Our forests and riparian areas are threatened catastrophic fires caused by overgrowth and insect infestation. Overgrown forests and riparian areas are vulnerable to catastrophic forest fires.
Our goal, and that of collaborating environmentalists, industry members, forestry experts and the USDA Forest Service is to provide prescribed hazardous fuel reduction in forested and riparian areas using environmentally sensitive hand and mechanized methods. No longer do project partners view themselves as being on opposite sides of forest conservation efforts or economic development. Instead, all parties concerned will benefit.
The end result will be healthy forests through efficient utilization of excess and hazardous fuels caused by overgrowth, insect infestation and fire damage. An industrial grade wood pellet will be produced, as well as other valuable forest-related products. Once in the forest, Mt. Taylor personnel will harvest, chip on site and transport excess small diameter wood and biomass to our plant in Milan, New Mexico. Then the material it will be processed into wood pellets for industrial and residential heating purposes. Mt. Taylor Manufacturing is also working with Federal, State, Tribal and private entities to develop a distribution system for other by-products of the forest rehabilitation effort -- such as vigas, firewood, saw-timber, and decorative poles for housing.
Mt. Taylor Manufacturing is the recipient of two USDA Forest Service grants intended to assist in rebuilding the equipment and manpower infrastructure necessary to harvest the excess woody-biomass built up in our forests. This excess biomass contributes to catastrophic forest-killing fires and destructive insect infestation. The fiscal year 2006 USDA Forest Products Laboratory grant, in the amount of $243,500, is being used to purchase equipment to get Mt. Taylor personnel into the Cibola National Forest. Once received from the Federal Government, the fiscal year 2007 USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory grant, in the amount of $250,000, will continue the infrastructure acquisition process.
