Wednesday Webinar:

Managing the Environmental Risk of Poplar: Sustainable Practices and Certification

Please register for the webinar at http://breeze.wsu.edu/e6av02fk4w7/event/registration.html

On the day of the event, the webinar can be viewed at https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/wsu/

Responsibly managed poplar plantations have a number of options available to them to manage their environmental risks, including Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies, efficient chemical usage, and adherence to environmental certification programs, to name just a few. While traditional forestry operations may utilize well established forest certification programs such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), such programs may be unable to accommodate non-traditional practices, such as short rotation coppicing techniques.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (www.rsb.org) is a bioproducts and bioenergy certification program modeled after the FSC program, established for agricultural and non-traditional forestry biomass markets. RSB is an international certification, and includes environmental and social criteria which must be met in order for the operations to pass an independently conducted verification audit. Last year GreenWood Resources became the first RSB certification of short rotation poplar, through a joint FSC/RSB audit conducted by SCS Global Services. During this webinar, we will learn about the different environmental risk mitigation strategies employed by GreenWood Resources, and discuss the RSB certification program — what it entails and how it operates in practice.  Attendees will have time for Q&A after the PowerPoint presentation.

What’s covered?

• Environmental risk management on the poplar farm
• Sustainable biomaterial standards and certification
• GreenWood Resource’s sustainable biomass certification through the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterial

When: Wednesday, May 6, 2015 | 10:00am – 11:00 am Pacific Time

Who Should Attend:
Environmental professionals, land managers, bioenergy researchers, bio-industry representatives, Extension professionals, academic researchers, community leaders, and students.

Presenters: Andrew Rodstrom of GreenWood Resources and Aurea Nardelli from the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials

Sponsored by:   Washington State University Extension with funding from Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Competitive Grant no. 2011-68005-30407 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

How to access the webinar:
Please register for the webinar at http://breeze.wsu.edu/e6av02fk4w7/event/registration.html

Join the webinar on the day of the event at https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/wsu/

This webinar is part of the AHB Hardwood Biofuels Webinar Series. Find the series including archived presentations online at http://hardwoodbiofuels.org/webinars/.

Want to be notified about future webinars?
Join our mailing list at http://hardwoodbiofuels.org/connect-with-ahb/.

Questions? Contact Nora Haider nora.haider@wsu.edu | 425-741-9962

Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and special needs who contact Nora Haider at nora.haider@wsu.edu, 425-741-9962  at least two weeks prior to the event. Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.