The USDA Certified Biobased Product Label verifies that the amount of renewable biobased ingredients in WoodStraw® mulch meets or exceeds levels set by USDA.

AUBURN, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES, March 6, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Forest Concepts LLC has earned the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label for its WoodStraw® erosion control mulch. The USDA Certified Biobased Product Label verifies that the amount of renewable biobased ingredients in WoodStraw® mulch meets or exceeds levels set by USDA. Biobased products are finished or intermediate materials composed in whole or in significant part of agriculture, forestry or marine ingredients.

Kate Lewis, Deputy Manager of the USDA BioPreferred Program, wrote “On behalf of the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) BioPreferred® program, I am pleased to inform you that your application for use of the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label for WoodStraw® Erosion Control Mulch has been approved as of February 26, 2018. The test result for WoodStraw® Erosion Control Mulch indicates that its biobased content is 100%.”

WoodStraw® was developed under funding from USDA/NIFA SBIR programs in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service as a weed-free, wind resistant, long lasting effective erosion control mulch to keep sediment from entering the critical watersheds. Since its development, Woodstraw® has been successfully used on more than 35 large wildfire sites, pipelines, powerlines, mine reclamations, DOT highway sideslopes, vineyards and many other projects.

To provide local availability, Forest Concepts licensed Mountain Pine Manufacturing in Steamboat Springs, CO to produce and sell WoodStraw® mulch for the Rocky Mountain states and Erosion Control Innovations (ECI) in Enumclaw, WA for the northwestern states. To produce WoodStraw® mulch, Mountain Pine makes their raw material veneer from beetle-killed lodgepole pine, and ECI obtains veneer produced from forest health improvement thinnings. Both licensees have created new jobs for their respective rural communities to produce WoodStraw®, and discussions for a third licensee in California are ongoing. Additional information on WoodStraw® can be found at www.woodstraw.com.

About USDA BioPreferred®
The USDA BioPreferred Program was created by the 2002 Farm Bill and expanded with the subsequent 2008 Farm Bill and the 2014 Farm Bill. The purpose is to increase the purchase and use of biobased products. The United State Department of Agriculture manages the program. Products that meet the USDA BioPreferred program requirements carry a distinctive label for easier identification by the consumer. To learn more about the USDA Certified Biobased Product program please visit www.biopreferred.gov.


About Forest Concepts
Established in 1998, Forest Concepts, LLC has developed novel technologies like WoodStraw® erosion control mulch that create high valued uses for the millions of tons of unused woody biomass available today. We apply a deep understanding of plant biology, renewable resource production, and disciplined engineering development to create transformational and paradigm-changing solutions. Deployment of Forest Concepts’ novel technologies help reduce dependence on domestic and imported fossil fuels, improve the atmospheric carbon balance, and create sustainable jobs throughout the environmental and biomass production/supply industries associated with the emerging bioeconomy.

Mike Perry
Forest Concepts, LLC
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