Home » Community » Business » Biomass Project Meetings In North Fork

Biomass Project Meetings In North Fork

NORTH FORK – The North Fork Community Development Council (NFCDC) in partnership with the Yosemite/Sequoia Resource Conservation and Development Council (Y/SRC&DC) and a diverse project team, are moving forward with planning efforts to construct a 1MW bioenergy generation facility at the town’s former Mill Site.

The project is a strategic step to producing green energy and finding economic uses for biomass material generated by forest management and hazardous field treatment activities in the area. It is also an important step towards redeveloping the mill site and restoring the town’s economy.During the months of March and April there will be three opportunities to learn more about the North Fork Community-Scale Biomass Project and its potential outcomes.

The first will be at the NFCDC’s Annual Meeting on Mar. 11, starting at 6 p.m. at the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians’ Community Center. This meeting will include a brief presentation on Bioenergy and other projects being developed at North Forks Mill Site.

An additional presentation outlining the progress of the project to date and next steps will be presented at Supervisor Tom Wheeler’s North Fork Town Hall Meeting on Ma. 28, 2013 starting at 6:00 p.m., also at the Tribal Community Center.

For those wanting more details, an all-day Project Workshop will be held on Apr. 2, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians’ Community Center. This full-day workshop will include detailed presentations about technical aspects of the project and allow ample time for questions and discussions.

Additionally, there will be a field trip with two stops to: (1) the local forest to view conditions and discuss how biomass harvesting can assist forest restoration efforts and (2) the North Fork Mill Site to view the location where the facility would be built.

This workshop is the second of its kind. The first was held in November 2012, at which time more than 50 people gathered to learn about the project and participate in a technical question and answer session. Attendees included local community members, county officials, utility companies and environmental groups.

This project is the first community-scale forest bioenergy project in California and is being viewed as a potential model for like-communities throughout the Sierra. Successfully finding economic uses for small scale woody debris from our forests has the potential to increase fire safety, improve ecological conditions and support local economies.

All three events are being held at the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indian’s Community Center located at 56900 Kuhugib Road North Fork CA 93643. If you plan on attending the Project Workshop on Apr. 2, please RSVP to: bdmillsite@gmail.com

The North Fork Community Development Council (NFCDC) is a non-profit, 501©3, corporation located in North Fork California. The CDC’s mission is, “to promote the social, economic and environmental welfare of North Fork, CA. “The primary goal of the CDC is to redevelop the North Fork Mill Site, helping to create jobs, green space and community serving facilities for the town of North Fork.
The Yosemite/Sequoia Resource Conservation and Development Council (Y/SRC&D) is a non-profit organization that works to improve the economy, environment, and living standards of the foothill and mountain regions of Fresno, Madera, Mariposa and Tulare counties. Sponsors and partners are diverse and range from; tribal governments, environmental and community development organizations, county governments, resource conservation districts, fire safe councils and more. It is our mission to promote the quality and aesthetic values of our cultural, environmental, and recreational resources by improving the quality of life through sustainable, diverse economic development.

Leave a Reply

Sierra News Online

Sierra News Online