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Removing woody biomass from the Nation’s forests can reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires and create healthy, resilient ecosystems. In a report from the Forest Service on the rising cost of wildfire operations, the Forest Service spent over a billion dollars fighting forest fires in 2012 and the cost of fire suppression is projected to rise to 1.8 billion dollars by 2025. In addition to fire suppression costs, intense catastrophic fires can alter forest soil, cause significant erosion, and emit carbon dioxide and particulate matter into the environment. Research has shown that removing biomass from forests (thinning) can reduce the risk of wildfires. However, the costs of thinning can exceed the value of the thinned wood, making it uneconomical. In the United States, wood has been traditionally used in single-family residential construction, and over 40% of the wood harvested each year in the United States is made into building products. Developing and expanding markets for wood in nonresidential and mid- to high-rise residential construction can help to make the removal of woody biomass more economical and lead to healthy, resilient forest ecosystems. However, before wood can be used in these new markets, its fire performance needs to be characterized under new design fire scenarios.
Zelinka, Samuel L.
| - FPL's Mission and Strategic Plan - |
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FPL's mission is to identify and conduct innovative wood and fiber utilization research that contributes to conservation and productivity of the forest resource, thereby sustaining forests, the economy, and quality of life. ... ..more » |
| - FPL Research Emphasis Areas - |
Advanced Composites
As an integral part of the FPL mission, we improve the long-term sustainability of our Nation's forests by creating valuable composite products from biobased materials ... ..more » 
Advanced Structures
The FPL has been in the forefront of wood-frame housing research since 1910 and has long been recognized as a world leader in such housing-related areas as engineered wood ... ..more » 
Forest Biorefinery
We all know the compelling reasons that the United States needs to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. Historically, the greatest increases in energy demand have been for transportation fuels ... ..more » 
Nanotechnology
A leader in wood products research for over a century, the FPL is positioning itself to become the lead Federal research facility for the application of nanotechnology in forest products ... more » 
Woody Biomass Utilization
Forests in the United States contain a substantial amount of small-diameter, overstocked, and underutilized material.FPL research projects are exploring the potential of the small-diameter ... ..more » |