JOHN DAY The new biomass plant opening at Malheur Lumber Company fits in with the Forest Services evolving mission to heal the regions forests and prevent catastrophic fires, officials say.

   Malheur National Forest Supervisor Doug Gochnour said that in dealing with fires, forest managers face three challenges: the weather, the rugged topography of the region, and the abundance of fire fuel.

   We cant do much about the first two, but certainly we can reduce the fuel loading with thinning and prescribed burning, he said.

   Thinning reduces impacts in big fires, allowing the flames to burn quickly and low through an area, rather than laddering up into the tree crowns and devastating entire stands.

   Gochnour said not only does thinning reduce fire impacts, it also makes the remaining stands healthier and more resistant to disease and insects.

   Thinning and biomass utilization fit into the array of tools needed to restore the Malheur National Forest, he said. 

   Finding a way to utilize the smaller biomass, rather than just piling it and burning it in the woods, is very important, he said. 

   The pellet mill achieves that goal Plus it creates a valuable product and creates jobs, he said.

   The need for that kind of stewardship was behind the Malheur National Forests successful application for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to site a biomass plant in the region.

   This is a great example of what Congress intended with the Recovery funds, and Im glad the Malheur National Forest was able to play a key role in creating the pellet plant, he said.