GTFF receives RSB recognition

GreenWood Tree Farm Fund (GTFF) has become the world's first short rotation forest plantation to earn certification under the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB).

The RSB certification covers GTFF's cultivation, management and harvesting of coppiced poplar trees, used as biomass feedstock either to be pelletised for direct combustion in biomass electric plants or for the cellulosic ethanol industry.

The company is also the first plantation to be jointly certified by both RSB and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Combined, these two certifications recognise GWR's effort to maintain biodiversity, protect water resources, account for greenhouse gas emissions, treat workers fairly, and benefit the community.

'Biomass from trees is an ideal solution for generating renewable fuels and chemicals while reducing reliance on fossil fuels,' says Jeff Nuss, president and CEO of GreenWood Resources (GWR), which manages GTFF. 'GWR's high-yield, short-rotation tree farms need less fertiliser and less energy to produce than traditional row crops, and they produce greater energy output per unit of production.'

'While biofuels for both transportation and energy production offer promise as an alternative to fossil fuels, production of its raw material can have a major impact on land, air, and water resources,' comments Neil Mendenhall, manager of supply chain services at SCS Global Services (SCS) who audited the Oregon-based tree farm to RSB standards jointly with the annual renewal of GWR's FSC certification.