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Resilience, Capacity, And Place: A Comparative Case Study Of Small-Scale Forest-Based Biomass Energy Development In California’S Sierra Nevada Mountain Range Communities, Rebecca E. Cashero

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The buildup of fuels resulting from decades of fire suppression in California's Sierra Nevada mountains has made its dense forests vulnerable to high severity stand replacing wildfires. Local governments in many rural forest-dependent communities view biomass energy production as a method to restore forest health via fuel removal and waste disposal. Forest-based biomass energy facilities have the potential to be compatible with protecting water resources, habitat restoration, forest resilience, and achieving climate standards, while also enhancing regional economic stability. However, while an increasing number of communities and organizations throughout California are advocating for local small-scale renewable energy from forest-based woody …