Chipping In: The Austrian
Approach to Wood Energy

By Scott Bagley, Center for Cooperative Forest Enterprises

Editor’s note: Scott Bagley worked for LFC in 2006-07 as a project manager on a grant-funded outreach effort. He moved home to Ohio, continues to work with forestry coops and has been a big help connecting LFC to other coop.

  Last June, I had the opportunity to travel to Europe to attend a symposium on small-scale forestry, and made use of the occasion to add on several days in advance of the meetings to tour through Austria
to learn about their innovations in using wood for heat and the role that cooperatives play in making the country a leader in the transition to renewable, homegrown energy. Joining me on the trip was Bob Parker, an Extension Forester from eastern Oregon.

  When I was touring facilities and talking with leaders and members of forest and farm cooperatives, I thought back to my time with the Living Forest Cooperative and couldn’t help but think how some of the enterprises I visited could be developed either by or in partnership with LFC. Read More .....