Pete Madden

GREENVILLE, South Carolina — As forest-sector leaders continue discussions about woody biomass, the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities is encouraging a broader conversation about the markets needed to keep working forests healthy and forest-reliant communities strong. Recent conversations have focused on whether expanded use of woody biomass could increase competition for fiber used by existing pulp and paper mills. That concern is important. Pulp and paper mills anchor local economies, provide markets for forest owners and produce essential products used every day. But the discussion must also account for the communities already living with the consequences of lost markets. Since 2015, more than 40 US pulp and paper mills have closed, removing tens of millions of green tons of annual wood demand. …“Working forests depend on working markets,” said Pete Madden, CEO. “Existing mills are essential to the forest economy, and their concerns about fiber affordability and competitiveness deserve careful consideration.