Study: Vermont forests ripe for biofuel

Vermont’s forests could substantially contribute to renewable energy goals in tandem with sustainable harvest methods, according to a study released Monday by Vermont Law School’s Institute for Energy and the Environment.

But, the study adds, managing the health of local forests will likely be challenged by an expanding regional market for renewable electricity.

The impact of an unbridled market expansion to Vermont forests “could be as damaging as the devastation of the 19th century,” the report states.

Soil and water quality, biological diversity, wildlife habitat and carbon storage are listed as central concerns in the study, which was prepared for the Vermont Public Service Department.

A better understanding of the dynamics of greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of “woody biomass” to generate power — and the extent to which young forests sequester atmospheric carbon — is cited as “vital” in the study, but is not its priority.

The report might be “a starting point” for conversations between Vermont and neighboring states, wrote Carla Santos, one of the lead authors of the study, in a news release.

The report can be found online at vermontlaw.edu/IEE/publications.