Better Environmental Solutions
Practical Solutions Today For a Better Tomorrow
Biomass BuffersTM
For Cleaner Water, Lower Floods and Growing Biomass
Biomass BuffersTM give farmers a biomass crop in floodplains and floodways to increase earnings, reduce
floods and crop losses, improve water quality, grow biomass for energy production, and sequester CO2.
Biomass BuffersTM mean more of this… And less of this
Flooding in Iowa, Wisconsin and the Midwest has inundated lowlands and floodplains many times over
the last 15 years. Many farmers are struggling with repeated crop losses from that flooding.
Biomass BuffersTM offer farmers an opportunity to grow perennial biomass cover crops such as
switchgrass, prairie and other grasses and dedicated woody crops in floodplains and floodways, reap the
harvest of those perennial energy crops, and reduce risk of losing crops to flooding.
These crops could be harvested and burned in power and heating plants. Alliant Energy is committed to
burning 10% biomass at their Marshalltown. Xcel Energy is burning biomass at their La Crosse, WI plant.
The farmer would maintain land ownership and receive cost assistance to establish the biomass crop from
the 2008 Farm Bill Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) and federal and state hazard mitigation
funds. The utilities would pay the farmer for the biomass. The farmer could also get payments for carbon
sequestration from the Farm Bureau, Farmers Unions, or other carbon aggregators.
Much of Iowa, Wisconsin, and the Midwest were originally covered with tallgrass prairies made up of
switchgrass, Big Bluestem, Indiangrass and many other grasses and flowers. Switchgrass has an energy
content of about 8,000 BTUs per dry pound, nearly that of Powder River Basin coal.
The 2005 US Department of Energy study estimates Iowa has 10.2 and Wisconsin has 3.2 million tons of
potential switchgrass and other grasses from Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands1 But Biomass
BuffersTM will add additional grasslands near waterways, not CRP lands.
Biomass BuffersTM would restore switchgrass, native prairie and fast growing trees to:
• Reduce Flooding--USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service studies in Minnesota and
Iowa on the Boone and Redwood Rivers showed that prairie restoration and farm conservation
practices can reduce 100-year flood peaks by up to 20%, and by almost 40% with other measures
such as the restoring wetlands and small flood detention projects.
• Provides Better Habitat for people, fish and wildlife by restoring native prairies, woodlands
and promoting more conservation tillage. Creating energy biomass farms can also help restore
native grassland habitats. The Nature Conservancy reports that more 90% of North American’s
original prairies have been lost. Prairies provide good wildlife habitat for pheasants and other
upland bird species and declining migratory songbird species.
• Provide Cleaner Energy--Better Enviro’s 2007 report, Cellulose Prairie: Biomass Fuel Potential in
Wisconsin and the Midwest, showed that Iowa has enough excess biomass to replace much and
Wisconsin half of their coal use, significantly reducing the largest source of greenhouse air
pollution. See http://betterenvironmentalsolutions.com/reports/CellulosePrairie.pdf for more.
• Provide Cleaner Water--Prairie grasses prevent soil erosion and reduce polluted runoff by up
to 75%, according to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Native prairie grasses
filter strips act like coffee filters to strain out pollutants and absorb nutrients.2
To maximize habitat value, grasses should be cut after nesting season to protect nesting birds and chicks.
Prairies biomass could give Midwest farmers another crop 6-10 tons of grass production with an income
source of $240-400 per acre at $40 per dry ton compared to losing money growing corn at current corn
and input prices. Another advantage is that grasses use existing hay bailers to harvest giving jobs to
custom operators and have minimal inputs.
For all these reasons, support Biomass BuffersTM for cleaner water, less flooding, and cleaner energy.
For more information, contact Brett Hulsey, Brett@BetterEnviro.Com or call 608-238-6070.
Better Environmental Solutions is an energy and environmental consulting firm dedicated to
implementing practical solutions that save lives, jobs and money.
Copyright 2008 Better Environmental Solutions.
Practical Solutions Today For a Better Tomorrow
Biomass BuffersTM
For Cleaner Water, Lower Floods and Growing Biomass
Biomass BuffersTM give farmers a biomass crop in floodplains and floodways to increase earnings, reduce
floods and crop losses, improve water quality, grow biomass for energy production, and sequester CO2.
Biomass BuffersTM mean more of this… And less of this
Flooding in Iowa, Wisconsin and the Midwest has inundated lowlands and floodplains many times over
the last 15 years. Many farmers are struggling with repeated crop losses from that flooding.
Biomass BuffersTM offer farmers an opportunity to grow perennial biomass cover crops such as
switchgrass, prairie and other grasses and dedicated woody crops in floodplains and floodways, reap the
harvest of those perennial energy crops, and reduce risk of losing crops to flooding.
These crops could be harvested and burned in power and heating plants. Alliant Energy is committed to
burning 10% biomass at their Marshalltown. Xcel Energy is burning biomass at their La Crosse, WI plant.
The farmer would maintain land ownership and receive cost assistance to establish the biomass crop from
the 2008 Farm Bill Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) and federal and state hazard mitigation
funds. The utilities would pay the farmer for the biomass. The farmer could also get payments for carbon
sequestration from the Farm Bureau, Farmers Unions, or other carbon aggregators.
Much of Iowa, Wisconsin, and the Midwest were originally covered with tallgrass prairies made up of
switchgrass, Big Bluestem, Indiangrass and many other grasses and flowers. Switchgrass has an energy
content of about 8,000 BTUs per dry pound, nearly that of Powder River Basin coal.
The 2005 US Department of Energy study estimates Iowa has 10.2 and Wisconsin has 3.2 million tons of
potential switchgrass and other grasses from Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands1 But Biomass
BuffersTM will add additional grasslands near waterways, not CRP lands.
Biomass BuffersTM would restore switchgrass, native prairie and fast growing trees to:
• Reduce Flooding--USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service studies in Minnesota and
Iowa on the Boone and Redwood Rivers showed that prairie restoration and farm conservation
practices can reduce 100-year flood peaks by up to 20%, and by almost 40% with other measures
such as the restoring wetlands and small flood detention projects.
• Provides Better Habitat for people, fish and wildlife by restoring native prairies, woodlands
and promoting more conservation tillage. Creating energy biomass farms can also help restore
native grassland habitats. The Nature Conservancy reports that more 90% of North American’s
original prairies have been lost. Prairies provide good wildlife habitat for pheasants and other
upland bird species and declining migratory songbird species.
• Provide Cleaner Energy--Better Enviro’s 2007 report, Cellulose Prairie: Biomass Fuel Potential in
Wisconsin and the Midwest, showed that Iowa has enough excess biomass to replace much and
Wisconsin half of their coal use, significantly reducing the largest source of greenhouse air
pollution. See http://betterenvironmentalsolutions.com/reports/CellulosePrairie.pdf for more.
• Provide Cleaner Water--Prairie grasses prevent soil erosion and reduce polluted runoff by up
to 75%, according to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Native prairie grasses
filter strips act like coffee filters to strain out pollutants and absorb nutrients.2
To maximize habitat value, grasses should be cut after nesting season to protect nesting birds and chicks.
Prairies biomass could give Midwest farmers another crop 6-10 tons of grass production with an income
source of $240-400 per acre at $40 per dry ton compared to losing money growing corn at current corn
and input prices. Another advantage is that grasses use existing hay bailers to harvest giving jobs to
custom operators and have minimal inputs.
For all these reasons, support Biomass BuffersTM for cleaner water, less flooding, and cleaner energy.
For more information, contact Brett Hulsey, Brett@BetterEnviro.Com or call 608-238-6070.
Better Environmental Solutions is an energy and environmental consulting firm dedicated to
implementing practical solutions that save lives, jobs and money.
Copyright 2008 Better Environmental Solutions.
