Comments on: Bundles of energy http://burnstimesherald.info/2008/07/16/bundles-of-energy/ Covering Harney County Like The Sagebrush Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:10:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Forest Policy Research » Blog Archive » 376 PNW-USA http://burnstimesherald.info/2008/07/16/bundles-of-energy/#comment-1502 Forest Policy Research » Blog Archive » 376 PNW-USA Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:36:29 +0000 http://burnstimesherald.info/2008/07/16/bundles-of-energy/#comment-1502 [...] 6) The return of logging to Harney County could be right around the corner. It may not be the days of old when large pine trees rolled out of the forest on log trucks, but the harvesting of juniper for biomass fuel could provide both jobs and energy. Last week, July 8-10, a crew from John Deere was in town to demonstrate how juniper could be harvested and bundled, ready for transport to an energy-producing facility. Mike Schmidt, forestry biomass manager for John Deere, said they wanted to demonstrate how juniper could be used for product. “It is an invasive species, and if it is harvested, landowners will be reclaiming the rangeland for forage and water,” he said. Working on a slope of land a few miles from town, a stand of juniper was cut using a carbide blade, mounted on the front of a feller-buncher. Depending on the terrain and the density of the stand, Schmidt said the feller-buncher could cover 20 to 30 acres a day. Once the trees are cut, a slash bundler moves in. It picks the trees up whole and places them on a high-tech compactor. Using 150 tons of compression, the juniper is compacted into 30-inch diameter bundles, wrapped with twine and cut at a designated length. The slash bundler can handle trees up to 20 inches in diameter and averages about 20 bundles an hour. Because of their design, neither the feller-buncher nor the slash bundler have much of an impact on the land. “They’re not dragging anything on the ground, there’s no ground pressure, so soil compaction is a non-issue,” Schmidt said. He then invited those in attendance to take a walk through the harvested area to see for themselves. Once the juniper is bundled, it can lay on the ground for several years and not lose its usefulness. “The bundles are compacted so tight, they won’t shrink,” Schmidt said. “They will dry out, which will make them weigh less, and that will result in lower transportation costs.” On average, enough juniper can be harvested on one to two acres to fill up a log truck.Another benefit is that the entire tree is used, so there are no slash piles left behind. Schmidt stated that because the machinery is designed using the latest technology, they hope to attract more young people to the industry. “Training to operate these machines is available, and they use a simulator much like an airplane simulator,” Schmidt said. “And they’re good paying jobs.” http://burnstimesherald.info/2008/07/16/bundles-of-energy/ [...] […] 6) The return of logging to Harney County could be right around the corner. It may not be the days of old when large pine trees rolled out of the forest on log trucks, but the harvesting of juniper for biomass fuel could provide both jobs and energy. Last week, July 8-10, a crew from John Deere was in town to demonstrate how juniper could be harvested and bundled, ready for transport to an energy-producing facility. Mike Schmidt, forestry biomass manager for John Deere, said they wanted to demonstrate how juniper could be used for product. “It is an invasive species, and if it is harvested, landowners will be reclaiming the rangeland for forage and water,” he said. Working on a slope of land a few miles from town, a stand of juniper was cut using a carbide blade, mounted on the front of a feller-buncher. Depending on the terrain and the density of the stand, Schmidt said the feller-buncher could cover 20 to 30 acres a day. Once the trees are cut, a slash bundler moves in. It picks the trees up whole and places them on a high-tech compactor. Using 150 tons of compression, the juniper is compacted into 30-inch diameter bundles, wrapped with twine and cut at a designated length. The slash bundler can handle trees up to 20 inches in diameter and averages about 20 bundles an hour. Because of their design, neither the feller-buncher nor the slash bundler have much of an impact on the land. “They’re not dragging anything on the ground, there’s no ground pressure, so soil compaction is a non-issue,” Schmidt said. He then invited those in attendance to take a walk through the harvested area to see for themselves. Once the juniper is bundled, it can lay on the ground for several years and not lose its usefulness. “The bundles are compacted so tight, they won’t shrink,” Schmidt said. “They will dry out, which will make them weigh less, and that will result in lower transportation costs.” On average, enough juniper can be harvested on one to two acres to fill up a log truck.Another benefit is that the entire tree is used, so there are no slash piles left behind. Schmidt stated that because the machinery is designed using the latest technology, they hope to attract more young people to the industry. “Training to operate these machines is available, and they use a simulator much like an airplane simulator,” Schmidt said. “And they’re good paying jobs.” http://burnstimesherald.info/2008/07/16/bundles-of-energy/ […]

]]> By: Steve Russell http://burnstimesherald.info/2008/07/16/bundles-of-energy/#comment-1409 Steve Russell Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:03:57 +0000 http://burnstimesherald.info/2008/07/16/bundles-of-energy/#comment-1409 This sounds excellent and my only questions are: how many acres are covered by this, how long will it take to finish the job and when and can it continue. I hope it continues for as long as it can. This is from an environmentalist in San Francisco who only wishes that it would be possible to renew "timber cutting" in this Juniper removal along with every possible way, in Harney County, to make the 150 jobs permanent. Steve Russell This sounds excellent and my only questions are: how many acres are covered by this, how long will it take to finish the job and when and can it continue. I hope it continues for as long as it can.
This is from an environmentalist in San Francisco who only wishes that it would be possible to renew “timber cutting” in this Juniper removal along with every possible way, in Harney County, to make the 150 jobs permanent.

Steve Russell

]]> By: Gavin http://burnstimesherald.info/2008/07/16/bundles-of-energy/#comment-1362 Gavin Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:44:37 +0000 http://burnstimesherald.info/2008/07/16/bundles-of-energy/#comment-1362 "Have something to say about this story?" I wonder if anyone ever has anything to say about any story as I never see any comments. Anyhow, John Deere has some very impressive demos on youtube if you care to search. This one is like a complete lumber mill, amazing! “Have something to say about this story?”
I wonder if anyone ever has anything to say about any story as I never see any comments. Anyhow, John Deere has some very impressive demos on youtube if you care to search. This one is like a complete lumber mill, amazing!

]]>