David Schmidt

David Schmidt, a photo by Semester in the West on Flickr.

David Schmidt
President, Integrated Biomass Resources, LLC
Wallowa, OR
August 30, 2012

David Schmidt co-owns Integrated Biomass Resources (IBR) with his wife Jesse. IBR turns wood that would otherwise not be economically viable into pellets and firewood. Whatever cannot be used for firewood is put through a chipper and turned into pressed heating logs or loose hog fuel, which are used in biomass boiler heating systems. Three schools in Wallowa County heat the schools using biomass which not only cuts costs but also reduces dependence on fossil fuels. The biomass uses small debris that might otherwise be wasted, which benefits the forests, provides jobs, and prevents forest fires. For a community that has lost many jobs due to mill closures and has been hit hard by fires, biomass mitigates the extensive loss while also heating homes.

By Claire Meints and Aviva Prager