Lewis County maintains exciting potential to capitalize on a greener economy, a collection of speakers said Thursday at a Bioeconomy Summit at Centralia College.
Hosted by the Economic Alliance of Lewis County, the event focused on the county’s potential for a natural resource-based economy and energy through biomass. The event included keynote speakers from the United States Department of Agriculture, the American Forest Resource Council and the Bioeconomy Development Opportunity (BDO) zone.
Earlier this year, Lewis County received an “AA” Bioeconomy Development Opportunity (BDO) Zone rating for pulpwood, forest residues and sawmill residues, the first such rating in the state.
According to the Economic Alliance of Lewis County and Ecostrat, the BDO Zone Initiative “certifies regional readiness for bio-based manufacturing, creates global connections with project developers, and ignites an influx of clean energy opportunities.”
“We got the first AA rating in the United States, the first one for woody biomass, the first one done in the state of Washington,” organizer Bob Russell said.
Richard DeBolt, director of the Economic Alliance of Lewis County, said the designation has “awakened people to the byproducts, and the resources, that we have available in our community.”
“We were fortunate enough to get a very high rating, and it allowed all of these people to have information about Lewis County and what we have available to them,” DeBolt said.
The county features more than 10 companies with dedicated pulpwood chipping capacity and generates more than 600,000 bone-dried tons of woody biomass. Combined with the region’s industrial infrastructure, the county is ideal for large-scale bio-based projects.
“We sent a strong signal with the BDO Zone, and that’s where we’re at,” Russell said. “Today, you’re seeing the results of that signal.”
Following the designation, Russell said he fields interests from an array of industries looking for potential cooperation.
One such call was from Matt Joing, vice president of CleanFiber.
Late last month, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that the New York-based insulation company was awarded a $10 million federal grant to build a 60,000-square-foot production facility in Chehalis that will support 40 full-time jobs.
Earlier this year, CleanFiber was recognized as the Fastest Growing Manufacturing Company in America on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list.
The location of the project and a timeline for completion remain unclear.
“I asked Matt the question, ‘Was it the BDO Zone?’” Russell said. “And he said ‘Some, but a lot of it was the community.’”
Russell said he has also identified raw materials and energy products as other potential industries to pursue.
In 2018, researchers identified Lewis County as an ideal place for a biorefinery, a facility that would convert poplar trees, or biomass, into fuels and chemicals, according to previous reporting by The Chronicle.
