Private Forests and the Renewable Fuel Standard

The document examines the limitations of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007's definition of 'renewable biomass,' which excludes many merchantable trees from private, naturally-regenerated forests. It argues that including these feedstocks would increase the availability of cellulosic fuels, avoid indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with agricultural land-use change, and provide a tool for forest stewardship, including hazardous fuels reduction and wildlife habitat restoration. The author contends that the current RFS exclusions are arbitrary and should be replaced by ecologically meaningful sustainability criteria.

• The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) mandates the production of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2022, with 16 billion gallons specifically required from cellulosic feedstocks. To qualify, renewable fuels from new facilities must reduce direct and indirect lifecycle emissions by at least 20 percent compared to petroleum fuels, while cellulosic fuels must meet a 60 percent reduction screen.
• The current RFS definition of 'renewable biomass' excludes many woody biomass sources from private forests by limiting the use of merchantable trees to those from tree plantations. Only pre-commercial thinnings and logging residues are permitted from naturally-regenerated forestlands.
• Expanding the inclusion of private forests would leverage a significant resource, as approximately 57% of the 750 million acres of U.S. forests are privately owned, with most relying on natural regeneration. These forests are primarily located in the northern and southeastern U.S., where agricultural feedstocks are less available than in the Midwest and western states.
• Utilizing woody biomass from existing forestlands is presented as a way to avoid indirect greenhouse gas emissions caused by land-use change, which occurs when new farmland is cleared to replace crops diverted to biofuel production.
• Biomass harvesting serves as a stewardship tool for hazardous fuels reduction to decrease fire intensity and velocity, and for improving tree vigor, drought tolerance, and wildlife habitat. The document argues that the current RFS definition is based on arbitrary exclusions regarding ownership and regeneration rather than ecologically meaningful sustainability criteria.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2008). Private Forests and the Renewable Fuel Standard. https://www.eesi.org/files/private_forests_rfs_factsheet_eesi_071708.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Private Forests and the Renewable Fuel Standard. 2008. https://www.eesi.org/files/private_forests_rfs_factsheet_eesi_071708.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Private Forests and the Renewable Fuel Standard |date=17 July 2008 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/private_forests_rfs_factsheet_eesi_071708.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2008private, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Private Forests and the Renewable Fuel Standard}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2008}, month = jul, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/private_forests_rfs_factsheet_eesi_071708.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }