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Title: |
Warm Springs Forest Products Industries
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Type: |
Biomass utilization
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Jurisdiction: |
City/town
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State: |
Oregon
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Program Description: |
Background
In 1967, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation purchased Jefferson Plywood Corporation and established Warm Springs Forest Products Industries. With each having their distinctive heritage, the tribes of Warm Springs, Wasco, and Northern Paiute make up the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. The reservation consists of about 640,000 acres, of which about one-half is forested, between the Cascade Crest and the Deschutes River. The Deschutes, Mt. Hood, Ochoco, and Willamette National Forests either border or are adjacent to the reservation. There are more than 4,000 Tribal members with most living in or around the town of Warm Springs, Oregon.
The Tribal economy is based primarily on natural resources (hydropower, forest products, and ranching), tourism, and recreation. With high unemployment rates (about 17% in summer and 35% in winter), the reservation struggles with economic development. The Tribes have always strived to develop sustainable businesses aligned with the environment and their culture.
Forest Products Manufactured
Warm Springs Forest Products Industries harvests nearly 42 million board feet of timber per year. Species include incense cedar, ponderosa pine, white pine, lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, western larch, noble fir, grand fir, and white fir. Most of the harvested material is used in the manufacturing process; however, some logs are sold on the open market.
The Company produces Douglas-fir, white fir, and ponderosa pine framing and industrial lumber and timbers, 4- by 4-in. through 12- by 12-in., in lengths of 8 and 20 feet. The company also currently operates a biomass power plant; however, it is antiquated and inefficient. A three-phase plan to improve and enlarge their biomass energy plant and upgrade their capacity to process small-diameter logs is underway.
Facility Upgrades and Expansion
Phase I, completed in September 2005, replaced the plant�s 1927 boilers. In Phase II, the current condensing turbine will be replaced with an extraction turbine that is much more conducive to a sawmill operation. The company plans to use the steam produced to dry lumber and double their power production. The new boiler combined with the condensing turbine is capable of producing up to 3 MW of power. With the new larger extraction turbine, an additional 6 MW of power could be produced.
Phase III plans include installing a small-diameter (5- to 7-in. diameter) log processor and adding a second boiler and turbine. The current mill can only efficiently process logs greater than 8-in. diameter. The new small log facility could provide 20 new jobs. When the second boiler is added, the company could potentially have 15 to 20 MW of power for sale or internal use. The Tribe is actively reviewing a proposal to sell PacifiCorp, their utility provider, the additional energy.
In 2005, a $250,000 grant from the USDA Forest Service National Woody Biomass Utilization Grant Program was obtained to help with Phase II of the project. With the completion of Phase II, the Company hopes to increase the current price it pays for delivered woody biomass from off-reservation sources, such as the national forests that surround their land. The increase in price paid would help offset the cost of harvesting these fuels.
Currently, Warm Springs Forest Products Industries can supply only 40,000 bone dry tons (bdt) of biomass from their mill waste. They plan to purchase the remaining 40,000 bdt needed from off- reservation hazardous forest fuel reduction treatments, primarily from the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests. The increase in power production will allow increased payments for biomass materials. For example, the company is currently paying only $10/bdt for biomass material delivered. When the current condensing turbine is replaced with the new extraction turbine, it is anticipated that they will be able to pay about $25/bdt delivered.
Contact Information:
Warm Springs Forest Products Industries
P.O. Box 810
3270 Highway 26
Warm Springs, OR 97761
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