Endowment Releases External Review of Biomass Investments

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) today released the results of an external review commissioned to provide an assessment of its programmatic investments in the rapidly-changing woody biomass/wood-to-energy sector.  ” Among the greatest challenges facing healthy working forests is the lack of markets for small-diameter, dead, or dying wood,” says Endowment President Carlton Owen.  “Right-sized or community-scale wood-to-energy facilities offer great promise not only to help meet this challenge but at the same time to provide family-supporting jobs in rural communities while advancing one pathway to reducing dependence on unstable sources of needed energy.” 

The report, “Woody Biomass Programmatic Investments: An Independent Review and Recommendations,” was developed by a five-person team of experts from across the nation.  The intent was for results to serve as a mid-course review and offer insights that might aid the Endowment in better targeting future investments.  “We are especially appreciative of the time that this ‘blue ribbon team’ of leaders provided,” Owen continued.  “They provided thoughtful criticism of things we could have done better in past investments while also offering sound recommendations that will help us better direct our work going forward.”  One of the Endowment’s base commitments is to openly share the results of its works, “warts and all,” so that anyone with interest in the subject area might benefit from the organization’s experiences.