Where will this project be located?
The pellet production facility will be collocated with GC Forest Products firewood production facility at the Sierra Business Park near the airport in Mammoth Lakes.
What is the need for this project?
As the Inyo National Forest increases the number of acres thinned per year, additional woody biomass fiber (mostly small stems) will be produced as a byproduct. Rather than disposing of this material through piling and burning or chipping and scattering onsite, GC Forest Products hopes to utilize this excess forest biomass as feedstock to produce wood pellets for local use.
When will this facility be built?
Construction is anticipated to commence Q4, 2025/Q1, 2026. Commissioning of the facility will likely commence Q2/Q3 2026. All of this depends on the regulatory permitting timeline.
What products will this facility produce?
Densified wood pellets will be produced for the following uses:
- Residential and commercial heating
- Animal bedding (e.g., rabbit, chicken, equine)
- Absorbency (spill cleanup)
How will this project align with efforts to reduce catastrophic wildfires?
The Inyo National Forest conducts fuels reduction/forest restoration activities in the greater Mammoth Lakes region. Creating fire resilient forestland generates byproducts in the form of excess forest biomass (small stems). Utilizing these small stems as feedstock for wood pellet production will provide a value-added use for this material, thus minimizing disposal costs and providing an alternative to conventional disposal techniques (pile/burn, chip and scatter).
Will there be an Environmental Impact Report?
A California Environmental Quality Act compliant analysis will be conducted. Due to the minimal environmental impacts of this project, a mitigated negative declaration will likely be issued.
How will the facility meet environmental regulations?
The facility is designed, engineered and built to meet or exceed environmental requirements, consistent with:
- California Environmental Quality Act
- National Environmental Policy Act
- Mono County Air Pollution Control District air quality standards
What about light pollution coming from the facility?
The Sierra Business Park has overhead lights that are designed to minimize light impacts to surrounding properties.
Will there be noise?
The majority of the pellet manufacturing line will be located within an enclosed, insulated metal building which will provide a physical barrier (walls and roof) to attenuate noise. During operations, a rubber tire loader will fill the hopper, which will be stationed outdoors.
Will this facility adversely impact air quality and greenhouse gas emissions?
Air quality within the Mammoth Lakes region will benefit from a pellet production facility due to:
- Reduced truck transport emission as pellets produced in Northern California and Oregon are replaced by locally produced pellets (thus reducing truck transport emissions).
- Pellet stove appliances are cleaner burning than conventional fireplaces and wood stoves, thus improving regional air quality.
- Wood pellets reduce GHG emissions by replacing fossil fuel (propane or natural gas) as a heat source.
How might this project impact wildlife habitat?
Noise from the pellet production process will be mitigated by the building that houses the facility. Overhead lights are designed to minimize impacts to surrounding properties.
Is there enough supply of woody biomass material to ensure the long-term success of this business?
The pellet facility will utilize a total of about 16,000 tons per year of low value forest biomass. A 2021 analysis of the region determined there are over 58,000 tons/year considered practically available in the greater Mammoth Lakes region.
How many acres of forest thinning will be treated to supply wood fiber for the GCFP pellet production facility?
Approximately 500 to 700 acres per year of forest thinning material (mostly small logs) will be collected and processed as wood fiber for the pellet production facility.
Will this project add significant truck traffic to Highway 395?
The projected volume of incoming wood fiber will result in the equivalent of four additional truck trips per day, Monday through Friday. Outgoing product (bagged pellets) will be two to four truck trips per day, also Monday through Friday.
Will the manufacturing process require water and, if so, where will it come from?
The facility will only require water for domestic uses (drinking water, toilets, landscaping, etc.).
Are any glues or chemicals used in the manufacturing process?
No glues or chemicals are used to form the wood pellets. Heat generated from wood fiber extrusion process causes the natural binder (lignin) found in wood to bind the particles together.
What kind of support does this project have from the community?
The following have provided letters of support for the facility:
- Mono County Board of Supervisors
- Whitebark Institute
- Bishop Paiute Tribe
- Mammoth Lakes Fire Protection District
- Mammoth Lakes Fire Safe Council
- Deadwood Forestry, LLC
- Eureka Mill Company
Letters of interest in purchasing the pellets have come from:
- Affinity Development Group, Inc.
- Snow Creek Resort
- Central Reservations of Mammoth
- Mammoth Mountain Chalets