On a mission to enhance quality of life, public safety, economic development, and the environment in California by strengthening wildfire and forest resiliency.


Golden State Natural Resources (GSNR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation, established by rural counties, to address the urgent issue of catastrophic fires from overgrown and under-managed forests.

The preponderance of science supports the need for proactive fuel reduction projects to restore forest health and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. State and Federal policy also emphasizes the need to increase the pace and scale of these projects, but such efforts are presently stalled without a marketable outlet for the biomass.

GSNR's proposed Forest Resiliency Project directly addresses this critical need by creating a sustainable and economically viable use from this woody biomass.



DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT


The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for Golden State Natural Resources’ (GSNR) proposed forest resiliency demonstration project is now publicly available for a 90-day review period beginning October 22, 2024 and ending January 20, 2025.

The DEIR was released on October 22, 2024 for an original 60-day review period. Following public input, the lead agency for the project has since approved an additional extension of the review period, beyond the usual California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) maximum, to 90 days to allow more time for public review and comment.

The project is currently in the environmental review process under CEQA to ensure any and all potential impacts are identified, comprehensively evaluated, and mitigated to the fullest extent feasible. A significant step in this process is the release of a publicly shared draft of the required Environmental Impact Report which provides an opportunity for public review and comment on the adequacy of the report before its completion.

Find the report and details on how to provide public comment by clicking the button below.

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Proposed Project

GSNR's proposed forest resiliency project would sustainably procure and process excess biomass produced as part of forest health initiatives into a pelletized fuel source (wood pellets) for use in renewable energy generation overseas, as a replacement for fossil fuels such as coal.

The proposed project would include the development of two wood pellet processing facilities, one in the foothills of the Central Sierra Nevada Mountain range, in Tuolumne County, and one in the Modoc Plateau of Northern California, in Lassen County. The finished pellets would then be shipped by rail to the Port of Stockton for international shipping.

This project is supported through a 20-year Master Stewardship Agreement with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for all of California’s 18 national forests in Region 5 as well as a blanket purchase agreement with USFS.


Frequently Asked Questions Resources



MANUFACTURING AND TRANSPORT PROCESS

A graphic illustration of the proposed process, from gathering of biomass, to formation of wood pellets, through transportation and export, is depicted below.



Manufacturing and Transportation Process for GSNR's Forest Resiliency Project

Tuolumne Project Site

The proposed site for the wood pellet processing facility in Tuolumne County, is located at:

12001 LA GRANGE ROAD, JAMESTOWN, CA 95327

Tuolumne Site Map

When GSNR's project is at full production, the following economic impacts are estimated for Tuolumne County.

55 Full Time Jobs

$186,000 Annual Tax Revenue

$80.8M Annual Economic Impact

Tuolumne Meetings

Check out the table below for information regarding public meetings in the Tuolumne community.

Date Meeting Location Recording Documents
Monday, November 4, 2024, 6pm DEIR Public Meeting Chicken Ranch Casino, Event Hall
16929 Chicken Ranch Rd., Jamestown, CA 95327
N/A Flyer
Monday, October 30, 2023 Community Meeting Chicken Ranch Casino N/A Flyer
Monday, May 9, 2023 Community Meeting Rocca Park N/A Flyer

Informational Resources

Contact Us

For additional information, please reach out to us using the contact details below and be sure to join our mailing list.

Golden State Natural Resources
1215 K Street, Suite 1650
Sacramento, CA 95814
gsnr@gsnrnet.org