Representative Cliff Bentz Co-Sponsors Bill to Expand Biocombustibles Market and Prevent Wildfires
A bipartisan coalition, including Representative Cliff Bentz (R-Oregon), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), and Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi), has introduced the Wildfire Reduction Market Expansion bill. This legislation aims to modify the legal definition of renewable biomass within the Renewable Fuel Standard to include low-value wood and biomass waste. The proposed change would allow materials such as brush, sawdust, bark, logging residues, and forest debris to be used in biocombustible production. Representative Bentz highlighted that Oregon's forests accumulate hundreds of thousands of tons of such waste daily, increasing the risk of catastrophic wildfires. He emphasized the potential of new technologies to transform these residues into marketable goods, thereby addressing both economic and environmental concerns. The Southern Group of State Foresters has expressed support for this bill, recognizing its potential to reduce biomass accumulation a...
