Stakeholder Assessment of the Feasibility of Poplar as a Biomass Feedstock and Ecosystem Services Provider in Southwestern Washington, USA
Advanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest (AHB), a USDA NIFA-funded consortium of university and industry partners, identified southwestern Washington as a potential location for a regional bioproducts industry using poplar trees (Populus spp.) as the feedstock. In this qualitative case study, we present...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-10-01
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| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/9/10/655 |
| _version_ | 1811291028558184448 |
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| author | Noelle M. Hart Patricia A. Townsend Amira Chowyuk Rick Gustafson |
| author_facet | Noelle M. Hart Patricia A. Townsend Amira Chowyuk Rick Gustafson |
| author_sort | Noelle M. Hart |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Advanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest (AHB), a USDA NIFA-funded consortium of university and industry partners, identified southwestern Washington as a potential location for a regional bioproducts industry using poplar trees (Populus spp.) as the feedstock. In this qualitative case study, we present the results of an exploratory feasibility investigation based on conversations with agricultural and natural resources stakeholders. This research complements a techno-economic modelling of a hypothetical biorefinery near Centralia, WA, USA. Interviews and group discussions explored the feasibility of a poplar-based bioproducts industry in southwestern WA, especially as it relates to converting land to poplar farms and the potential for poplar to provide ecosystem services. Stakeholders revealed challenges to local agriculture, past failures to profit from poplar (for pulp/sawlogs), land-use planning efforts for flood mitigation and salmon conservation, questions about biorefinery operations, and a need for a new economic opportunity that “pencils out”. Overall, if the business model is convincing, participants see chances for win-win situations where landowners could profit growing poplar on otherwise low-value acreage and achieve ecosystem services for wastewater or floodplain management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T04:22:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-93d7d9908d17411ba8365fc2551b2dbf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T04:22:17Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-93d7d9908d17411ba8365fc2551b2dbf2022-12-22T03:02:40ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072018-10-0191065510.3390/f9100655f9100655Stakeholder Assessment of the Feasibility of Poplar as a Biomass Feedstock and Ecosystem Services Provider in Southwestern Washington, USANoelle M. Hart0Patricia A. Townsend1Amira Chowyuk2Rick Gustafson3Advanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest, Washington State University Extension, 600 128th St SE, Everett, WA 98208, USAAdvanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest, Washington State University Extension, 600 128th St SE, Everett, WA 98208, USABiofuels and Bioproducts Laboratory, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98115, USABiofuels and Bioproducts Laboratory, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98115, USAAdvanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest (AHB), a USDA NIFA-funded consortium of university and industry partners, identified southwestern Washington as a potential location for a regional bioproducts industry using poplar trees (Populus spp.) as the feedstock. In this qualitative case study, we present the results of an exploratory feasibility investigation based on conversations with agricultural and natural resources stakeholders. This research complements a techno-economic modelling of a hypothetical biorefinery near Centralia, WA, USA. Interviews and group discussions explored the feasibility of a poplar-based bioproducts industry in southwestern WA, especially as it relates to converting land to poplar farms and the potential for poplar to provide ecosystem services. Stakeholders revealed challenges to local agriculture, past failures to profit from poplar (for pulp/sawlogs), land-use planning efforts for flood mitigation and salmon conservation, questions about biorefinery operations, and a need for a new economic opportunity that “pencils out”. Overall, if the business model is convincing, participants see chances for win-win situations where landowners could profit growing poplar on otherwise low-value acreage and achieve ecosystem services for wastewater or floodplain management.http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/9/10/655woody bioenergy cropsocial acceptanceshort rotation coppicebioeconomybiorefineryland-useagriculturecrop adoptionwastewaterfloodplain |
| spellingShingle | Noelle M. Hart Patricia A. Townsend Amira Chowyuk Rick Gustafson Stakeholder Assessment of the Feasibility of Poplar as a Biomass Feedstock and Ecosystem Services Provider in Southwestern Washington, USA Forests woody bioenergy crop social acceptance short rotation coppice bioeconomy biorefinery land-use agriculture crop adoption wastewater floodplain |
| title | Stakeholder Assessment of the Feasibility of Poplar as a Biomass Feedstock and Ecosystem Services Provider in Southwestern Washington, USA |
| title_full | Stakeholder Assessment of the Feasibility of Poplar as a Biomass Feedstock and Ecosystem Services Provider in Southwestern Washington, USA |
| title_fullStr | Stakeholder Assessment of the Feasibility of Poplar as a Biomass Feedstock and Ecosystem Services Provider in Southwestern Washington, USA |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stakeholder Assessment of the Feasibility of Poplar as a Biomass Feedstock and Ecosystem Services Provider in Southwestern Washington, USA |
| title_short | Stakeholder Assessment of the Feasibility of Poplar as a Biomass Feedstock and Ecosystem Services Provider in Southwestern Washington, USA |
| title_sort | stakeholder assessment of the feasibility of poplar as a biomass feedstock and ecosystem services provider in southwestern washington usa |
| topic | woody bioenergy crop social acceptance short rotation coppice bioeconomy biorefinery land-use agriculture crop adoption wastewater floodplain |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/9/10/655 |
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