Afternoon. Welcome to today's
hearing on mass timber and
other innovative forest
products- many of you who are
here know that we've been
having huge problems in our
first wildfire and ladder fuels
in the over abundance of them
is a contributing factor to
those fires and the problem is
that there's not much use right
now for those fuels and so
nobody wants to go into the
forest and clear them out and
when they do a lot of times
they just bring them on site
which is very bad for the
environment- and- bad for the
who live in the area. And we're
here today to explore whether
there are other uses for that
would- that would be better for
the environment better for us
and also to see what the impact
on housing and economic
development in California would
be if we- did find a- better
way to utilized as material. I
want to welcome you all here
today and I want to invite our-
panel to come up and join us.
That I will let you all
introduce yourselves but just
keep your introductions very
short- and then you can make
your presentations in the order
we have it's up to you all but
I have Jennifer- Montgomery
Britney Kovic- from hell gang
and energy lots of a and if you
want to go in that order.
That's fine. Okay. Ms
Montgomery welcome thank you
very much thank you chairman
chairwoman Friedman I am
Jennifer Montgomery and son
thank you for the opportunity
to speak today I'm the director
of the governor's forest
management task force and I'm
here to provide a look at some
of the challenges and
opportunities for a California
based wood products industry.
Leveraging the task force
California and our federal
partners aim to increase the
pace and scale of science based
forest management two one
million acres per year five
hundred thousand acres for the
state and five hundred thousand
acres for the federal
government. This increased pace
and scale will result in
increased amounts of merchant
apple timber end of low value
woody biomass creating
opportunities for entrepreneurs.
All fire who you her from later
leads our efforts to prevent
and fight wild fire
increasingly tackles the task
of vegetation management.
California has allocated a
billion dollars two hundred
million per year over five
years to scale up our forest
management. To meet our goal
this includes enforcing
vegetation and defensible space
requirements around homes and
communities and working with
Caltrans and counties to
improve vegetation management
along roadways and other
evacuation routes with the help
of the California National
Guard the California
conservation corps and many
others hellfire tripled fuel
treatments from thirty thousand
acres last year to ninety
thousand acres this year. And
implemented thirty five
emergency fuel reduction
projects that will help protect
two hundred of our most
vulnerable communities for
context the federal government
owns 57% of California's thirty
three million acres of forest
land 40% are privately owned
and only 3% is state owned
given this ownership managing
our forests and creating a
reliable sustainable and
consistent stream of material
for wood products
manufacturing. Relies on active
and effective partnerships with
private landowners and federal
tribal and local governments
centuries of fire exclusion has
left overly dense forests what
development into the wildland
urban interface puts more
residents at risk wild fires
that had been relatively low
and moderate intensity which
cleared out underbrush and left
healthy forests now our
intensity stand replacing fires
that pollute our air. Destroys
soil watersheds habitat for
plants and animals and threaten
lives and property. When
governor Newsome took office he
strengthened California's
response to the growing wild
fire threat cal fire has almost
completed the thirty five
emergency projects including
removal of hazard trees
understorey clearing
reintroduction of managed fire.
Creation of fuel breaks and
community defensible spaces and
creation of safer evacuation
corridors all with an eye
toward preventing ecological
devastation and loss of life.
Governor new some continues to
utilize the task force to
organize actions across state
agencies along with other
governmental and non
governmental partners. This
means we are not alone in
addressing this issue. In
twenty eighteen the US Forest
Service invested over two
hundred million dollars
nationally in fuels reduction
resulting in treatment of
almost three hundred ten
thousand acres in California.
But due to fire borrowing their
twenty nineteen resources for
fuels reductions dropped by
nearly half. Beginning next
year the practice of fire
barring will be ended but the
proposed federal budget also
cuts the Forest Service
hazardous fuels reduction
account by over forty million
dollars. Given these realities
they have lowered their fuels
reduction targets hearing
California by almost a third.
The US Forest Service will need
significant budget expansion to
increase treatments to the five
hundred thousand acres a year.
Healthcare is developing a
programmatic E. I. R. that will
address years of fire
suppression. By completing
landscape level environmental
review of vegetation management
activities it helps streamlined
projects while maintaining
strict environmental standards.
Friedman activities will be
designed to appropriately
reduce fire fuels site
strategic fuel breaks and mimic
a natural fire regime using
prescribed burning. To achieve
our target of five hundred
thousand acres a year to build
forest health and protect
communities we will need to
enhance forest's activities
from workforce development to
constructing production
facilities and expanding
markets for the would be
materials coming out of our
forest. Current forest's
treatments have created
thousands of slash piles in
California's forests an
estimated five million tons of
biomass. Well some of this can
be safely burned on site
finding lower carbon solutions
such as producing cross
laminated timber. Additional
traditional lumber products and
bioenergy including electricity
and bio fuels is our priority.
Some demand already exists for
these products however most of
the engineered wood products
using California are imported
from other states and
countries. The joint institute
for wood products innovation
was established to identify
carbon sequestering products
and technologies that can be
expanded in California. And to
recommend areas for state
investment to support wood
utilization. Working with go
biz and others we are actively
reaching out to and recruiting
private investment into a
California based wood products
market. Building a locally
sourced and produced wood
products industry would
generate jobs in California.
Create domestic markets for
materials produced from our
forests treatments into
mitigate climate change using
our construction materials and
for its treatment activities.
The wood utilization working
group of the forest management
task force has focused on ways
to improve the flow of slash
from for it to buy amounts
facility. Which often struggle
to find reliable supplies from
forestry that projects. Debbie
Franco it OPR has been
successful in identifying so
called waste biomass that would
otherwise have been pile burned
or left to rot on the forest
floor releasing methane and
other GHGs. The task force is
wood utilization working group
has partnered with would works
in with the governor's office
on a mass timber building
competition we've worked with
the office of the state fire
marshal to focus on modernizing
standards for tall mast timber
buildings. Working with the
department of general services
we intend to identify three
future state buildings to be
constructed utilizing mass
timber. We are striving to
expand the would production
work force including Forest
equipment operators truckers
mill workers in small and large
investors. We will do this by
supporting training and
recruitment programs that
expand opportunities for
forestry and wood production
activities in facilities in our
state. This will send a strong
signal to private enterprise
that we are serious about
creating opportunities for
business to thrive in
California. We're confident the
efforts of these public private
partnerships that expanse on
its base forest management will
translate into greater
production of woody biomass
products resulting in safer
communities. Reduced wild fire
risk healthier forest's greater
climate resilience in
sustainable economic
development for our world
communities. The speakers
following me today will help
identify more of the
opportunities and challenges
facing us at the state relating
to woody biomass utilization. I
thank you for your time and I'm
happy to answer any questions
you may have. Thank you I'm
gonna I'm ask questions at the
end of the panel thank you. If
you don't mind just introduce
yourself and when a two lines.
Good afternoon share Friedman
my name is Britney cover chimes
the. Policy not reach branch
manager with this year in about
a Conservancy- stand about a
Conservancy the state
Conservancy under California
natural resources agency and I
think you for the opportunity
to speak here today. You're not
a Conservancy is really
committed to improving the
health and resilience of Sierra
Nevada forests and- part of
that effort is to support the
development of infrastructure
that can sustainably utilize
material produce from forest
management product projects- we
feel that it's vital to create
and expand markets for wood
products. That utilize the
forest species and sizes
harvested as a by project by
product of ecological
restoration. The state does not
have the financial resources to
accomplish the goals stated in
the forest carbon plan alone
and so we feel that we must
harness the power of markets.
To support ecological
restoration as a complement to
state and federal funds.
Development of additional
Forest bioenergy power
generation in the Sierra Nevada
coupled with innovative wood
products campuses would provide
a market for excess biomass to
help increase the pace and
scale of forest restoration
activities will also creating
jobs and opportunities for
community economic development.
As Jennifer courageous said the
effect of increasing the pace
and scale of forest restoration
will be greater volumes of
March and double and non
merchant of all material. And
currently a major major portion
of that by masses piled earned
in the forest. But it
represents a huge untapped
resource for the generation of
heat power bio fuels and new
wood products all all reducing
greenhouse gas emissions.
Recent innovations and vile
mass energy technology
innovative building materials
and other areas provide an
opportunity for the
environmentally sustainable use
of access forest biomass. To
create valuable products in
California well increasing the
resilience of the state's
forests and protecting the
region's communities from large
damaging wildfires. This year
about a Conservancy recognises
the unique challenges that face
rural resource dependent
communities in the Sierra
Nevada. We've seen the
devastation that a catastrophic
wild fire can inflict on the
citizens communities and
natural resources of the region.
Economically many Sierra
communities are experiencing a
shrinking tax base a scarcity
of skilled workers and changing
demographics and while
recreation and tourism and
working landscapes remain
important elements of local
economies. Many communities are
struggling with economic
diversification and job
creation sort of brings your
this year about our region to a
holistic health the communities
within the region need support
that empowers their efforts to
address urgent needs plan for
the future. Develop
organizational capacity and
resiliency and envision new
tools and partnerships and this
will include a focus on biomass
utilization infrastructure and
workforce development in
support of community resilience.
In twenty fifteen this year
about a Conservancy launch this
year in about a watershed
improvement program which is-
large landscape scale holistic
restoration program. And it's
being implemented across our
region through a strong network
of state federal local non
governmental and tribal
partners and through the
watershed improvement program
this year in about a
Conservancy is actively
involved in supporting. The
establishment of community
skill biomass utilization
infrastructure and many other
partners that we're working
with our here speaking today.
I'd like to provide just a few
examples of the kinds of
efforts that this year in about
a Conservancy is sporting
through our grant funding
capacity building. And grant
writing and technical
assistance work that we're
doing. In twenty eight teams
here in about a Conservancy
received a unique one million
dollar appropriation from the
timber regulation and forest
restoration fund. I'm not
appropriation was given to us
and see to support the
development of innovative wood
and biomass utilization
infrastructure. Using this
funding the SMC supported the
Sierra institutes capacity
building program to help
communities with abandon mil
sites move through the process
is needed to redevelop the land
for new wood processing
businesses. This program will
include assistance with
environmental cleanup
infrastructure zoning and
permits and organizational
development and training. We
also serve as the project
manager for the national
disaster resilience competition
which is a seventy million
dollar grant that the state
received to implement an
integrated forest and community
resilience program designed to
address unmet recovery needs
from the rim fire. And prepare
the communities for future
disasters. One of the pillars
of this project is focused on
developing a biomass
utilization facility into all
me county to help dispose of
biomass generated through
forest thinning efforts in the
county. And we're partnering
with the rural community
assistance corporation are see
AC. To implement this pillar
our C. AC will create a
revolving loan funds designed
to offer loans to enterprises
looking to start or expand
biomass utilization operations
and to all my county. And as an
alternative to pile burning
wood waste while creating
economic development
opportunities in the county.
The fund will have an initial
capitalization of about
eighteen million dollars and
after initial loans are made to
projects and follow me county
loan payments will be deposited
back into our CA sees fund for
future lending to support
biomass and wood processing
enterprises. In forested areas
of California with a priority
in this year and about a region.
You're not a Conservancy is
also involved in supporting
innovative forest product
development by connecting our
partners partners in the region
with discussions at the state
level around market development.
And lastly the essence he
supports for us product
workforce development as well-
force management and wood
processing industries suffer
from a bottle neck of
inadequate work force the
problem ranges from forest
restoration planners to
equipment operators to Forest
crews. And so with the twenty
eighteen timber regulation
enforced restoration funds we
received we also use that to
support several pilot workforce
development efforts these
included a workforce
development needs assessments.
Which this year business
council might speak about
later- SPC was funded to
conduct a work force needs
assessment for the forest
products industry working with
state community college center
for excellence SBC's outlining
the work force needs. Available
programs and potentials for
additional program developments
and phase two of the effort
will be identification of sites
resources and curriculum for
program development and
implementation. In addition- we
supported the Sierra Nevada
alliance which is funded to
develop a pilot Sierra corps
program which is a professional
development fellowship program.
To provide additional staff
support to forest and watershed
health product projects in the
region let's program creates an
opportunity for career training
to increase the number of
qualified forest management
professionals. And last the
essence he provided funding to
the Calaveras healthy products
impacts solutions which also
known as chips. Chips is a
nonprofit organization which
recruits trains certifies and
deploys native American and at
risk youth to perform feels
reduction prescribed fire and
other restoration tasks. SNC
provided funding to replicate
their tribal forest probe
restoration of prescribed fire
work crew training and
certification program at other
sites with the hope of
spreading it throughout the
Sierra Nevada. I those are just
a few examples of some of the
efforts that were helping to
support in the region and happy
to answer questions at the end.
Thank you so much next. Good
afternoon share Friedman. My
name is- hell gang and I'm the
deputy director of resource
management that California. I'm
joined today by and your lotus
our assistant deputy director
for climate and energy. And
thank you for inviting us to
this really very important
conversation. We have already
heard there is a urgent need to
thin excessively down forests
in many areas of the state to
increase wildfires billion some
forest held. And traditionally.
There has been a lack of demand
for the often small diameter
trees. Coming out of the
standing operations which
usually have comparatively
little commercial value. In
order to facilitate a higher
demand for these trees. Our
state needs to develop
production facilities for what
we call mass timber which is
really smaller dimension pieces
so lumber there are glued
together or otherwise press
together into larger
dimensional lumber. Lower
background during the past few
years California has
experienced some the most
destructive fires in the record
history. In twenty seventeen
over ten thousand homes were
destroyed. Structures and in
twenty eighteen over twenty two
thousand structures. The last
few far season we have seen
over two million acres burned
across the state. And over a
hundred people. Residents and
first responders have
tragically lost their lives in
wild fires. The effects of
climate change and years of
fire suppression activities
overgrown forests and the
prolonged drought have resulted
in an unprecedented tree
mortality in the state forest.
As well as an increase in the
number of sites and severity of
wildfires. Loss of life and
structures as a director
proximate result of wildfires
is an all time high now. One of
the reasons that California's
sorry California's forests are
vulnerable to catastrophic
disasters. It's S. stated
already they are significantly
overgrown. There's not enough
water and sunlight the
available to support all the
trees on the given area. As
results men the trees become
stressed on Wall noble to fire
on the seas. Fires drought pest
outbreaks and subsequent
landslides are more likely to
be so damaging. That they may
not be able to recover and
provide the ecological
functions when National Forest
after a such an event. And we
end up with what the cold type
conversion which is. Really a
conversion from a forest to and
other ecosystem. Typically
brush species which are much
less capable of storing the
amounts of carbon. That a
forest can. California aims to
help return are forced to help
the state by treating five
hundred thousand acres on
private lands every year. When
you combine that with our
federal colleagues commitment
of the same acreage. Five on
Tel snakes on federal lands. We
are looking at a total of one
million acres per year we feel
that can make a significant.
Meaningful ecological
ecological a meaningful
difference in this problem. I
should mention that tree
removal is really only one of
the tools that California
system and force helps. Other
methods include reforestation-
meadow restoration habitat
restoration road maintenance
prescribed fire mechanical
Dinning stream right
restoration. And the list goes
on. These are all necessary
parts of the forest helps tool
kit that we use depending on
the management situation in
that particular area. In this
particular hearing since the
focus is a specifically on the
innovative wood products. We
are going to primarily
discussed the utilisation of
word coming out of the forest
during thinning operations. And.
California's fourth currently
hold about two billion metric
tons of carbon. And in order to
stabilize that carbon once it's
removed from. Thinning
operations. It's essential that
we keep it sequestered in wood
products rather than leave it
in the forest to become polls
and release greenhouse gases or
related to the atmosphere with
other pollutants through pile
or broadcast burning. Some not
gonna turn it over to Angie who
will describe some of what cal
fired us to support the
beneficial uses the fourth
products removed during sending.
Thank you. Madam chair as
mentioned my name is Angela
autism assistant deputy
director cal fire- the demand
for mass timber in California
already exists. Cal fire has
dedicated staff that work with
landowners businesses and
public sector and entities to
promote mass timber as an
economically viable option for
the- disposition of
California's forest products.
However right now the state of
Oregon is the major producer of
mass timber on the west coast.
In fact the majority of organs
mass temper products are sold
into the California market.
California continues to be a
major consumer of mass timber
manufactured elsewhere and
today there are no production
facilities in our state. In
addition to creating value
added wood products from
smaller diameter lower value
logs that result from forest
thinning. Master were also has
certain structural and building
characteristics that are
superior to traditional lumber.
In cross laminated timber for
example the individual pieces
are oriented perpendicular to
each other resulting in less
shrinkage and warping than in
traditional lumber. Messed
embers also more resistant to
fire in earthquakes and
traditional lumber. The office
of the state fire marshal is
currently in the process of
adopting already approved
international building code
standards which allow mass
temper buildings to be built up
to eighteen storeys high in
certain occupancy groups. The
office of the state fire
marshal anticipates that its
code proposals will be heard
before the California building
standards commission. In July
or August of twenty twenty. If
approved the new mass timber
proposals would become
effective July of twenty twenty
one following the triennial
building code adoption cycle.
Encouraging the beneficial you
use of force products also
helps us advance our state
climate goals what is one of
the most climate friendly
construction materials and
existence. Trees a Questor
carbon there for directly
contributing to the fight
against climate change. Living
trees and forests are one of
the major terrestrial carbon
storage pools. The absorb
carbon dioxide and major
greenhouse gas responsible for
climate change and store it as
carbon in there would. When
trees are harvested and turned
into wood products like lumber
and plywood the carbon remain
sequestered in these wood
products for the life of their
service in a structure such as
a building. It can be upwards
of a hundred years. What is a
renewable resource when
feelings are planted or when
trees regenerate naturally in
the forest after timber
harvester disturbance occurs. A
new crop of trees will regrow
and continue to sequester
carbon. In some there are
significant opportunities to de
carbonized commercial and
residential buildings by
building them out of wood
instead of concrete and steel.
Both of which have a
significantly higher carbon
footprint than what. Cal fire
offers financial support to
encourage the economic
viability of wood products and
bioenergy. Are for south grant
funds can be used to pay to
remove material from the woods
and Holla to processing
facility. When part of the
funds that are awarded to that
project are also used to
complete land management work.
Recently grant funds have also
been used to offer a small low
interest loan to a new bio
energy facility. This
investment in the new facility
both decreases hauling distance
to that facility. As compared
to existing facilities and it
promotes a bio energy
technology with higher carbon
sequestration potential than
conventional- bioenergy
technologies have. In the right
market and business environment
economic support could be used
to catalyze the development of
wood products manufacturing
here facilities here in
California. Over the long term
this would require working with
landowners like the USDA Forest
Service to ensure a more
consistent with supply. And
with state business interests
such as the governor's office
of business and economic
development to ensure
appropriate economic incentives
are available and readily
accessible to interested
parties. Cal fire looks forward
to working with other entities
in the state to ensure that the
material removing is used in an
appropriate way. Thank you so
much for the opportunity to
testify today and Hogan are
happy to answer any questions.
Thanks I have a couple of
questions and I'll just throw
the mountain whoever wants to
answer don't feel that you all
have to answer were. Little
time constraint- my first
question is you will mention
that the master products are
being produced mostly in Oregon
and brought here. So is it just
a question of us not having the
facilities or is there
something else going on that
makes them- being the place
that it's being manufactured
rather than in California. I
can take a stab at that I'm- on
a recent tour that we took of
some. Product manufacturing
facilities in Oregon. The
concern was really about the
initial cost to establish the
infrastructure in California
and interestingly enough while
we may have a perception that
it's all about regulation in
California being an overly
regulated state what I actually
heard was we're not worried
about the regulations we can
work with those what we don't
have is the you know fifty to
maybe a hundred and fifty
million dollars. Up front at
two sites a construct and
locate a facility and get it up
and running so from my
perspective it's really a
question and economics rather
than underlying policy or
regulatory issues held a did
you have a different opinion
just add to that I agree with
the with that statement in
addition. What we heard was
that long term raw material
supply is extremely important
for any large investment like
this naturally. And. The
concern is being able to secure
that kind of raw material
supply in California. And the
and I think that's pro the same
everywhere and I think that's
an opportunity for the state to
facilitate that kind of
arrangement. Great thank you-
AB twenty five eighteen
requires that on or before July
first truth that a twenty
twenty the forest management
task force. I have to develop a
financially viable proposal for
the development and
construction of at least one
new master production- what
approaches the task force
taking when you're developing
the proposal on are you on
track to meet the deadline. I'm
I would say we are on track to
meet the deadline I'm working
with the joint wood products
institute we're really taking a
look at what would be the most
logical and frankly. Most
feasible to get up and running
quickly at the constraint
really around. Production of
mass timber as I indicated is
that initial huge expenditure
that's necessary and so part of
the conversation really is
around. Ways in which the state
can assist private industry
whether that's a revolving loan
fund or some other mechanism AB
I bank- to assist private
industry in getting a facility
up and running. Got it. A
Britney if the cut if the
Conservancy received more funds
from the legislature for grants
to support you know innovation
of wood products and rural
economic development what kind
of projects do you think would
apply for that and with that
support other work that you're
doing to any your body Sir
projects in mind. Absolutely I
mean I think that we have a
number with very creative
partners in the Sierra Nevada
region and people thinking
about this all the time about
best path forward- I think that
we've been able to support a
variety of different efforts on
both from the work force side
and then also from the
infrastructure development side
and there are a lot of those
projects that we could add on
to and- building out- there's
also new new projects. To come
forward and you're like to
explore that you're not.
Working in now. I have to I'd
have to think about that a
little bit more and get back to
you but I think we have we do
have the programs in place and
we do have the partnerships in
place to be able to. Really get
money on the ground quickly and
efficiently- but definitely can
put a little more thought into
specifics and get back to you.
Thanks now back to cal fire how
many acreage have you guys
treated this year and do you
feel like you're are you. Know
do you know yet whether you're
going to meet last year's fuel
reduction or- be below that and
if so why is that. We
specifically for the thirty
five emergency projects we are
on track to meet our goals. And
we. Obviously whether it's a
big factor but- week we feel we
are on track- we have treated
more acres this year than last
year and we're seeing es that
Lea increasing trend. Together
with private landowners- and
incentivize saying. This kind
of work on private lands- we
feel we are on track to meeting
our our goals for the five
hundred thousand acres okay and
last question also for cut for
I think for coverage you
mention something interesting
about the- master producers
wanting to make sure that they
have a constant stream of
material- is that something
that's in doubt in California
and if so why is that. There's
no guarantees in in Oregon and
Washington apically you have a-
vigorous and demand and supply-
equation where this kind of
long term guarantee is.
Relatively easy to achieve. In
in California they will be out
of state players will be a new
entry into the market and so
they have to carve out a niche
for themselves to achieve this
Connell long term supply so
it's by definition going to be
a- a bit of a struggle but- we
think it's possible with this
up because of the nature of is
it the operators or is it the
nature of the forests or is it
what we allow to be harvested.
I'm just wondering where that
were that issue is I think it's
several things it's federal
forests have the- largest
supply but not necessarily the
large someone of a- harvest
opportunities. It's is also.
Carving out a part of the
supply chain which is already
spoken for. To other buyers.
And it's. Being able to achieve
that long term guarantee
requires of course funding and
investments. I do not think it
there is something
particularly- challenging about
California I do not think it's
regulations or policies I think
it's just a the nature of the
business and if I may madam
chair- what we've heard from
folks who would like to invest
in California is they want to
see long term contracts with
the federal government owning
57% of our forested land.
They're really looking towards
long term contracts with the US
Forest Service up recently the
first twenty year- MO you for
supply has been entered into by
the US Forest Service and we
think now that has actually
begun there will be a lot more
opportunities for- investors to
commit to California. And be
able to rely upon those long
term supplies. Thank you all
really appreciate your time
thanks for coming. Our second
panel I'd like to welcome you
this panel is going to include
Glenda Herman's hermits
Hermiston. Heather straw and
heather strong. And again if
you could each just introduce
yourself with one or two lines
thank you. We love showing off
prop yeah I love the process
that. Well that's happening-
get started up my name is a
doctor going to human stern I'm
with the university of
California agan natural
resources- we operate offices
all over the state as well as
research centers and are deeply
engaged in many different
aspects of fire forest health
as well as economic development
and forest products. Of many of
the comments in my written
testimony echo what you heard
in the first panel I won't
waste time repeating that other
than to just say ditto ditto
ditto ditto there right on. I
think what myself and my
colleague here will focus on or
some of the actual products-
and I'm gonna jump right into
it. Of this this is my only
slide on- advance wood products
because heather is going to
cover that in detail but I did
want to emphasize a couple
things and I particularly
wanted to throw slide up just
so people can see a picture.
Good we're discovering is one
of the room the having a hard
time visualizing Cooper talk
about when they met him and
pulled the buildings. On the
vent system again I think
federal go into much then then
I'm going to the job other than
the next slide. It is worth
noting that there is a- delay.
Or California nothing is
because it is part of the
solution to these these
horrific fire and heavy bio
mass on healthy forests. That
are wreaking havoc in a variety
of other ways including you
know water lack of good outdoor
recreation and wildlife habitat
are damaged by these unhealthy
for us as well. Getting the
materials out of their into
these products of bats going to
be the challenge and again I'm
not going to spend as much time
on mass timber. So let me jump
to a nother form of a very high
value use of woody biomass.
Which is so you lawsuit man of
hers. These are ex remotely
exile product that is what you
have in your hand so. I'm if
you look at bottom or you'll be
reinforced dent. In auto part
of it's K. lore in all US
troops have stay in in
Afghanistan for several years
now long with the gov Lorman
real made would be by on yes it
does up a bullet. The motor
company looking at the auto
body parts has been for a few
years- basically these
materials which have an
extremely high tensile strength
or basically written to run
from. The by us broke down for
the murder. Up in the north
this Siskiyou county. The proof
of concept of going up for some
years now about five looking at
how you look at the end of your
Los reels in cement in a co
thanks for. Which the answer
back for using ride the of that
in some of the research right
now as a coating for fruit
itself which extends that shelf
life and makes it much more a
healthy and viable- coverings
for bridges an escort there's
just read brave used as the
this. Tax is to clean IT
because you look at the- you'll
take me- fibers to cement makes
it over 20% stronger as well as
much lighter and more elastic
and when you think about
needing that and buildings not
to mention the transportation
of those would provide the
cement products any distance.
There's huge savings there in a
variety of different ways. I'm
not going to spend a great deal
of time on bioplastics except
to say that night they mostly
because I am not an expert in
the field. But I will say that
right now we have we are
finding. And we use. Our bypass
in all of them support stick in
fact don't it is oversee eating
it is eight that in. Take them.
Used petroleum K. made from no
matter I'm aye the technology
is there for it's not percent
prop on the server well on our
way we have over three hundred
come tearing formula currently
producing and manufacturing a
wide array of products that
have already received the USDA
certified bio based product and
again these are these are all
sorts of materials from
cleaners and oils and
lubricants- carpets furniture
plastics glasses bottles and
he's just all over the map it's
quite amazing so there's huge
opportunities there one of the
reasons I initially. Became
interested in both so you
lawsuit nanofibers and bio
plastics was because part of
the challenge of getting
biomass out of our for us as
well as making a profitable use
of biomass from other sectors
such as agriculture is finding
these uses that are much higher
value than just burning it up
for electricity- as as you may
know there is a time and a
place for electricity generated
from biomass particularly in
cho Chen type operations but
for the most part it just
cannot compete with our their
sources of electricity. And
then we're left with trying to
subsidize it something that
many of us do not feel as
economically viable in the long
run. You've already heard
mention of the joint institute
for wood products innovation
something that was created by
both exact border owned with
fun I'm from SB eight four
nine. Which were excellent
belt. All working very closely
with the last six of you see
two years. Follows up the state
government many other partners
putting the but Sir. Just a
couple quick mentions of us
some stuff that's under way
right now. Of that I think are
pretty interesting of for
example you see Merced is
working with the super
insulated green building
technologies LLC which has
quite an acronym. Along with T.
three energy out of Australia.
To develop some highly
insulated and load bearing
systems for residential
construction using wood
shavings. Of from bark beetle
kill trees they're also
developing new technologies
working with UC Berkeley and
others that will facilitate
small scale manufacture of
products like glue laminated
beams and adapting that
technology used in glue lam. To
create replacements for cement
blocks and blocks utilizing
biomass other fully load
bearing and have some of the
fire. Fire resistant properties
you've heard mention elsewhere.
I want to highlight that up
getting this to move forward as
you heard from the previous
panel is not necessarily an
issue of regulations in many
ways it's an issue of how we
build economic ecosystem the
supply chains around what is
needed to get the manufacturing
here we have a wide amount of
interest I myself have been in
conversations with several
private sector entities that
are seriously looking at
starting up manufacturing
facilities in California right
now but part of the challenges
supply chain or financing or
knowing where the market is and
that's one of the reasons that
we're pushing very hard. To
really at all of that together
at a distance that could not
accept a both you see I can
natural sort the law with the
rural. Counties of. The
producers of California. Except
for your forward and other.
Recent report I called act in
which will place not only the
need to deal fire. Still room
to need to then look the
opportunity on jobs and
economic development in not
only a rural areas although
those are definitely a key
target for the entire state. Of
along with that so a very
exciting piece of news that was
announced at the summit. That
came out of or C. C. was a
brand new product what else to.
Of with bass told in state
actual store is a public
benefit non core not. Race that
is all about ripping by mass
and then put to work they've
already got con next to help
reduce manufacture ship bands.
Looks to hand self could be a.
Along with that the help of the
very first in the nation. He
master George green with the US
Forest Service for the entirety
of region five which is
virtually all of California-
this is critical because what
RC RC is done here is pull
together a wide array of
partners that are now involved
in identifying the source of
the biomass the financing. Of
moving it through the supply
chain they've made arrangements
for the manufacture and the
distribution and movement and
this is exactly what many of us
feel has to happen. In fact- as
it shows in this like fear this
is something we've been working
on for a year after that by
will be I mean. You've but on
all three of you annals of with
a list of players. Looking
about. We literally go in there
in the end for supply chain be
a tent about it. At start up in
the first themselves we know
the moving bill mass any
distance because it's- an eight.
Okay but to spend. We've done
existing industrial sites all
the way up to see a- full file
mask old Tom but not you state
your first bill the street
lights on highways. What we
need to do is we need to
identify a string of those.
This of from south to north
that could be serving as early
pre processing facilities to
take that raw biomass for
through its first two or three
stages of pre processing unit
into a feed stock this been
lightly process. So then it
then could be transported down
into the valley floor and the
foot hills where we've got
highways and railroads and
ports of Stockton another means
of moving around and have our
manufacturing and then have the
market at the other end- SB
eight five nine encouraged.
Government buildings and state
buildings to look at using this
materials Washington state has
actually moved forward with
requiring that and I think
that's something this state
should certainly be looking up.
There are certain about whether
these materials it'll initially
might be more expensive than
conventional although some
would say either rapidly
closing the gap but that may
not be a difference but but
let's say for sake of argue
there might be we could easily
for the first five years well
over. The system up and running
in getting the manifest string
bass bill. The dice difference
in those because the materials
of cap and it's fun it would be
a perfect for them to get the
market and this manufacturing
base these jobs in these
economic development in
California. University of
California is extremely
interested in this this is a
conversation we had for over
two years now as part president
hello Tom knows. The neutral
but twenty twenty five should
we not of three different
campuses look at tall buildings
from it would ext us but we're
moving rapidly on that. I will
close with just that choose
from previous books- this is a
real proper. In the state if
we- really bring all forced
together have a TI plant. Brown
for. All things being that
amount out which gore. Clued
select tech G. removed. I think
Frazier. About some wonderful
tools he's been looking out
from Scandinavia but but also-
new research new products
getting it out so that we've
got health your for us more
water those jobs and economic
development and as you heard
previously the buildings
themselves or a win win win. I
don't know about you but I've
rarely seen that many wins
possible. Work after route make
sure infrastructure the supply
chains the work force the
research and development all of
that the financing all of
that's going to be at the table
to be part of the solution
thank you very much. Okay I do
have a presentation here. I let
the doctor go away over time
because she was so interesting.
But if you can okay was it was
it was really fantastic but if
you can try to keep it. Within
the settlement. All the start
with my introduction and then
we can flip through the first
few slides so my name is
heather strong. And I'm the
western senior director for
what works wood products
council. So Glenda gave a lot
of information on other wood
products so I'm gonna talk
exclusively about mass temper-
so what. What works is a
nonprofit organization and we
do get our funding from the
USDA Forest Service. The
softwood lumber board and
forestry innovation investment.
So we are actually tasked with
growing that would. Get sure
for non residential
construction so focus. Ext
silly commercial all tight
Michael Jackson. Do so we do go
through educating and in
private this is for the line
construction can be so the map
our twenty twenty case event
that would work posted. Eat it
in all actor but will also hope
twenty to thirty eight and
their end. Yeah to general
director northern California
Janelle lad who is here with me
today and Microman owski is in
southern California and they
work directly with the
architects engineers and
contractors. This is a picture
of all of the mass number
products that are currently
available in the market place
you're on an Intel. You have
two samples up there with. One
of them it process how many
timber sample it is the one up
on the top row on the right.
You have passed wood panel
ample water at the bottom right
hand side. What. I Mathis
timber map search scan all the
math are projects that will be
are aware. That our current
either in doesn't in order to
build to the United States so
nationally there are center
sixty four projects in total.
In California you have one
hundred master projects that
are a cut in line or have built.
So such excuse me the minute
provide pictures of some of
those buildings that are
located here in California that
have utilized mass temper so
the first is a building here in
Sacramento. To warehouse
artists lost this is. Was could
be fourteen. And it you just
better L. T. as in. And the
rest of it as a friend. It is
the first not Commer CE. Then
caught yeah. The second project
which I know you'll hear about
in a little bit it Plumas me
bypass boys look in quick
California's of the relatively
small Marshall ject but it
suits me. I'm and used sealed
he 41100% of the structure. It
was also another first and that
it was the first to use CLT as
a lateral force resisting
system which for the design
communities a pretty big deal.
So this is genet child care
center located south Francisco
so this is this is up by child
care center. On campus. These
are single story bill comes
alive process I needed to bring
the- tall walls a free. Life
for our. Six top- expedition
academy located in Truckee
California and in this building
is to L. T. in the river. And
got my native timber and all.
Did you says deal is for him at
from what we've heard they have
plans for some it can all. On
campus lies same to assist. The
next project is not what
library look at and Brent woods
all four yes it is a two story
library project that use
utilize Scott needed. In with
the floor. And there are also a
building out front that you can
see just starting to get free
and state that you bill to the
rich. We also of that in this
the design team second asked
project to utilize. Last ember-
their first project they
utilize CLT in the roof only
and we hear that constantly
that design teams that work
with mass timber. Find that one
it's beautiful and two it's
quite versatile to work with
and so we see them
incorporating additional mass
timber on subsequent projects.
Ice block one is located right
downtown here and we're not
just blocks away just went
through this morning it's a
beautiful piece of the in my
number. So it it'll aye tongue
and groove number in the river
and four X. include lamp post
and beam name. It had a steep
slope of forcing things and
also. Into your Lambie
staircase. This is a picture of
ice block on the left under
structure and just of note is
the too large. Enough for
buildings on one great M. well
no and was listed nineteen for
maps number project engine I'm
not them. Reset and that they
have five passed project on the
books. The last one highlight
is the Christ the light in
Oakland California is just
beautiful this of large scale
first at a huge inspect.
Vertical learn actually ban all
went. Into the river all
construed as I'm being its
first cal. What were we- we
interface directly on a daily
basis with fining construction
community we are in here of the
her say right to what trying to
utilize passed. So as- a list
of some of the products we've
been on it try to the- sea
turtles right sources overcome
them. As this year we want to.
Educate contracts toward
signing caption Atty what we
found is a protect engine purrs
were very good about this for
one design with it. Actor would
ask questions like how on earth
did this at. Once let so with
two tracks toward idea is we
have constructing man rent. And
installation tracking. So
here's a map construction men
at work ups that we've together
and are we just started first
and see all. Up. Last month it
out and had a or one third cop
actors attended. It taught them
things like how to bed it
logistically what should they
worry about- so just help them
to get smart so that we don't
lose these to other building
materials. The in still in
training we've taken a bit of a
different approach we've helped
develop some curriculum and
taken a train the trainer. So
we started this Chicago's
carpenters union and held their
first a hands on instalar
workshop in April. And work
currently working with it with
wet carpenters institute they
will host their first one in Q.
one of next year. And we've
also been talking with a few
regional college so that they
can take this curriculum and
implement it as well the people
coming. Out of school there.
You did there and he- talked a
bit about the C. code changes
SO currently would. Map number
or like could only be utilized.
Where it has ever been able to
speak which is six dory's last.
For these new. Puzzles will
allow you up would to be you
and- seven eight teams is my
number only. So for the state
of California thank the many in
a penalty don this and be as
the executive order that as it
did in two thousand eighteen.
That stated that these would
proposal from the IDC need to
be considered during intervene
codes for cap on yet so the
discussion currently taking
place it appears that it will
be on track to get adopted into
the twenty ninth California
building code into. Into inning
code cycle. So they would basic
hit the streets for- and be
effective alive twenty twenty
one. I will tell you there are
jurisdictions that are
considering these tall
buildings ahead of those being
adopted. And that is the end of
my presentation. Thank you so
the buildings that you showed-
were a mix of the mass timber
and- conventional building
materials is there a reason why
they did mix them instead of
just going full on- master.
Yeah there are actually a
number of reasons- it probably
depends project by project but
some of it is because it's a
new material sometimes they
don't want to take the risk and
go all and so they'll do it in
a smaller scale. The other
thing is- you know what to do
I. Believe you should use a
proper material for the
appropriate space and so
sometimes it makes sense to use
steeple team and then use a
master along with it the other
thing that might be a bit of a
hurdle that we have yet to
overcome. Is that the L. T. is
not cc number thrilled at a
lateral resist them to eight
when bring it seismic so when
earns the design in you can use
my number. And you can get it
approved but it is just that of
our process. Update with a code
updates affect. Now as you saw
there are buildings that have
used CLT in the walls but they
definitely a require special
consideration so you had
they're being tested now. That
mean that they'll be another
code update when that's done it
won't be like it's not on the
immediate horizon but some of
that testing is taking place
right here in the state of
California at UC San Diego. So
you read to support that once
that's completed. Someone will
ask for to be updated if
definitely yeah I went when the
information's available I
imagine people will be very
excited to get that in there
you. See L. T. out of a bug
infested waters. One can of
what works we don't manufacture
anything right- there are
enough there are a lot there
are number of manufacturers and
I do know specifically of at
least two that have utilized
the beetle kill would- in their
CLT. And often times they do so
at the interior plies because-
that would takes on a blue
tent- so they do utilize that
there are structural viability.
Still so structurally it's
still so yes. Do bill get lead
credit for using CLT. The lead
predator it's- you know. I know
its- I don't know if they get
lead credit per se I know
they're there are. I can't
speak to that. Typically I do
know that there are some
regional material credits and
some different credits that are
conducive to would that
depending on where the project
is they may or not may or may
not qualify as part of the
energy efficiency they
certainly can use that. Credit
they can okay- has anyone
quantified how much GHG
reduction. Master member can
generate Sir any kind of
metrics for that. Yeah actually
I've seen. Some buildings where
they've actually calculated
specific it's a building by
building thing but it's safe to
say a fairly substantial
commercial building. Is the
equivalent of taking thousands
of cars off the road per year.
So the big are against the
material that I've been seeing
and for some reason some
popping up on my- social media
feeds so I don't know what
that's about- targeted ads I
think. But a fire safety so how
is that been tested and what
are the thoughts about fire
safety for this material versus
concrete or any traditional
materials. Well she can offer
detail but- one thing I like to
tell folks from a policy point
of view. Up when the twin
towers came down it's because
the steel melted. Of this type
of wood when it's properly
treated and constructed with
advanced materials now is
extremely fire resistant and
actually does perform better
than steel in many settings.
Yeah I would say it with the
trade. The attempt to implement
the codes for the seven
eighteen story buildings this
was a huge concern. So I would
just suggest that woods gone
through probably more rigorous
fire tests and any other
building material. That being
said mass timber and there that
is the only type of technology
that will be allowed into the
seven to eighteen storeys.
Behaves much differently than
frame what. And if you consider.
Like if you were to- throw a
big log on a campfire. It
charters around the perimeter
which basically creates
insulation and keeps the
interior cool so even under
intense light fires this master
Burke and maintain a lot of
structural integrity so it's
been thoroughly tested. And
doctor when I ask you this and
you know you know you said you
weren't the experts so you
don't really have to answer and
I know you maybe have a little
biased. But I'm just curious
by- plastic verses regular
plastic- environmentally I know
that the I'm told that the bio
plastic doesn't really to great
in the oceans either. So what
are the benefits to it. Will it
will degrade- much faster than
regular plastic a lot of the
issues around for their not bio
plastics is more
environmentally beneficial gets
into transportation and how the
products are moved to the
supply chain. But what we're
talking about here in
California of getting biomass
into manufacturing fairly
quickly with that transport and
with. Process vision. To a
normal plastics in any life
cycle analysis I'm thinking
more about the environmental
havoc that plastic causes
leader in the environment- not
to grading even landfill
conditions but you know harm to
marine animals that sort of
thing. What bioplastics does
too great a like I said. Many
plastics don't great all for
hundreds of years it will
degrade one of our issues is
going to be as we currently
have with food waste and other-
biodegradable. Is making sure
that we're managing that for
the potential methane. And
folks are looking at that okay.
Thank you both really
appreciate her information was
written super interesting. Okay
our last panel. And stakeholder
perspectives. We have Jonathan
crystal. My friend rich Gordon.
Hands are bloom ground Steve
Fritsch. Welcome thank you for
being here. If you could each
just again introduce yourself
with one or two lines. And then
do your best to keep it under
seven minutes each. I am state.
You must. Yeah. Part during the
two. Sure Friedman thank you
very much for holding the
hearing it's my pleasure to be
a part of it Johnson Q. soul C.
R. institute for community and
environment a nonprofit
organization based in the
northern Sierra- we've been
around for about twenty five
years. I'm gonna quickly run
through some slides to share
with you what we've been up to
our here is that first full
cross là. Did to. Bill built
in cap corner the are the club
corps of. You're either going
to play. And all right you see
some of those goals are in a
safe and stable là and then in
the bottom right to see proof
all I've layer thick then let
stick up a roof panel No tornal
structure yes you see some
state. It died the thing. Lower
left is the route they were
believe what people to do they
never any in light of they felt
like they could work with the
material this whole building
went up in two days- but there
was a fair bit of structural
work. For the foundation but
it's our impressive it's a
beautiful building. And it
houses a boiler a black mass.
Or the interior of the building
it's prop one of the Butte boil
buildings you simply have blues
and find another. Are the book
there is a street and in the
right this picture you see
what's called a are the unit or
in a king. Psych to start with
also make it actress. Makes
this a combined heat and power
for so the- we're pretty
excited about what we're able
to do with it it heats. The
Plumas county health and Human
Services center it was funded
by the California energy
commission and we're about
ready to give that building to
the county. This whole idea
came up a planning process to
port the California energy
efficient about network of mass
boil try to tackle the problem
what did it all the spell mass.
You see that alright. Our
record goal- the Oilers are
pretty good for their green.
Stack building in the bill
that's a by OPG campus or by
campus. But was it in camp
before talk about that. I want
to mention why were folks
interested in these biomass
burning boilers this is just a
simple graph and- the right
most. Of the E. Y. at this is
Megan I'm spur Cuba meet. And
for night in eighty two you can
be a dot right ten was an-
internet awfully equal nine
thousand parts per minute in
carbon knocks. You can see it's
their most obvious is the
client in. This is Kerr by not
I'd so oil got term. Skinner
over time they've also gotten
medical more fit. To these
thoughts represent- so folks at
the data that. And we more of
this and what do so speaks to
is died here a week the bill
clean boilers Bernie how may.
They weren't near clean in the
early nineteen eighty you can
be that these small scale
boilers it also rise are just.
As well. Moving on to the can
this year. Pick your salute
cannabis techno rated in it and
Valley in eighteen these closed
in the mid eighties enable
behind. Rob twenty eight eight
bills. Ear institute we just.
Bob I show you the lower left
sure cuts use all right middle
of that the engine the bill
right that little to the
rectangle the little white is a
P. P. substation shows because
the per place but pop in the
system you can build things
that's where they were heading
or or putting patterns minutes
all up. Mind power also does
Rick track. Twenty eight site
right pictures without. Any
eight in I'm gonna go to this
this but hill from there that's.
File when you work these prop
X. working essentially Burke
feels their trip search engine
time coming we pretty rate over
in Dahle to remediation for
light pourtant right here one
possible to if you look all the
items last edit this particular
night. Lot of exiting the dot.
Don't go through the other than
to say. Whether it's ample our
site characterization or
developing risk assessment and
a room removal action work plan.
It's costly but is an
opportunity rather than trying
to create new sites these old
mill sites offer great
opportunities for wood
utilization. So here we are
twenty nineteen clean up in
progress five years later. Up.
Thirty eight we're excited
about being out or do the work.
And it is the idea of the
campus that had me there's a
girl- and portent here is the
lies black represent Sherman
block if you will green lines
are we about Bob mass let's say
ten then the line art eat so it
about using material about
using Tricity it's a- slicing
he- the right column of tanks
are the different prop X. the
peak of it can't. Connect some
of the men that came. From a
would you patient camp. Renew
my energy. We're hoping that
upper green some we are on
track with the Lassen volcanic
national park to develop plant
restoration material that would
be produced in a greenhouse
conceivably on site. And more
you also see across laminated
timber operation we have talked
about that and we have visited-
DR Johnson's facility up in
Oregon happy to talk about that
further I hadn't planned on
talking about it but with some
of the questions asked- can
respond to some of them as well.
And here is the first business
in poll Hey it's a thing
operation because we supply.
The sailor and see what it for
president. We have. For some of
the fat it's going on it in.
Fly Valley we also have some
material from the campfire that
we brought up to make sure that
we had drive material last
winter like everyone else we
had trouble procuring- material
that wasn't west. So this is
what's powering the boiler and
we're hoping to produce- to
have a network of boilers and
I'm really excited. To say
that- I heard this morning that
there's a preliminary approval
for support for yet another
boiler in the town of Quincy
through the Sierra Nevada
Conservancy. The chipping
material the handling. They are
well funded by. Service as well
they absolute vital interest in
helping. Idea to fruition
there's a ways to go but up
close with just a couple of
points. And that is. If we're
going to succeed the
restoration of forest the point
is made by number of four
alright. We need new Matt
actually first that's awesome
to any and then. Also in rural
people in later to do it. And
we the bill that's going to
the- term store. Sec I thank
you pleasure to be here thank
you. Next panelist thank you
I'm sure Friedman- good
afternoon I'm rich Gordon and
currently service president and
CEO of the California forestry
association- the fourth we
association represents the
companies in California- the
groceries and produce lumber-
we are. Obviously value would
as a building product- back we
think it has to just a
tremendous potential to meet a
whole set of climate change
goals for California. Would
sequesters carbon- and do that
when you construct with wood-
that clicked carbon stays in
the wood for the life of the
building- we're also building
with the material that is a
renewable resource and we can
re grow trees. As and so on-
the it would has tremendous
potential- help us with our
climate goals and what has been
the primary building material
for single family homes. For
decades- today now we come to
up the possibility these new
wood products mass timber- and
what mass timber holds
potential to- move would beyond
just single family home
construction- would to it mass
timber products are being used
around the world- dormitory
and- Vancouver British Columbia
eighteen stories with wood-
office buildings- all across
Europe- twelve to eighteen
stories. All with wood- so it.
It it is a building material
for the future it also has
great potential for modular
construct. And I think if you
note. In the slide you just saw
of panels being brought in and
put in place. You can pre fab-
this material and the cost
reduction that can occur in
building multiple multiple
family housing for. Low income
housing is tremendous- read
reducing construction time in
using material that has great
benefit. So currently though-
and from the buildings you've
seen in the slide so far- I
think it's safe to say that
mass timber really is still a
niche product- there are early
adopters who are using it
experimenting learning about
it- I absolutely believe. That
we are going to grow rapidly
beyond these early adopters- as
more and more buildings will be
built using mass chamber in
California. And the world- and
the timber industry wants to be
supportive obviously of this
effort. The challenge that we
perhaps have in California. Is
that currently are timber
companies- harvest and process
to a sustainable level. They
meet the requirements of the
forest practice rules of
California and they do that in
a way that sustains of the
forests. And we use only the
would that they need- at any
given time to make sure that
they are maintaining their
force for future production. So
we don't you know go in and
take out all the trees up and
we are very selective in terms
of- the harvesting that we do
in the way that we do it. And
we're again- essentially at
capacity. On private
timberlands for production. And
that means that in order for
California to grow- a woods
products industry we've got to
look at other sources of supply
for material. And has been
mentioned previously probably
one of the best sources of that
is a federal lands that since
you own fifty seven percent. Of
the force in California.
California's also print in in
will in some ways from Oregon
Washington. And we talked you
talked about that earlier- and
that is that in Oregon
Washington an awful lot of the
timber lands are owned by the
state government. And here- you
know we're about 2% of the
timber land on by state
government. But in Oregon
Washington when they have set a
target for more would
production. They have been able
to do that- by activating their
state forests as source of new
wood- and so looking at Gen.
The California probably is
looking at federal timber- for
additional supply- the-
industry not only aids
guaranteed supply. But it needs
guaranteed markets and so as
the. Mark for timber grows-
industry will be more likely to
be engaged and invest. Of
finally the challenge we all
seven California is that. We
don't have currently adequate
infrastructure- to remove wood
from force whether be federal
force- or others- the there.
Are workforce- has been
downsized over the years to
meet the production
requirements- that the timber
companies have in California-
we have reduced the number of
saw mills we reduced. The
number of loggers and so we're
operating here in California at
a level that essentially meets
our sustainable goals- but is
difficult to expand those
without some additional
investment in infrastructure.
And knowing that we have
adequate of supply an adequate
markets. I think that you will
see investment in California-
in the future in- in New but
wood products and in New per-
potentials- building and
construction you're going to
see I think it the possibility
of new manufacturing
facilities. But it will take
some support from the state to
get their- I think there's a
couple things that the state
legislature can do in that
regard. One is- I think the
take legislature can do
whatever it can to encourage
the state fire marshal. To
adopt the building codes that
allow wood construction up to
eighteen storeys- state fire
marshal the indicated could not
so sure that wants to go that
far- but I think encouragement
from the legislature make sure
that we're setting the right
tone and saying that we do want
to construct with wood in
California. For the long haul.
The California the legislature
could also consider tax
incentives. To help create an
environment where- industry
would invest- in the kinds of
brownfields that you've seen.
In these sites that exist. In
our forced areas of we have
land that was once saw mills-
land that was once under timber
production activity- those
could be. Re energized
reconverted- and tax incentives
might be one pa option- I think
also that the legislature.
Could continue to promote the
use of mass timber and timber
in production. Encouraging as
was done and- eight fifty nine
the for the use of the what is
a building material in state
buildings- would be a great
opportunity for could a bill to
the natural resources building.
Using mass timber the. That
finally I think that yeah the
legislature has a role as
you're doing here today- in
continuing to educate the
public. It's important for
folks to understand the value
of wood. What it can do in
terms of our carbon goals what
it can do in terms of our
greenhouse Gaskell's. Of how it
can. Be a beneficial renewable
resource a product that
produces strong tall buildings.
In a product that will bring
value to California. So I would
encourage the legislature to
get up and take a look at that
these options- and continue to
support would as a viable
constructive construction
material here in California.
Thank you. Thank you Mister
Gordon the next panelist please.
The final. Sure can you. Give
us like. I don't know where he
has and to be honest you can
either. Public speaking with
Michael
. Good afternoon madam
chairwoman and thank you so
much for this opportunity to
address the legislature on this
important issue- my name is
Steve fresh I'm the president
of the Sierra business council
we work on sustainable economic
development issues in the
Sierra Nevada. And as you might
gas- Forrest forest management
wood products and the future of
California force a very
important to us here in about a
communities from both an
economic and a cultural
perspective. Is this council
has been involved in this area
for- quite some time we are the
small business development
center for northeastern
California. So many of the
proposals we see through our
small business development
center have some intersect with
natural resource management. We
also run a climate adaptation
and mitigation program that
looks at the future of
California forest in our region
and protracted are projects of
vulnerability first year in
about a community so- the
future the force a very
important to the future. Of the
vulnerability of the residents
of our region. With assistance
from the California governor's
office of business and economic
development we provide direct
technical assistance to
businesses looking to locate in
the Sierra Nevada region-
through a technical assistance
expansion program that they
have we can actually consult
with businesses to do financial
planning business planning
supply analysis and market.
Analysis and we have been
directly intersecting with a
number of businesses looking to
locate in the region and doing
that kind of analysis for them.
We have been partnering for the
last three years with the-
American renewable power. Who
is repurpose saying a twenty
megawatt biomass facility
located in Loyalton California.
And the key concept behind that
twenty megawatt facility is
essentially co locating a value
added wood products campus-
with the biomass facility in
order to use the waste heat.
And the supply chain to stand
up by mass based businesses
including looking at
opportunities for things like
cross laminated timber and
oriented strand panel were wood
panel production. And then
finally- as mentioned earlier
by Britney Kovic as part of our
kind of- work in this area
we've also been looking at-
workforce employment and
training opportunities and I
want to zero in. On that issue
today because we think there's
a tremendous opportunity for
employment economic development
and- skills building in the
north state and the forested
regions of the state around
wood products and wood product
manufacturer. So as you might
gas as and as a doctor you
missed and pointed out there
are a variety of. Import it's
Thursday be created out of.
Wood thanks I checked the for
is active- made for a manager
with clues worst mission
involves planning look ever be
quick operate. Like that. When
this these cell which is
tracking yes the energy may.
I'm secure the whole number
well number five kind of yes.
Product production and hearing
and then the strap and the
thing trips that are associated
with that. Biofuels man sure
which as our chemical engineer.
For about out of. Last case
says you with. Gen what was op
appoint route out I'm sorry
your boss the no five that each
one goes next buyers don't Xin
in a have a playmate. He says
it with and then the by fast
and consumer products Q. we
think it's best a wanted an
opportunity for replacing
petroleum based products- the
answer to a previous question
you ask I've been looking into
quite a bit lately around- what
is the rate of decomposition of
different bioplastics compared
to petroleum plastics and what
I'm discovering that of course
a lot of it depends upon- the
replacement what is that the
material- it's replacing right-
but they take be engineered to
decompose in about a fifth- of
the time and seven products can
be engineered to decompose in
three to five years which
would. Mean that they would be
much less long lasting in the
environment in in some of those.
Applications I think that's a
really interesting question. So
current employment in
California's forest sector see
I have a little. Problem there
but I'm as part of our work
for. An intriguing as you've
been looking at the two of is
the current employment and for
a lot. I am select is actually
managing up in those plants I
would menu. In all of
facilities process when you
hope that paper may actually.
What for me back in and have
and with the based on two
thousand and fifteen in a
brightly update to that and in
nineteen to the may okay growth
used and I met model called him
and which identifies right now
roughly 2% California. Worse
your job. It could be the right
to do. This eight those second
jobs as you might as well see
an- option because of what your
main picture and. Not because
poorest chamber but but it
gives you an idea I think of
what the current employment
sector is and what some of the
opportunities might be one and
note that these are the direct
jobs not the indirect jobs or
what's known as the multiplier
of fact to give you an idea of
what some typical multiplier
effects might be in the wood
biomass energy industry the
typical- calculation is that
for every direct job in a
facility this roughly three
point five jobs in the supply
chain. That are stood up by
that so if you looked at this
and applied a multiplier effect
you might be looking at
something in the area of two
hundred to two hundred and
fifty thousand jobs in
California I just to let you
know you your time is up but
wouldn't you see if you can
finish up I can finish. Types
of jobs with Cisco make two.
Recommendations sec. Some
specific recommendations in
these are hearing a little bit
but which had day. I think that
this work in the future
California there couple things
number one we need to hi what.
Arts lance. What for echo but
you. Can get so a white tent
for managing forest products
manufactured. Yeah of that of
the work that. Out of
conserving is due which should
improve pro number the ascent
seer and it. And we see coming.
Really okay what and now it is
the issue. Thank supply a time
certain ten to twelve years at
minimum in order to catch the
light private your invest.
Increase pourtant. Low cost
it'll in. Last night whether
that be passed the chore Bob
the loan program turn absolute.
Says city this is an area of an
event for many people and I.
Think the one six what they the
money for I direct intervention
to kick stocks market. District
we talked about many of this
bio energy bio fuel back for
any. Being lower. And the thing
that if that will later their
Chen include- mandates for
certain levels of production or
certain levels of consumption
for those as as cuenta
mentioned that would be very
important investment said
workforce education and
training as we're looking at
the work for supply chain here
there's very little kind of
communication between the
different workforce- education
and training programs so
identifying the gaps and
scaling the work force is
incredibly important and then
measuring the aborted casa co
benefits in order to
demonstrate. The return on
investment the California
taxpayers for standing up
markets for products like this
why is this beneficial to that
the tax payer to actually
invest in this and what is
social economic and
environmental benefit that they
get from it thank you very much.
Thank you Hey last August thank
you. When in concert bloom
grin- thank you for having me
here in my representing the
company could tear as a
defining us to stakeholders
that can help- California-
examine this opportunity for
mass timber in the in the state
I reside in Seattle could tear
is a start up company- Silicon
Valley start up. Senate
headquarters in Menlo Park
looking to- it's always
humbling to say have been
disrupt the construction
industry with a new model of
and then service provider-
across- construction design
supply chain and- manufacturing
right now we have a five
thousand five hundred thousand
square foot. Facility in Tracy
California just coming online
that's making building products.
Why I'm here you know- to
testify is really I'm a
structural engineer that is my
background- six is simply to
find structural engineering is
the design of big things ms my
profession is involved in being
part of design teams to design
complex buildings- the me life
safety requirements the
building code I am not drawn to
technically challenging work in
the emergence of mass timber
building products and systems
for use in these big buildings
in North America markets has
provided ample opportunity in
that regard. So I hope is an
engineer occurs at just one
point of view the broad number
of essential- Forrester frame
stakeholders necessary make
CLT. Success story in
California- the diversity of
people it takes to realize this
is broad and we need to
recognize that. Forced to
frame- that phrase is really.
The simple term just draw that
narrative of understanding
that. What starts as a- would
in a tree in a forest. Goes
through manufacturing to be
built on site and you're
dealing with stakeholders ago
from forest ecology Forest
economy. To a developer they
want to build for a fee and the
builder on site. And it's a you
have to understand all to do it
right- so here today as being
an engineer I want to.
Emphasize that point. One way
to get into that is we see CLT
and I think if you're from a
different part of that
stakeholder you look at the
product and you see it through
your lands of. Your area
expertise. As a structural
engineer and I look at the
material- I see that it's
comprised of renewable
resource. Grown by solar power
in which decisions are made-
starting at the sawmill or each
log from a tree. A is examined
in optimally cut to a
rectangular cross section to
mention. Each interval
individual board of lumbers
kiln dried. Surfaced in finally
evaluated and sorted based on
the individual physical and
visual characteristics of the
board. It's amazing technology.
That at my three years ago
terror has let me- understand
more detail not size. Check
split slip of brain warp twist
cap when memo we those are
words eighties every day in my
work. As you start to select
what the right type of what is
to make the end product based
on these rules and sorts each
board the sign to stress grade.
With specific design values and
then these design values- get
built up into that engineered
specified lay up. This is a
three ply CLT Shanshan you can
get them in three five seven
nine plies different stress
grades of lumber different lay
up thicknesses if you have to
get a catalog. Of your product
to really be viable in the
market place in here in North
America we can learn from
Europe. We're in a sense stages
of defining what that
standardized product here is
for us- and so in turn then
that product has its own design
values is an engineer we have
to have the building code in
the requirements so we can
specify the product properly.
And make market competitive
building. In Iraq use. So in in
making CLT I nothing's
chemically change in the
material you can still see the
growth rings in material when
you look at the end of it. It's.
The process of making seal T.
takes naturally variable would
from any from nature and turns
it into technology. With
defined and reliable
engineering properties it's
remarkable material here to
terror I work I've been
offered- great opportunity to
work at a company that has
conceived and built a two
hundred seven thousand square
foot CLT factory in Spokane
valley Washington. Over the
past three years. And as of
July the factories been
operational making could tears
first- certified product line
our factories located on the
edge of a large force plans
news or near sawmill part
first. To the north and east
extending up to British
Columbia and Alberta we are
well positioned with good road
and rail access from the
sawmills to our factory an
intern good rail and road
access. From our factories to
the largest markets up and down
the west coast from- thank you
for British Columbia to San
Diego. The location are fact
exist as well the higher the
experience we need from
forest's industry as well as
the component design computer
numerical control programmers.
And other in the technology
sector there I have to be in
our factory because the way the
materials fabricated uses state
of the art. G. in this
experience much else is gonna
determine the best sawmill
lumber specification for
sourcing that on his
performance which I care about.
And cost which everybody cares
about the raw material. Key
aspects of the spend. Them but-
you have to look at your lumbar
species company. For local to
your sawmills you know the
region alligator what's Beach
is an option. To terra is
supplying from Canada to fear
factory in Spokane. Because of
the S. P. F. species group
combination was- the selected
as our first- you're working
with sawmills the make lumber.
That's an attribute. A two by
six five quarter by six board
stock different lamination
thicknesses- which can come
from small diameter trees. Is
part of the analysis lumber
stress grade there's visual
grades there's mechanically
rated grades you have to get
into that specification. The
wood is kiln dried but it's a
keeping you discover- the
specification for steel T. is
different than lumber you have
to have dryer would. You need
other very- characteristics in
that product that are hard for
a sawmill that's in production
today servicing. Lumber the
mighty home depot these little
changes that we want of all the
little are not little to the-
manufacturing facility. You
need to get stakeholders
involved early to get some of
this mapped out- because early
adopters amassed timber- aren't
a big enough market for big
sawmills to change their
practice to meet our needs. So
you have to you have to work
together- and in the case could
tear this needs to be delivered
a high volume- when at capacity
our plans going to manufacture
up to hundred eighty thousand
cubic metres of CLT every year.
That's roughly eleven million
square feet of five five four
product. In a viable business
plan for CLT factors highly
dependent on lumber sourcing
strategy is roughly 7280% of
manufacture cost. Is the wood
fiber itself which makes sense
because it's 99% would. So at
the project scale frame I'm a
building engineer okay effected
terrace first commercial mass
timber building. Called
catalyst it's under
construction right now located
in Spokane Washington it's five
story- hundred fifty thousand
square foot mixed used office
education building there would
be least eastern Washington
university starting in the
fall. Of twenty twenty it was a
private development. From the
foundation up or the entire
building in the exterior facade
is supported by a mass timber
structural frame frame CLT
floors glam beam CLT sure
walls. Glenn columns and seal
T. exterior facade panels it's
all wood in it she is a market
viable thirty by thirty foot
calling great spacing. The
majority the wood in the
interior spaces will be exposed
making it a beautiful place to
work. But more importantly it's
been engineered to me. I'll
building code requirements for
structural. Uber and acoustic
fire safety standpoint. All the
CLT elements and glamour
fabricated offsite musings
through. And see. On G. direct
from the files from the design
teams ready to ship in a sample
onsite. No chainsaws allowed on
say is the aim you're not you
don't cut the wood on say- to
bad day when you do this
building exemplifies that would
is the easiest material
fabricate and build with. Even
that big scale. Which is. So
different. Reporter like
charities catalyst building is
a demonstration of how to
quantify the embodied
environmental impact of the- of
the building materials using.
Used including our seal to
product line to this we have
third party consulted with
Cartman carbon leadership
forum. And school of forestry
at the university of Washington
he is life cycle counting
methods that are now recognized
by- green buildings earthquake
certification programs such as
the lead program. And in that
metric of measuring things in
comparing against other
buildings you constructed
account for carbon storage. And
the other benefits of would.
Lastly compared to tears
committed to sourcing our
lumber from responsibly managed
forests to meet the
specifications from our
customers we are currently
registry CLT factory the chain
of custody certified. That's a
five P. F. C. N. F. S. C. so
finish good product can be sold
with these credentials. In
conclusion if you respect the
material use it technically CLT
is a technology that enables
whole new ways to design
fabricate deliver build
environmentally responsible
buildings that people benefit
from living. And working in. I
think thank you very much. So
was it hard to get lead to work
with lead on this or do they
already have sort of a matter.
Of how they- yeah. Lead version
for. Which came of years ago
and when it comes out it's not
formally adopted some projects
but it generally it is. That
accounts for a whole building
at CA which is what I describe.
As a means to. Get points in
the system is set up to.
Encourage that kind of pushed
some of the builders. Who want
to serve. Kind of. Charter sort
of the educate it's an
education to the developer and
one issue with carbon in the
what that means the developer
you know we don't have we have
water meters we have gas meters
we have electrical meters on
our buildings which have a
return on investment for
developer carbon doesn't have
that hook so I have not seen
employed too much- in the rear
view mirror but looking forward
in the future on- people
understanding operational
energy of a building is that
something we need reduce but to
be truly not zero you have to
look at the body then fax. Of
your structure how much energy
and carbon intensive and what
are the to the city of the
materials going in your
building that's that is the
conversation I moving forward
when you see architect and
engineer specifying the set
environmental impact of the
building materials which is
right in the center where the
wood. The maximum amount is
operated. For this so yeah but
that's great. For if you're a
builder and you're trying to
get leads over certified
building or gold or platinum.
Is this something now that
would pop out as a way to help
get you there. Three it's there
it's an opportunity. The
specialist consultant to do the
work in the feet it takes to do
that might be a barrier. Okay
thanks. So I have a question I
think for the two of you which
is you know there is a tension
between the bio mass generation
and you know utilizing the
material. For the mask timber
and I know that. There are some
stakeholders that are concerned
that if we build a lot of
broilers. Boilers and we- you
know do more generation plants
that they'll be more reason to
use more materials. For
generation rather than for
timber products so do you see
that man how do you if you're
doing a- of. A boiler on site
and you also have your timber
manufacture on site is there
sort of a tension between those
or is it only that. Your timber
manufactures again take best
mature all the materials to for
that and it's kind of whatever
they can't use and is used for
the generation. The latter. So
that the what normally happens
in the way that we look at this
is if you can make use of the
lowest value product the lowest
value materials the waste would
if you will. 185% of which is
not going into any wood
products your that's that's the
material that's appropriate for
biomass utilization and as I
think everyone knows it's a
heck of a lot better to burn it
in a boiler with pollution
control equipment. Than it is
to have open pile burning for
us so it is a matter of getting
it to sight utilizing and when
we talk about a wood
utilization campus. We talk
about sort. Site to get things
into their highest how you use
and that can involve the whole
of the products so. We've ever
seen it as the tension so
that's gonna that's a site
where you have several
different types facilities what
about in places where they only
have. They're only doing
generation but they're not
doing production is that then
become an issue. It can be if
you're using larger material
that can be used for lumber or
for cross laminated timber or
mass timber it can be an issue
absolutely yep I might weigh in
on that I think this is one of
the reasons why we think we
have to be very clear from the
beginning that the goal is
Forest restoration. Is
ecological management of our
forests and have some way to
measure manage that and ensure
that so that the materials that
are coming off that are used
for bio energy are essentially
a waste product they are
essentially a co benefit of
achieving an ecological
restoration objective not the
other way around. So that would
imply that these sort of sub
campus models where the highest
value product goes for embodied
carbon in buildings and other
things and really bio energy is
a waste product where you can
capture the heat and use the
heat to divert other fossil
fuel. General it embodied
energy would would be the best
approach to take if you were co
locating facilities in a
forested landscape and then one
final element of that I think
Jonathan hit on something
really important right now the
alternative is essentially.
That waste product being open
pile burned in forests in
California- and the criteria
air pollution emission
reduction from from diverting
that- material to a bio mass
facility is roughly 97% of the
criterion air pollutants are
eliminated by diverting it to a
facility so. It makes sense
from an air quality perspective
first the supply issue is
concerned I don't think we're-
beginning to Dân. The supply
of high hazard sounded very
high hazard zone material that
was recently identified in
analysis done- across the
state- that showed literally
hundreds of millions of tons of
material needed to be removed.
Rich would you have particular
members in your association
that are interested in mass
chamber. Many other certain are
there certain members that are
just ready to go there. I would
say the there are members that
are excited interested in
exploring- whether they would
go there tomorrow. Probably not
a and again it goes back to
this issue of. If they were
going to convert to a in
existing sawmill or add to the
facility necessary to make
across laminated timber. Of
that said a long term
investment- you're gonna need
to get loans from the banks the
banks are going to want to know
that. That's gonna pencil out
over ten twenty years it seems
like we've got this you know
huge future everybody's all the
cool architecture using it and
you're about to have this new
building standards and go to
eighteen stories and it's
cheaper. So what why still this
hesitation I mean I'm not and
you know I'm not an investor
but I was investor I kind of
feel like one of the first in
on this it just seems you know
almost too good to be true. So
why are they still hesitating.
Well I think are you still
hesitating I'm. I guess the way
would answer that is this.
Currently the timber companies
in California. Primarily
producing lumber from their own
Forest stock. And they're doing
that at a level that is
sustainable- for their lands.
The capacity for them to take
additional stock off their
lands and maintain their
sustainability is minimal.
Therefore they need assurance
that there is material from
elsewhere not coming off their
own lands they any material
from the federal for us from
private other private non
industrial landowners of
developing those relationships
getting those securities in
place. Are the critical
component for moving a cross
limited timber a production
activity forward in California-
so it is the surely. Of supply
that is critical- I believe
that were very close to sure de
of market as you describe
what's happening- those are the
two elements that are gonna be
critical and in the final piece
is- the additional
infrastructure that been talked
about this afternoon relative
to work force- so workforce
investment is also very
important. Of the final piece
of that puzzle- but I believe
that we will get there and- I
believe that we will have a
cross Limón a timber- activity
a complete factory. Here in
California- before long- but it
will take- some investment in
in figuring out how do we make
sure that we have long term
supply. May I add to that
briefly here. We visited the DR
Johnson Millen riddle Oregon we
spent the day with Valerie
Johnson the owner of that and
she told the story of how in
sitting with twenty other folks
a ministry the said who's ready
to make this and nobody step
forward. Immediately and she
said we can do it. But then she
told the story takes a number
of years to perfect the product
it's not like making a two by
four two by six piece of lumber
it's about the structural
integrity of the material which
needs to be repeatedly tested
and that's a that's an involved
process such as an expense
associated. And a time lag
associated with that and I just
want to underscore what rich
pointed out. What she also said
you have a challenge like we
have here in rural California a
riddle Oregon and that is the
work force so we have to
continue to build the capacity
of the work force to do that
work. On it let me just ask I
mean us Hans ensure structural
engineer about the earthquake
issues- is this yeah that's a
fair question I'd- yeah I am
now sitting on the codes and
standards that develops this at
the national level for the
international building code
work. There is a- and I got to
speak in July- to the
California fair group that's
considering the new code
language. Sell there is a- at
the end of next year the twenty
twenty one. Provision of the
code will have a first CLT sure
Wall assuming the votes come
together it's sense of bass
process. So that's work that's
done today on on using CLT as a
as a sheer wall system. It's
still have limitations up to I
think five stories tall but
it's a very. Hello the new
lateral systems to get in the
building code to have to go
through a many years of testing
and development. And so that's
the good news I'm also on
researchers to Colorado State
University Kalra spuul minds.
There. Colorado school of mines
there's- there's in next
generation- systems coming out
so the next one three six
years. Next goofed to code
cycles of systems will be code
five. Three six your code
cycles we should have more
systems. In play in defining
the building code. But thank
you they want to thank the
panel I wanna thank all of our
panels- this is been really
interesting and certainly give
our committee a lot of work to
do and next year too. I'm never
gonna move to public comments
I'm ask the members of the
public to keep their comments
to two minutes. Three are
running. A little bit late
anybody would like to comment
please line up. Hey nobody of
no one stands up I'm gonna bang
the gavel. Okay looks like
we've we answered all of the
concerns in the comments and
anybody in the public could
possibly ever have so thank you
all again for coming and these
this meeting is adjourned