Wood Products Processing Facility In Tuolumne County Gaining Steam
Jamestown, CA — A group is moving forward with efforts to build a facility in Chinese Camp that will take in biomass and produce wood pellets.
Golden State Natural Resources is a non-profit that was created in 2018 with the goal of improving the health of the forest, reducing wildfire risk, and helping local economies.
It is anticipated that many of the wood pellets will be shipped to overseas markets where the demand is high. The plant will be located on J-59 at the Keystone site that was once owned by Sierra Pacific Industries.
An open house meeting, where the project will be discussed, and the organizers will answer questions, will start at 6:30pm today at Rocca Park in downtown Jamestown.
Greg Norton, President and CEO of Golden State Natural Resources, provided a preview at last week’s Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors meeting. He stated, “Our team will be sharing about the development of a woody pellet biomass facility and manufacturing facility in the county. We will also be addressing ecological benefits, economic development impacts, and other community impacts.”
Norton says GSR is a non-profit 501C3 organization with a mandate for forest resiliency and economic development.
Adding, “Our mission calls for us to restore forest health, assist in the revitalization of the wood products industry in California, and also invest in rural California.”
A similar plant is also being developed by the organization in Lassen County.
GSNR is conducting statewide and local outreach as it prepares to release a Notice of Preparation (NOP) this summer. The NOP will begin the formal environmental scoping process in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and provide more detailed information about the proposed project. During that time, public agencies, organizations, and interested members of the public will have an opportunity to provide feedback on all aspects of the proposed project.
Additional information about the project can be found here.
