Communities today are challenged to develop effective strategies that support forest ecosystem health, mitigate the effects of climate change, satisfy growing energy needs, and provide local economic opportunities. For some communities, woody biomass may be a viable option for meeting these needs and deserves serious consideration. Forests in the United States represent an important potential energy and biobased product resource. NACD, in collaboration with federal, state, and local partners is working to raise awareness about the potential for woody biomass as a primary feedstock for such products.

This Woody Biomass Desk Guide and Toolkit provides an overview of woody biomass production and utilization in the U.S., tips of how to provide effective outreach for your clientele, and educational handouts to share with your audiences. The purpose of this guide is to equip natural resource professionals and outreach specialists with the information and tools needed to increase awareness of the use of woody biomass for energy in the U.S. Developed by Southern Regional Extension Forestry (SREF) with support from the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and the US Department of Interior.

This training notebook contains seven modules separated by sections. Each module includes several subsections, which contain a module guide, fact sheets, an activity, and module evaluation questions. A general program evaluation, glossary, resource list, and contact list are provided as appendices.

The module guide provides users with information on how to use the materials to create a comprehensive training program for the module topic. The fact sheets can be used as supplemental materials in the training program or as stand-alone publications for distribution at landowner meetings, community meetings, or other educational events. At least one example activity is provided as a way to actively engage participants in the learning process. Evaluation tools, including both knowledge and potential behavior change and satisfaction questions, are provided to evaluate the training events. These tools help to measure knowledge gain as well as overall satisfaction with the educational materials and events. Additionally, there are several questions that pertain specifically to demographics. These questions help with a better understanding for future training. The supplemental materials list contains books, journal articles, websites, and other sources of additional information. Developed by the Southern Forest Research Partnership (SFRP), Southern Regional Extension Forestry (SREF), Texas A&M University (TAMU) and other partners.

Just ahead are six learning modules all focusing on how private forests can contribute to bioenergy and bio-based products. To learn how to convert your forest products to energy, you can complete the modules in order or select the module that best suits what you would like to learn today.

The forest ecosystems of the South serve many purposes including the production of bioenergy. This encyclopedia is a synthesis of the best available scientific knowledge regarding the state of bioenergy and bio-based products from Southern forest ecosystems. We are certainly not suggesting that all existing forests should be tapped for energy production. Forest biomass for energy and other bio-based products can and must be managed as simply one of a large number of goods and services that can be produced from the forests (IEA Bioenergy Task 31, 2000).The Encyclopedia of Southern Bioenergy is divided into seven sub-sections: understanding bioenergy resources, the southern bioenergy resource, forest management, harvesting, utilization, economics and environmental sustainability. Developed by Southern Regional Extension Forestry (SREF), the Southern Forest Research Partnership (SREF), and Texas A&M University (TAMU).

This project aims to increase community understanding and discussion about the possibility of using wood for energy in the South. We are generating outreach materials for Biomass Ambassadors to use in communities across the region. The materials are currently in draft form and we are seeking input and suggestions for improving them.

Population growth in forested areas across the South could generate potential interest and a ready supply of woody biomass for energy. People often have a variety of question about using wood for energy, many of which are answered in our Fact Sheets. It often helps to see how others are using wood; our Case Studies illustrate 14 examples of utilities, industries, and facilities that use wood for energy. A number of communities in the South have a reasonable potential to sustainably harvest enough wood to power a municipal building, hospital, industry, or several thousand homes. Developed by the University of Florida (UF), the USDA Forest Service (USDA FS), Southern Regional Extension Forestry (SREF), and other partners.

The Wood Energy eXtension CoP consists of extension educators, faculty members, researchers, private industry, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations interested in the use of forest biomass for bioenergy. The Wood Energy CoP brings together forestry professionals, engineering professionals, rural economic development practitioners, conservation groups, and renewable energy groups in an effort to deliver science-based peer-reviewed extension education materials related to the subject of forest-based bioenergy.