Park City - Biochar Demonstration
Location: Park City, UT
Background
Forty-six people attended the biochar kiln demonstration at the Park City Fire District Building on November 13, 2018. This demonstration showed attendees how to make biochar from excess (waste) woody biomass. USU Extension Assistand Professor, Darren McAvoy informed attendees how making biochar from excess forest fuels could make biochar the innovative answer to improving forest health in Utah. Sponsors of this event included Summit County, Utah, Utah Division of NaturalResources, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Amaron Energy, US Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. In a follow up survey administered 8-months following the November 2018 event, the UBRG found:
- 84% of survey respondents indicated their knowledge about biochar increased as a result of attending the demonstration
- 38% of survey respondents have added biochar to the soil or land they manage
- 23% of survey respondents have attempted to make biochar using the techniques introduced at the demonstration
Objective
The objectives of these projects are to introduce a new method for making biochar that is portable, low-cost, and widely accessible. By introducing this technique to the Utah wildland fire community, arborists, Extension agents, loggers and landowners as a means of hazardous fuels reduction, the UBRG hopes to encourage the use of kilns for making biochar and as a result, reduce hazardous fuels in Utah.
Partners
Summit County, Utah, USU Extension Assistant Professor Dusty Morgan, Utah Biomass Resources Group
