Keeling Curve

Primary Project Category:

Project Summary / Description:

The idea for this cooperative has been in discussion since the late 90‚ and the time is ripe to share the model. GWN‚ mission: To conduct research and development activities dedicated to the development of appropriate new logging and processing equipment specifically designed for efforts relating to forest ecosystem restoration; To perform restoration thinning projects; To create and manage a log sorting yard for material obtained from forest restoration projects; To conduct research and development activities dedicated to the creation of value-added wood products derived from small diameter logs obtained as by-products from forest restoration projects; To create and expand marketing activities relating to those products; To educate and assist the general public in the use of those techniques, equipment, and products in development of viable small businesses that will benefit local economies and provide jobs; To supply local wood products businesses with a supply of raw material.

Regions of Operations:

How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

Replaces/avoids GHGs (e.g., projects that replace sources of GHGs, such as the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heat, transport, or other energy uses), Reduces GHGs (e.g., projects that reduce sources of GHGs, such as through efficiency or other changes in consumption), Removes/stores GHGs (e.g., projects that capture, sequester, or otherwise enhance the "sinks" that accumulate and store GHGs)

Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

The community centric model and its focus on using waste products as resources (biomass and food waste) to make soil regenerating amendments has a specific goal of reviving home gardening and food preservation as cultural practices. A current project funded by the EPA/CEC - Environmental Justice and Climate Resilience Grant Program: Upper Gila Watershed Alliance (New Mexico)¬†- combining elementary school-based food resilience labs with emerging soil restoration technologies to combat risks from climate-related fire, drought, and extreme heat, is underway, collecting food waste from local schools and mixing it with liability biomass and biochar at the GWN operations site. The YCC team and volunteers are filling static pile reactors using the Johnson-Su method for making a range of fungal dominant composts to be distributed back into the community via the students for home gardens. The J-Su compost, developed by Dr. David Johnson at NM State University, has been shown to increase soil productivity and save water, while storing 5 tons of carbon per acre, per year using permaculture practices. ¬†

Associated with this project is the deployment of micro-scale biochar/boiler systems that pyrolyze pelletized biomass at distributed locations, burning the syngas (smoke) for residential and commercial heat energy. This model distributes the benefits - biochar production and cheap energy - to individuals instead of corporations, and allows for scaling to occur horizontally instead of vertically, with incremental capitalization. Ordinary people can participate, not just wealthy investors, and everybody learns about climate change and things they can do to help.

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Mission Statement:

Gila WoodNet, as a node of biomass processing, is scaled to the local community of Grant County and is located at a small industrial park in the village of Santa Clara. GWN hosts and facilitates other wood processing businesses, where workers and equipment can be shared collaboratively. This place-based forest restoration circular economic model was deigned to be replicable in other communities. In 23 years of operation, GWN has worked out many of the issues in performance of forest health restoration projects and utilization of the resulting waste biomass into a wide variety of value-added products. Expertise includes collaboration with forest management entities, fund raising, operations and business management, and broad community engagement. Co-op nodes will be anchored by processing chipped biomass into biochar and energy from syngas production, mulches, compost, and erosion control products. GWN has engaged tentatively with communities in AZ, NM, Navajo Nation, MT, and OH.