Memorandum
Date: May 6, 2025
To: The Honorable Eddie Crandell, Chair, Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Jessica Pyska, District 5 Supervisor
Subject: Consideration of a Letter to Governor Newsom Supporting Extension of the BioMAT Program
Executive Summary:
Members of our Board will be aware that appropriate Biomass utilization has been a long-standing priority of the Lake County Community Risk Reduction Authority (RRA) and developing local capacity to utilize waste woody biomass is a top goal. Identified in the 2021 United States Forest Service Lake County Community Mitigation Assistance Team (CMAT) process, an opportunity to support, develop, and evaluate biomass projects was highlighted with a recommendation for the RRA research potential new markets for sale or utilization of small diameter and low-quality wood products to produce biochar or other wood product utilization businesses. To assist in meeting those goals, in March 2024, our County, through the RRA and the Lake County Resource Conservation District, was invited to join the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation’s (then-identified as the “Office of Planning and Research’s”) statewide Biomass Aggregation Pilot Project.
Besides biochar production, small diameter and low-quality wood biomass can be utilized to produce bioenergy, providing renewable power while providing climate resiliency benefits.
The State’s BioMAT program requires procurement of 250 Megawatts of energy from new, small-scale bioenergy projects. Yet, our understanding is only 20% of the required megawatts have been procured, to date. California-based entities have received $30 million in Federal funding that hinges on full BioMAT implementation. If no action is taken, the BioMAT program will sunset as of December 31, 2025, and much of that $30 million will have to be returned to the Federal Government.
A group of entities (including Rural County Representatives of California, Calaveras County, the California Forestry Association and the California Compost Coalition) sent a Letter to Governor Newsom April 30, 2025. While we missed the opportunity to sign on to that Letter, I am asking that our Board consider submitting a Letter to Governor Newsom expressing our support for extension of the program and attaching the coalition Letter.
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Recommended Action: Approve a Letter to Governor Newsom Supporting Extension of the BioMAT Program and authorize the Chair to sign.