Brian Buhr

…However, few people consider how Minnesota’s nearly 18 million acres of forests can drive bioinnovation, supporting both a healthy environment and economy. For those who do, they’d likely underestimate the growing diversity of products that can use components of wood sustainably harvested from our state’s forests. Research at the University of Minnesota is leading the way to further develop those innovations… One such emerging opportunity is using woody biomass to produce climate-smart, low-carbon biofuels. …Clearly, forest loss also brings economic costs. Each acre burned or left unproductive loses $234 in carbon value, not to mention all the other products that could be created from that acre. Bottom line: Managing forest health and timber harvesting creates jobs, strengthens the economy, and reduces carbon emissions and wildfire risks. The University of Minnesota leads this effort through partnerships with industry, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Minnesota DNR, supported by public investment.