This fall, UC ANR's forestry team welcomed new Biomass and Forest Products Advisor Ali Azadfar to the Shasta, Siskiyou, and Trinity communities. Azadfar to comes to UC ANR's Siskiyou office with research and teaching experiences shaped by diverse locations: the Pacific Northwest, New York state, and Iran. It was in Iran, amongst the country's iconic Hyrcanian forests, where Azadfar realized his passion for forestry. “I was surrounded by an incredibly rich and ancient ecosystem,” he states, “which taught me early on about the importance of forest stewardship.”

     For Azadfar, the Hyrcanian forests are inspirational in ways that stretch past the trees themselves. It was here that he was introduced to the positive impact that wood products innovation can have on ecosystems and communities. “Discovering how old corrugated containers could be recycled into paper...opened my eyes to the potential of sustainable solutions that meet industrial demands while preserving natural resources,” he shares.

     Within California's forested communities, there is an urgent need for wood utilization solutions that make that same connection between economic viability and forest stewardship. For small, non-industrial private landowners, improving their land's wildfire resiliency through fuel reduction projects is often costly, with few options for removing these woody biomass residues (small diameter trees and wood residuals) from the landscape entirely. Many landowners pile burn, masticate, or chip their fuels, but these solutions see no economic return for landowners. This is the space that excites Azadfar: answering the questions of how residues can be removed efficiently from landscapes and be turned into wood products. “The need for wildfire risk reduction and better biomass management is pressing here,” he explains, “I'm especially looking forward to supporting fuel reduction projects that reduce wildfire risks while contributing to the local economy.”

     Though he has spent only a few months in his advisor position, Azadfar has already seen excitement and interest from community members. For example, Azadfar recently paid a visit to a new locally-owned, facility in Siskiyou that uses woody residues to decrease reliance on fossil fuels. As detailed in the first issue of his Northern CA Woody Biomass and Forest Products newsletter, the facility converts locally sourced woody residues into biogas through gasification; biogas is then used in lieu of propane to heat greenhouses. In the face of a changing climate and increasing wildfire severity, seeing these examples of localized innovation is something tangible that gives Azadfar hope for the future of our state's forests. He shares: “There is a growing collaboration among local stakeholders and community members—who all recognize the need for sustainable, resilient forest management. Since I joined as a woody biomass and forest products advisor, I've been inspired by how engaged the community is.”

     Any forest landowner or stakeholder in Shasta, Siskiyou, and Trinity counties is someone Azadfar is excited to get in contact with. Whether it's a detailed inquiry about biochar or wanting to stay in the loop of local resources, Azadfar is here to “offer resources, answer questions, and discuss projects” with the community.

     Azadfar's work in forest products has taken him across different regions and into contact with a diverse range of communities that he sees all working toward shared goals. He says, “Despite geographic and cultural differences, I've observed a universal desire to protect forest ecosystems and maintain their sustainability. Public interest often centers on the question, 'How can we utilize forest resources responsibly to sustain both the community and the ecosystem?'”

Connect with Ali today! Sign up for the Northern CA Woody Biomass Newsletter, or send him an email at mazadfar@ucanr.edu