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Home My WebLink AboutGalena Project Manager Report 20121 Kelly From:Phil Koontz <phil.koontz@gmail.com> Sent:Friday, September 21, 2012 9:08 AM To:Wynne Auld; Thomas Deerfield; Greg Moyer; Joan Herrmann; Betty Huntington Cc:Ken Stumpf Subject:Fwd: shareholder/community meeting regarding wood biomass FYI-- Recent conversations with Ken Stumpf about sustainable yield. PK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ken Stumpf <stumpfk@grsgis.com> Date: Fri, Sep 21, 2012 at 8:36 AM Subject: Re: shareholder/community meeting regarding wood biomass To: Phil Koontz <phil.koontz@gmail.com> Hi Phil, No I don't mind, as your 2,500 tpy is so much lower than the overall crude harvest level I projected that seems as though it may be sustainable into the future. One primary question/concern I do have is based upon where this biomass is going to be located with respect to accessibility. I believe, as we saw in the helicopter ride, that there are some substantial volumes of timber in what I would call upland areas that may be better accessed and harvested in summer months rather than during the winter. A possible strategy would be to harvest these areas and haul the wood to a log/tree deck created near a 'winter' access location in the summer, and then finish hauling the biomass in for processing during the winter on winter roads - either across wet marshland type areas that are now frozen or even across the river. The result of such a strategy would be that equipment will have to be acquired that can handle different types of logging in both the flat winter access areas as well as the more sloped upland summer harvest areas. We'll know more about this as I refine the inventory and categorize it by the different landscape features that may constraint it's harvest, but if some of these grants are for acquiring this type of equipment I'd be certain the equipment is versatile enough to handle the different types of harvesting that may be necessary to accomplish the future harvest goals. Ken 2 > Hi Ken-- > > Thanks for the note, and for the discussion you provided about the data. > Would you mind if I pass this note along, with the understanding that it > would primarily be used to support a project the size of our currently > proposed 2500 tpy? > > I appreciate the issues with your work and with projections, so we will > certainly use them carefully. > > PK > > > > > > > On Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 3:37 PM, Ken Stumpf <stumpfk@grsgis.com> wrote: > >> Hi Phil- >> >> WRT our inventory efforts, I have processed all of our field data and >> have >> developed estimates of both volume(ft3)/acre and air-dry tons/acre for >> each species present at each field site. >> >> I am now working on refining the image classification process that will >> assign these volumes to the different pixels in the Landsat imagery >> that, >> along with our field inventory data, is the basis of the inventory >> estimates. As this is not completed, all estimates I can make are >> subject >> to change. >> >> For the entire Working Circle of 1,257,000 acres, I have so far mapped >> approximately 460,000 acres that are considered forestlands that appear >> to >> include a gross estimate of 6.7MM air-dry tons of wood (based upon a >> total >> roundwood volume of 420MM ft3). >> >> I must caution you that these estimated total figures are very >> preliminary >> and will change as I refine the classification. Unfortunately, I do not >> know whether that will be up or down, so take these totals with a grain >> of >> salt. I have not included any dead trees in this volume. I do know >> that >> what biomass will be available for harvest will be a smaller portion of >> this volume, as I have not yet started to evaluate the feasibility of 3 >> harvesting any of these acres and their biomass volume to determine >> whether or not the volume can actually be harvested during future >> biomass >> harvesting efforts or at what projected cost. I am starting on the >> evaluation of the inventory with respect to ownership, administration, >> transportation, and environmental concerns as I am evaluating the >> classification efforts. >> >> That said, if only a quarter (25%) of this biomass inventory is >> available >> for harvest at financially feasible costs and if this inventory is >> spread >> over 100 years, then a very crude estimated annual harvest level at this >> point in time would be approximately 16,000 tons/year. Another way to >> look at this, is that if the available forestlands are growing at an >> average rate of 1%, then on a non-declining sustainable basis we can >> harvest 1% of the available inventory. Please remember that at this >> point >> in time, this is a very crude preliminary estimate. I don't know if this >> helps you with respect to your AEA Grant on the 24th, but I figured it >> was >> a first gross preliminary total estimate that could be of some help. I >> will let you be the judge of >> >> Best regards, >> >> Ken Stumpf >> >> > Hi Betty-- >> > Thanks for the invitation. I can certainly be there, and I would be >> happy >> > to work up a PP presentation, or to modify the one from last year. >> I'm >> really hoping for some news from either Clare Doig or Ken Stumpf about >> forest inventory. Long story short about the wood chip project is like >> this-- >> > --The AEA grant is under preparation, and should be filed on Monday, >> Sept >> > 24. I feel like there's a really good chance we will get it this >> time. >> --The approximate size of the project is 5 million BTU per hour, which >> is >> > the heating load for the GILA facilities. That would require about >> 2500 >> tons per year of tree chips. The feasibility study contractor (Dalson >> Energy) estimates that 2500 tons per year can be sustainably harvested >> within about 5 or 6 miles from Galena, which corresponds roughly to >> Gana-a'Yoo's property. This estimate is based mainly on the TCC study >> by >> > Will Putman. >> > --The forest inventory report from GRS (Ken Stumpf's company) is about 4 >> a >> month or two away. >> > --The proposed demonstration cutting on parcel D (state land along EOD >> road) is off, at least until spring. The AF contractor says they don't >> want people messing about in their explosives recovery areas, if any. >> Please let me know what you will want to hear and see in the power >> points. >> > Thanks, >> > PK >> > On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 2:05 PM, Betty Huntington >> > <bhuntington@ganaayoo.com>wrote: >> >> Good afternoon >> >> Because I will already be in Galena on Wednesday, October 10th for >> the >> Galena RAB meeting, Gana-A’Yoo will be hosting a shareholder/community >> meeting on Tuesday, October 9th at the community hall. The meeting >> will >> >> be in regard to the proposed wood biomass project in Galena. >> Although >> I >> >> want to make sure there is opportunity for shareholders to become >> aware >> of >> >> what Gana-A’Yoo is considering, I would like to consider making this >> a >> joint meeting so we are also inviting community members. I am hoping >> some >> >> of you might be available during that time to if not be part of the >> presentation, be available to answer questions etc. >> >> Also if anyone has a power point presentation on the project they’ve >> already put together and if its available, I would like to use your >> info. >> >> No use in reinventing the wheel here if we don’t have to. >> >> March and Phil, if you have a distribution list for the last meeting, >> I >> would like to use it to let everyone know that this is happening. It’s >> kind of short notice but I figure since I am there, this would be a >> good >> >> opportunity. >> >> Thanks >> >> Betty >> >> >> >> >> >