This document is a Dovetail Partners guest author perspecitve on Biomass Energy: A Climate, Conservation, & Livelihoods Challenge and provides a perspective on how forest-related biomass energy can be done the right way. The author, Richard Zell Donovan, is an independent forest advisor, lives in Jericho, Vermont, and has 40+ years of field experience in 50+ countries in boreal, temperate and tropical forests. He has lived in Mexico, Paraguay and Costa Rica, has a Bachelor of Arts degree and dual major in history and romance languages and a Master of Science in natural resources management. Perspectives are meant to foster discussion and are the sole responsibility of the author.