Abstract:
Utilizing woody biomass from hazardous fuels reduction projects may make forest restoration
more cost effective while creating local economic benefits. However, there is a lack of evidence
about how projects can be designed for these outcomes. Wallowa Resources and the Wallowa-
Whitman National Forest (WWNF) partnered to test if mechanical treatment with biomass utilization was
cost effective in comparison to hand thinning, piling, and burning using a hazardous fuels reduction
project called Reservoir Biomass. We studied the benefits and challenges of this approach.