Soil Amendment

When used appropriately, biochar can enhance soil health by increasing soil moisture, pH, microbial activity, and nutrient availability, with some effects lasting decades. Unlike traditional fertilizers, biochar contains limited nutrients and microbial communities. Instead, biochar can support native microbial communities by enhancing the soil physical or chemical environment, or improve the cycling and efficiency of added fertilizers.

Much like you need the right plant in the right place for habitat restoration success, so to do you need the right biochar (and biochar feedstock) for the right suboptimal soils (link). If your primary reasoning for using biochar is to create a soil amendment (instead of fuels reduction on your property) you should use the various tools available at the Washington Soil Health Initiative Website: (link). PCD offers free soil testing (up to 5 times) for farmers (link).

Lower Cost for Property Owners

Removing fuels from a property is impractical for many homeowners in the wildland urban interface due to cost and distance. Slash burning is the typical form of fuels reduction, but this practice has negative environmental impacts by releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and producing small and fine particulate matter that reduces air quality.

Producing biochar is the preferred practice to reduce fuels. However, a biochar kiln is typically $2000+, which is not affordable for most property owners. By PCD owning a biochar kiln and renting it to property owners, the community can access a kiln for a reduced price to reduce fuels on their property while potentially enhancing their soils.

Air quality

While still creating airborne particulates, a biochar kiln may offer more control over particulate combustion of PM10 and PM2.5 vs traditional open-air slash burning when done with feedstock that has less than 20% moisture.

Communication & Collaboration

The Wildfire Ready Neighbors and Firewise programs, in addition to our various partnerships, are continuing to expand local knowledge on wildfire preparedness. Because fire holds cultural and social significance, a biochar kiln can serve as both a practical tool for fuel reduction and a community gathering event, much like a bonfire, but in a more contained form.

Community Engagement

Campfires and bonfires are popular social traditions, especially within Pierce County’s large rural population, which this program serves. Our eight-foot-diameter kiln can rapidly pyrolyze several cubic yards of material, making it possible for an entire community to bring and process debris together rather than limiting the effort to a single landowner at a time.

Hazardous Fuel Reduction

Fuel reduction for a property can be accomplished by traditional woody residue treatment (slash burning), converting large volumes of organic matter into ash. When done properly in a controlled environment (kiln), unplanned ignition potential can be reduced by better controlling parameters such as airflow, ambient heat, and embers.