Wood Pellet Manufacturing

7

Revolutionizing Forest Health & Wood Utilization

A Sustainable Solution for the Eastern Sierra

For over 45 years, G.C. Forest Products has been a trusted leader in forest management and wood product solutions in the Mammoth Lakes region. Our latest initiative—the Wood Pellet Manufacturing Facility, will help restore our local forests and reduce wildfire risk.

— G.C. Forest Products

Our Goal

To produce high-quality wood pellets for residential and commercial use. Our facility will help safeguard the region’s environment, economy, and communities through responsible and sustainable operations.

Why It Matters

The Eastern Sierra Nevada faces growing challenges, including:

Rising Wildfire Risks

Rising wildfire risks from increased beetle infestation, drought-induced tree mortality, and accumulation of hazardous fuels.

Limited Infrastructure

Limited wood infrastructure for local processing facilities makes it costly and inefficient to manage forest byproducts.

Economic Dependency on Tourism

A sustainable forest economy is crucial to diversifying job opportunities and protecting local recreation industries.

Our solution aims to address these challenges by transforming 16,000 tons of forest byproducts annually into renewable wood pellets, restoring approximately 725 acres of forestland each year, and reducing the region’s wildfire risk.

How It Works: Three Stages

Our Impact

Environmental Benefits

  • Removes hazardous forest fuels, reducing wildfire risk.
  • Converts wood waste into clean energy.
  • Reduces landfill use and emissions.

Economic Benefits

  • New Jobs at our facility, in forest operations and many additional support services.
  • Provide affordable heating solutions to the community .
  • Supply high-quality pellets to local households, businesses, and tribal communities.

How It Works

Our state-of-the-art facility, located at Sierra Business Park on Highway 395, features:

Production Capacity

2-ton per hour wood pellet manufacturing.

Sustainable Utilization

6050 tons of forest materials processed annually.

Advanced Technology

Integrated biomass drier consumes wood waste to maximize efficiency and sustainability.

The facility will help divert 18,000 tons of wood waste from the county landfill annually, reducing disposal costs and transforming waste into valuable products like wood pellets and kiln-dried firewood.

Frequently Asked Questions

See All FAQs

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.

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.

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)