• Principal Investigator – Quantifying the Market and Non-market Benefits of Emissions Reductions from Mastication Treatments for Ecosystem Restoration Projects in the Rocky Mountain Trench. 2012-2013. Rocky Mountain Trench Natural Resource Society, Cranbrook, BC.

In recent years, the Rocky Mountain Trench region has been testing mastication (a mechanical means of tree removal whereby the wood is chopped/ground into a woody mulch cover) as tool to implement fuels treatments and ecosystem restoration (ER) projects. Questions as to what the benefits and limits are for using mastication as a tool in the ER tool box has led the formation of the current research. The project has assisted with the development of a new comprehensive ER database for the Trench region, which will provide the baseline data from ER work done over the past 20 years. These data will be linked with this research project, which evaluates mastication treatments done over the 2011-2012 period. The research includes a cost benefit analysis and discusses the ecological effectiveness of mastication treatments in the Trench. The primary focus of this study evaluates whether mastication as a management tool leads to lower emissions of CO2 e, PM 2.5, PM 10 equivalents than traditional ER methods. Results from the study indicate that although mastication creates CH4 emissions which cause CO2e to be higher than open burning, PM 2.5, PM 10 from open burning are eliminated and the C sequestration from releasing these stands may offset and overshadow the offgas effects of down and decaying woody biomass. Mastication will be a cost savings in many instances and may reduce invasive plants. Overall, the cumulative non-market values for ecosystem benefits are clearly a strong driver for continuing the ER program. As open burning has become increasingly challenging within the Rocky Mountain Trench, using mastication as a future treatment method may allow the expansion of ER projects which, if implemented, could support the attainment of a higher total hectares of treatments to better meet ER program objectives