Presentation: Letters from America – Reflections on willow production in the US

In this presentation given at the Biomass Connect Showcase on 7th November 2024, Tim Volk provides a comparative view of the willow industries in the USA and UK, emphasising the critical role of people and relationships and how we must cultivate these alongside the supply chain and technical advancements.

Dr. Timothy Volk, (Department of Sustainable Resources Management, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF)) has over 30 years of experience working in the fields of forestry, agroforestry, short-rotation woody crops, bioenergy and phytoremediation in the Northeastern United States and Africa. He is currently a professor at SUNY-ESF in Syracuse, NY where he is responsible for projects focused on developing the wood based bioeconomy, implementing MMRV (monitoring measurement, reporting and verification) systems for carbon under different forest management practices, development of short rotation woody crop biomass systems as a feedstock for bioproducts and bioenergy, and the use of shrub willow as an alternative cover for an industrial waste site. He is also actively involved in research and development of sustainability assessments of bioenergy systems, life cycle assessments of willow biomass crops and woody biomass from forests, using willow in living snow fences and sound barriers, and harvesting systems for short rotation woody crops.