2012
Completed
Greg Baxter (Lead) / Jim Thomasson
Spray Lakes Sawmills Ltd.
FPInnovations – Forest Operations
Alberta Forestry, Parks and Tourism,
Practical and economical disposal of excess woody debris from harvesting operations and fuels treatment projects is a challenge for many forest managers in Alberta. Several options exist (such as pile-and-burn, mulch, haul offsite) each of which has associated costs and disadvantages. An alternative to Alberta’s current methods of woody debris disposal is the air curtain burner. In December 2012, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resources Development hired a contractor that used three curtain burners to remove excess woody debris from a site near Bragg Creek, AB. Researchers from FPInnovations evaluated the process to determine whether it was a cost-effective option for Alberta.