Forestry & Biochar

Historical tree stand research shows what often looks like "natural" forest is, in fact, a recent human altered ecology. Tierra has 220 acres of forest land to take care of and is surrounded on all sides by unmanaged Forest Service land. The effects of harvesting and wildfire suppression over the course of the last century has led to, in many cases, overcrowded stands that are more susceptible to disease and wildfire.

Forest Stewardship became an imperative almost by default once we really understood what the forests would look like unmanaged and without natural wildfire 50 years from now. To date Tierra Forestry has completed a forest management plan, conducted FSC ® Certified commercial timber harvest and has received Department of Natural Resources cost share funding for fuel reduction work. Faced with removing a large volume of woody biomass from the forested hillsides, and as an attempt to not waste the natural resource Tierra Forestry began working to convert some portion of this material to biochar. At present Tierra Forest Products has produced poles, cord wood and biochar from its fuel reduction and thinning operations.