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Wood Education and
Resource Center Update
August 31, 2012 |
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Wood Education and Resource Center (WERC) Project Highlights |
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1. Woodwork Career Alliance Completes Another Milestone!
The Woodwork Career Alliance (WCA) of North America recently completed the Wood Manufacturing Skills National Credential Program. This WERC-sponsored project (Award Number 2010-DG-086) completes another key phase of developing and using national skill standards for woodworkers. Woodworkers can use this program to document their skill levels for over 50 tools and machines at three levels (Output oriented, Set-up oriented, and Solution oriented). To learn more about this successful effort, go here or contact Greg Heuer at 571-323-3636.
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2. Advancing Education and Outreach on Biomass Thermal Energy - highly popular project comes to
an end!
The Biomass Thermal Energy Council recently completed a WERC-sponsored project (Award Number 2010-DG-150). Check out these online resources about thermal energy generated from woody biomass that resulted from this project:
- A five-part biomass thermal factsheet series that addresses topics such as "Why use biomass for heating?" and "Economic impacts on rural communities."
- A series of 10- to 20-minute interviews with 10 key biomass experts.
- A series of 14 educational Webinars about emissions, combined heat and power, thermal markets, and advanced technologies, among others.
For additional information, contact Joe Seymour at
202-596-3974.
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WERC Continues to Accept Applications for Leasing Its Rough Mill and Wood Shop
WERC will continue to accept applications to lease its 42,000-square-foot rough mill and 10,000-square-foot wood shop through November 1, 2012. In-place machinery is optional for leasing. The facility is located ¼ mile off I-77 near Princeton, WV. Contact Steve Milauskas at 304-487-1510. View the prospectus here.
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1. Urban Forest Products Alliance
 In 2009 and 2010, discussions began in the Lake States area about a common vision of putting all wood from urban trees to good use. Leaders and experts from a variety of disciplines, including forestry, tree care, wood processing, and green building, formed the Urban Forest Products Alliance (UFPA) to advance the sustainable recovery and the highest and best use of products from urban forests. The alliance has formed a LinkedIn group that now has more than 450 members to share information and encourage discussion about urban wood utilization. To learn more about the UFPA, contact Jessica Simons at 517-851-2372 or write to info@urbanwood.org.
Urban Forest Products Alliance LinkedIn group
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2. Ash & Urban Wood Utilization and Marketing Quarterly Webcasts/Conference Calls - Opportunities and Solutions for Municipal Officials, Urban Foresters, and Forest Health Managers
Interested in learning about efforts to utilize ash and other urban trees? Join us October 2 at 10:00 a.m. EDT for our next Webcast in a series that shares information about utilization efforts in the United States. We will emphasize specific issues that local government agencies face when developing wood utilization and recycling programs for tree removals.
To join the Webcast, connect to this Web link at 10:00 a.m. EDT, October 2nd. For telephone audio, call toll-free at (888) 858-2144. Participant code: 7578516.
View past Webcasts here. For additional information, contact Ed Cesa at 304-285-1530.
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3. Wood Industry Week @ WERC
The Wood Industry Week @ WERC workshops held in March 2012 are online. Topics include ROMI 4.0, enhancing economic competitiveness, developing new marketing strategies, mass customization, lean manufacturing, making effective use of technological advances, product costing, and small and medium enterprises in the U.S. wood products industry. View the workshops and PowerPoint presentations here or contact Urs Buehlmann at 540-231-9759.
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4. Woody Biomass Preliminary Assessments
View Woody Biomass Preliminary Assessments conducted by WERC's Woody Biomass Technical Assistance Team here.
For additional information, contact Lew McCreery at 304-285-1538.
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Workshops
Visit the WERC training Web page or WERC Webcast archive
Webinar - Combined Heat and Power Application with Emphasis on Use of Woody Biomass as an Opportunity Fuel
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Location: WERC facility, Princeton, WV
This Webinar will provide an opportunity for small- and medium-size businesses to learn about combined heat and power applications. Discussions will include fundamentals, economics, and wood biomass applications. For additional information, contact John Pletcher at 814-863-6393. Sponsors include the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program, Mid-Atlantic Clean Energy Application Center, and WERC.
Profitable Firewood Processing
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Location: WERC facility, Princeton, WV
This educational and networking event will provide the firewood processing industry with the latest knowledge on processing, drying, and marketing firewood. Information: contact Harry Watt at 704-880-5034 or click here. Sponsors include North Carolina State University, Independent Sawmill & Woodlot Magazine, and WERC.
Energy Reductions Using Lean Thinking
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Location: Virginia Tech Roanoke Center, Roanoke, VA
This workshop will inspire new visions and strategies that address the most pressing energy challenges for contemporary society; it will create new ideas for using Lean Principles to reduce energy use and costs. It will also promote collaboration among scholars working across disciplines on Lean Thinking and Energy. For additional information, contact Henry Quesada at 540-231-0978 or go here. Sponsors include VA Tech and WERC.
North American Thermally-Modified Wood Standards Development Forum
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Location: WERC Facility, Princeton, WV
This forum will discuss thermally-modified wood technology; review and analyze European standards for thermally-modified timber; develop a plan to create North American standards; and host speakers who will address industrial development issues of thermally-modified wood from Europe, Canada, and the United States. Sponsors include the Natural Resources Research Institute, University of MN - Duluth, Lakehead University Wood Science Testing Facility, and WERC. For additional information, go here or contact Pat Donahue at 218-720-2705.
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Archived Webinars
To play past webcasts, click here. To save for later viewing, right-click on the link, select "Save Target As..." and save it to your local hard drive.
Webinar Series: Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC)
BTEC developed a Webinar series about biomass thermal opportunities and key issues using a WERC grant (Award Number 2010-DG-150).
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From Urs Buehlmann, Virginia Tech Department of Wood Science and Forest Products, and Delton Alderman, U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station
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From Don Deckard, Minnesota DNR Division of Forestry
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North American Forest Sector Outlook Study: 2006 - 2030
Published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the Food and Agricultural Organization. View the report here.
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Forests of the Northern United States
This publication provides a broad overview of forests in the 20-state region that is bounded by Maine, Maryland, Missouri, and Minnesota. It was authored by nine people across the region and is accompanied by a Web site that describes current resource conditions, unique forest characteristics, and the challenges faced by this tier of States. The report's findings also highlight the complexities facing those making today's forest management, policy, and investment decisions that, in turn, will prepare and shape the region for a sustainable future.
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Hardwood Checkoff Program
The Hardwood Checkoff is an initiative led by a group of U.S. hardwood industry leaders who have developed a Commodity Checkoff program for the hardwood industry. Checkoff programs are industry-funded research and promotions programs tailored to a specific commodity. For additional details, click here.
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Major Uses of Land in the United States, 2007
View this USDA Economic Research Service report here.
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Wood Education and Resource Center Staff
Steve Milauskas, Director, (304) 487-1510, smilauskas@fs.fed.us
Ed Cesa, Deputy Director, (304) 285-1530, ecesa@fs.fed.us
Lew McCreery, Biomass Coordinator, (304) 285-1538, lmccreery@fs.fed.us
Debbie Hawkins, Office Administrator, (304) 487-1510, dhawkins@fs.fed.us
Nathan Delimont, Maintenance, (304) 487-1510, ndelimont@fs.fed.us
The use of trade, firm, or corporation names in this Update is for the information and convenience of the reader. Such use does not constitute official endorsement or approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable. |
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