Increasing forestry awareness while introducing biochar production and application methods to Alaska

Commodities

• Agronomic: barley

Practices

• Crop Production: fertilizers, forestry, forest/woodlot management, no-till
• Education and Training: demonstration, extension, on-farm/ranch research, technical assistance, workshop
• Energy: byproduct utilization
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns, new enterprise development, value added
• Natural Resources/Environment: carbon sequestration
• Production Systems: agroecosystems
• Soil Management: organic matter, soil analysis, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: new business opportunities, partnerships, sustainability measures, values-based supply chains

Hazardous fuels are a major problem in wildlands in Alaska and throughout the West. Foresters traditionally pile and burn material from fuels reduction projects, but air quality restrictions and longer fire seasons have made open pile burning much more difficult. Biochar kilns are a new approach to hazardous fuels management that directly addresses forest and woodland health, fire resilience, sustainable forest management, biomass utilization and fire recovery, while directly addressing climate change by sequestering carbon in a durable form in soil. This concept is being adopted across the US and this project will introduce this approach to Alaskans. Perhaps the most accessible and ‘shovel ready’ approach to durably sequestering carbon is by producing biochar with low-tech, in-woods methods and applying the biochar to soils. Compared to the traditional approach of open pile burning this method reduces air quality impacts and is less damaging to soils than the extreme heat of open pile burning. Through this project we intend to improve technical, social, and economic knowledge and abilities of forest and rangeland managers and owners. This is needed because forest and rangeland resources in Alaska are negatively affected by drought, wildfire, invasive species, insects, diseases, and development. This project will focus on biochar production and application on Alaska farmland, and evaluating the benefits of biochar for agricultural production.

Produce biochar in-woods in Alaska with low-tech methods

Apply biochar to farms in Alaska

Teach people how to make biochar with accessible flame-cap biochar kilns in Alaska

Teach producers how to apply biochar to their farmlands in Alaska

Study the effects of biochar application on Alaska farmlands

Sequester carbon