Woody biomass utilization, consumption and production in Colorado

Abstract

In 2001, Lynch and Mackes published Wood Use in Colorado at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century (Lynch and Mackes 2001). Now more than twenty years later, this report updates wood use data and information to provide a current description and quantification of woody biomass utilization, consumption, and production in the state of Colorado. This assessment contributes to the ongoing discourse concerning sustainable solutions to the environmental challenges in Colorado forests, including uncharacteristic wildfires, increased mortality from insects, disease, and drought, and reduced productivity. In recent years, a large amount of federal and state resources have been invested to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk through fuel treatment and forest restoration, including removal of woody biomass through mechanical thinning. Removal decreases potential fire intensity, reduces competition, and promotes productivity, but utilization of biomass and small diameter logs is highly dependent on local markets. Understanding the current markets and uses for biomass in the state will provide a basis for policy recommendations to improve woody biomass utilization and advance the stewardship of Colorado’s natural and working lands in an era of rapid environmental change.

Citation

Baral, Srijana; Mackes, Kurt; West Fordham, Amanda; Anderson, Nathaniel; Gaetani, Maria. 2025. Woody biomass utilization, consumption and production in Colorado. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-445. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 42 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/RMRS-GTR-445.