
> Fax: +1 314 729 0070
>
>
>
> E-mail: rroeslein at roeslein.com<mailto:jhart at roeslein.com>
>
> www.roeslein.com<http://www.roeslein.com/>
>
> www.imt-mfg.com<http://www.imt-mfg.com/>
>
>
>
> From: Scott Woodbury [mailto:Scott.Woodbury at mobot.org]
>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 8:32 AM
>
> To: Hamilton Native Outpost; Frank Oberle; Rudi Roeslein; Carol Davit;
>
> Kevin Carpenter; Jon Wingo
>
> Cc: Ben Duffield; Amy Buechler; Mervin Wallace; John Hoskins; John Burk;
>
> John Knudsen; Steve Mowry; David Erickson; Denny Donnell; Wayne Morton;
>
> George Seek; Kelly Srigley Werner; Linda Tossing; Alan Leary; Ted
> Cooper;
>
> Susan Hazelwood; Mike Currier; Steve Heyling; Andrew Forbes; James
> Trager;
>
> Tim Barksdale; Tim Reinbott; phil wire; DeeCee Darrow; John Murphy; Dave
>
> Murphy; Bill Bergh; Bill McGuire; Dwaine Gelnar; Allen Powell; JR
> Flores;
>
> Eddie Hamill; Gene Gardner; Tim Banek; Darlene Johnson; Karen Brinkman;
>
> Brent Jamison; Keith Jackson; Aaron Jeffries; Jean Herman; Steve
>
> Bruckerhoff; Steve Flick; Jerry Kaiser; Ken Struemph;
>
> staceyg at missouri.edu
>
> Subject: RE: biomass
>
>
>
> This sounds great as long as long as landowners opt for a diverse
> planting
>
> in CRP. Right now the research on biomass is showing that sterile hybrid
>
> miscanthus yields 2-3 times as much biomass as native switchgrass, and
>
> therefore could bring in more money. That's comparing a pure stand of
>
> switchgrass to a pure stand of miscanthus. Now days' CRP isn't a pure
>
> stand of switchgrass. My fear is that landowners will drop CRP when they
>
> see that they can make more money growing miscanthus? Of course this
> can't
>
> happen until Miscanthus production becomes mechanized. Please tell me
>
> otherwise. I don't like the idea of miscanthus replacing CRP.
>
>
>
> Scott
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Hamilton Native Outpost [mailto:hamilton at train.missouri.org]
>
> Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 1:56 PM
>
> To: 'Frank Oberle'; 'Rudi Roeslein'; 'Carol Davit'; 'Kevin Carpenter';
>
> 'Jon Wingo'
>
> Cc: 'Ben Duffield'; 'Amy Buechler'; 'Mervin Wallace'; 'John Hoskins';
>
> 'John Burk'; 'John Knudsen'; 'Steve Mowry'; 'David Erickson'; 'Denny
>
> Donnell'; 'Wayne Morton'; 'George Seek'; 'Kelly Srigley Werner'; 'Linda
>
> Tossing'; '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'; 'Gene Gardner'; 'Tim Banek';
>
> 'Darlene Johnson'; 'Karen Brinkman'; 'Brent Jamison'; 'Keith Jackson';
>
> 'Aaron Jeffries'; 'Jean Herman'; 'Steve Bruckerhoff'; 'Steve Flick';
>
> 'Jerry Kaiser'; 'Ken Struemph'; staceyg at missouri.edu
>
> Subject: RE: biomass
>
>
>
> 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, the popularity of the USDA's Biomass Crop Assistance
>
> Program has soared, with the number of qualifying facilities now
> exceeding
>
> 280<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102878250501&s=2761&e=001GCQRvDWWio9VqdgKxH5ka5XkUUSUmFWBbXSArjKjhTtaDOpWohH_PRRKv98bxvAubhTlGoXmbGveN7sRWa6GEz4ju1VmK5fz7-OqpEpiZsRNmEHUh-ZPKMJQ_9Lmsi62vUvUvzcSOTrOW1QTo1XQ0tfM52QbPr-asoVf5UQ5iEb8wjfsZ3fSYNt0wbMkB-ANWdUk6lb7IMctDHv-k97r1T8NzZddbx0Uo1mq8IRZa-emZtr0p6VBCbXhd-zPjLC9>.
>
> 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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