New March Strategies, a US-based forest sustainability consultancy, has been contracted by the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) to conduct the first Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) in the United States. The geographic scope of the RRA is the primary regions of biomass sourcing in the US, encompassing the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia as well as the northern region of Florida, the eastern region of Texas, and the eastern region of Oklahoma. The RRA development process was initiated in April 2024 and will include stakeholder consultation as the assessment report is drafted. The final SBP RRA endorsement process is expected to be completed in early-2025.
The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) is a procurement and traceability standard that is designed to assure that biomass is sourced from legal and sustainable sources. The focus of the SBP standard is sourcing practices – it applies to those organizations that purchase forest material, not landowners or forest managers -- the completion of an SBP RRA process does not result in certification of any specific lands or forests. This SBP RRA includes identification of viable risks associated with sustainable sourcing of fiber, along with mitigation pathways for those risks. Sustainable sourcing includes compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, biodiversity protections, ecosystem functions, and maintaining carbon stocks. Any mitigation actions identified would be the responsibility of biomass producers, not the public or private landowners and managers within the sourcing region. The assessment is being conducted in accordance with the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) Procedure and SBP Standard 1: Feedstock Compliance.
New March has assembled a team of recognized authorities and leading experts in the forest and biomass space. The assessment team includes globally experienced subject matter experts, researchers and consultants, with practical, extensive working knowledge of the US and the identified sourcing region. Each member of the team also brings to this significant work their professional network of connections to the government, conservation, NGO, landowner and business communities to ensure effective information gathering and stakeholder engagement.
Development of the RRA will be led and coordinated by New March, LLC, as the Working Body. Dovetail Partners is engaged in the public consultation activities for the process. The RRA will be developed and submitted to SBP in accordance with the applicable SBP rules, standards, and procedures.
Upon formal approval by SBP, the RRA will be made publicly available via the library of SBP-endorsed RRAs available at the SBP website. A single, comprehensive risk assessment for a regional biomass sourcing area contributes to improved transparency, consistency, and efficiency among biomass producers and stakeholders.
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