Local Group Tours Montana Biomass Heating Site

Alturas … Six locals traveled to Missoula, Montana to attend the National Workshop on Implementing Biomass Boiler Systems.  The purpose of the trip was to bring back information on heating school and other public buildings with a biomass heating system.

Over the past several months, local Modoc National Forest employees attended lectures on the Fuels for Schools program, a program designed to help public schools and otherpubic facilities reduce their heating costs while increasing forest health.  This goal is achieved by promoting use of biomass heating systems – biomass boilers – that can burn waste wood from hazardous fuels projects.

In February, the California Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils partnered with the U.S. Forest Service in California to solicit interest and provide financial assistance for biomass conversion projects.  When this funding opportunity arose, the Modoc National Forest and the North Cal Neva RC&D teamed up to discuss the possibility of converting the Alturas Elementary and Modoc Middle Schools from fuel oil to a biomass heating system.

A presentation was made to the school board members of the Modoc Joint Unified School District, providing an overview of the Fuels for School program and the cost savings that could be achieved. The School

Board was interested in the project and approved the North Cal Neva RC&D to submit a grant proposal to the California Association of RC&Ds for a feasibility study for the Alturas Elementary and Modoc Middle Schools.  In September, the grant proposal was approved.  The feasibility assessment resulting from this project will contain an economic analysis for conversion from oil heat to a wood boiler.  It will also include an evaluation of the Modoc National Forest planned biomass yields to determine that a sustainable supply of woody material can be provided to the school.

To further research the idea and to understand all that is involved in converting to a biomass heating system, a group of six individuals attended the national workshop.  The trip was funded by the Modoc National Forest, North Cal Neva RC&D, the Modoc Joint Unified School District and the Modoc County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC). Representatives that participated in the workshop included Dina McElwain, Modoc National Forest; Stacey Hafen, North Cal Neva RC&D; Julie Gardner, Modoc Middle School Teacher; Alan Hopkins, Modoc Joint Unified School District Board Member; Jimmy Lloyd, Director of Operations and Maintenance for the Modoc Joint Unified School District; and Glenn Zane, Modoc County Resource Advisory Committee member.

The workshop included 2 days of panel discussions and a field trip to four facilities that converted to a biomass heating system.