We are thrilled to announce that The Forest History Society published the book “Wood for Bioenergy: Forests as a Resource for Biomass and Biofuels” by Forisk authors Brooks Mendell and Amanda Hamsley Lang.  The book reviews the historical context and contemporary issues surrounding wood bioenergy and provides a primer for teachers, policymakers, investors, landowners, forest managers, and journalists on this critical energy source.  With a Forward penned by Roger Sedjo, Senior Fellow and Director with Resources for the Future, the book includes chapters on:

• History of Wood Energy in the United States
• Wood Pellets
• Wood for Electricity
• Cellulosic Ethanol and Other Wood Liquid Fuels
• Sources of Wood for Energy
• Wood Bioenergy Markets and Public Policy
• Investment Challenges and Keys for Success Moving Forward

To purchase the book, click here.

This book is part of the Forest History Society’s Issue Series and was published with support from the Plum Creek Foundation, U.S. Forest Service Research, Forest Investment Associates, National Alliance of Forest Owners, Potlatch Corporation, Price Biostock, the Westervelt Company, and the Lynn W. Day Endowment for Forest History Publications.

About the Authors

Brooks Mendell and Amanda Hamsley Lang have coauthored studies of the volume and availability of wood raw materials for energy, the status and progress of wood bioenergy projects, and the potential consequences of legislation for the evolution of wood bioenergy markets.

• Amanda Hamsley Lang is Senior Consultant at Forisk and Managing Editor of Wood Bioenergy US.  Her background includes operations experience with International Paper and award-winning forestry operations research at the University of Georgia under Dale Greene. She received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Forest Resources from the University of Georgia. 
  
• Dr. Brooks Mendell is President at Forisk and Vice President of Research.  An award-winning teacher and speaker, his 20 years of experience include roles in forestry operations with Weyerhaeuser, in forest industry consulting with Accenture, and in academia as a member of the forestry and finance faculties at the University of Georgia. He earned B.S. and M.S. degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MBA at the University of California–Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in Forest Finance at the University of Georgia.

Forisk is a management consulting and research firm specializing in the forestry and timberland sectors. Forisk advises senior executives in areas such as business strategy, asset and market due diligence, timber market analysis and risk, and organizational development. Forisk’s bioenergy research program includes the screening and ranking of wood bioenergy projects, as well as detailed studies evaluating the market and investment implications of alternative technologies. Forisk publishes Wood Bioenergy US, which tracks, screens, and analyzes the wood bioenergy sector in the United States. In 2011, Forisk published Transportation Fuels from Wood: Investment and Market Implications of Current Projects and Technologies, which detailed 36 biofuels projects and 12 technology pathways for converting wood raw materials to liquid biofuels.