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Innovative Thinking and Funding Make Townsend, Montana’s New Boiler System a Success. "Fuels for Schools"

Townsend School District will be the center of attention for
the state on March 16th as it unveils a gem of innovative thinking: a new
state-of-the-art biomass heating system. The new system, one of five
operating in Montana public schools, will be dedicated at a 1 p.m.
ceremony.

The Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation (DNRC), US
Forest Service-Northern Region (USFS), and the Headwaters Resource
Conservation and Development Area (RC&D) worked cooperatively for
approximately two years to assist in the development and fruition of this
project.† There are currently three other boilers in various states of
construction in the state.

Creative funding solutions were essential to making this project a
reality. "This project was made possible due to the $190,000 Fuels for
Schools and Beyond grant the Townsend School District received, as well as
other grants and loans from the DNRC and the USDA Rural Development
Program.† Of particular interest is $12,420 in offset funding the project
received from The Climate Trust," explained DNRC Fuels for Schools Program http://www.fuelsforschools.org
Coordinator, Angela Farr. "Townsend School is the first school under
Fuels for Schools and Beyond to sell carbon dioxide (CO2) emission
offsets, selling over 130 tons per year of CO2 emission offsets gained
from replacing their fossil fuels usage for the next 15 years." The
Climate Trust is a nonprofit organization in Portland, Oregon that
promotes climate change solutions by providing carbon dioxide offset
projects and advancing offset policies.

Not only is the Townsend School the first facility under Fuels For Schools
and Beyond to receive CO2 emission offset replacement grant money, but it
is also the first school district that will burn wood pellets in its new
biomass heating system. The wood pellets are "all-tree" pellets from
Eureka Pellet Mills. The pellets are composed of materials from logging
residues that would otherwise likely have been destined for piling and
burning, thereby emitting additional CO2.

Burning wood pellets is "carbon neutral" because as CO2 is released from
the combustion of wood, growing trees absorb that CO2, so there is no net
gain of CO2 in the atmosphere. Compare this to the burning of fossil
fuels which releases sequestered CO2 in the atmosphere, creating a carbon
imbalance which contributes to global warming.

Townsend Schools are expected to use approximately 250 tons of pellets
annually, saving around $19,000 per year in heating costs.

"Although the
upfront cost of these heating systems is expensive, the lower cost of wood
fuel results in a true cost savings to the district and tax-payers," Farr
explained. Over the 30-year life of the system, savings are expected to
exceed $1 million.

A number of special guests have been invited to attend this ceremony
including DNRC Director Mary Sexton; Peggy Polichio, Deputy Director of
State and Private Forestry in the Northern and Intermountain Regions of
the USFS; Robert Leigland, Assistant to the State Director of USDA Rural
Development; Mike Burnett, Executive Director of The Climate Trust; Linda
McCulloch, Superintendent of Public Instruction; and, representatives from
Montana’s Congressional delegation.

The ceremony is scheduled for 1-3 p.m. For more information about Montana
Fuels for Schools and Beyond, visit http://www.fuelsforschools.org
or contact Farr at 406-542-4239.

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