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  • From: Larry London <london@sunsite.unc.edu>
  • To: permaculture-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu
  • Subject: Pacific NW Bamboo Agro-forestry Workshop (fwd) (fwd)
  • Date: Sun, 8 Oct 1995 01:11:07 -0400

------- start of forwarded message -------
From: steved@ncatfyv.uark.edu (Steve Diver)
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture
Subject: Pacific NW Bamboo Agro-forestry Workshop (fwd)
Date: 6 Oct 1995 21:37:17 -0000
Organization: sustag-public mailing list
Lines: 148


Forwarded message:

From amani.ces.ncsu.edu!almanac-request Fri Oct 6 14:08:54 1995
To: sustag-public@amani.ces.ncsu.edu
Date: 4 Oct 1995 04:55:10 GMT
From: Gib Cooper <bambugib@harborside.com>
Message-Id: <44t43e$gn0@harborside.com>
Organization: Tradewinds Surf Shop & Bamboo Nursery
Sender: london@sunsite.unc.edu
Subject: Pacific NW Bamboo Agro-forestry Workshop
Status: O
X-Status:
X-Keywords: Old
X-UID: 8221

PACIFIC NORTHWEST BAMBOO AGRO-FORESTRY WORKSHOP

On June 24-25, 1994 one hundred bamboo professionals and enthusiasts
convened in Gold Beach, Oregon to focus on the future of the fledgling
bamboo industry in the region.

The participants listened to a day of presentations by a series of
speakers. The presentations were as follows:

American Bamboo Industry - Past, Present & Future: Comparison/Contrast
to China. Presented by Gib Cooper.

Agro - Forestry Uses for Bamboo in the Pacific Northwest. Presented by
Karl Bareis.

Northwest Experiences in Bamboo Agro-Forestry. Presented by Rick Valley.

Bamboo on the Farm. Presented by Daphne Lewis.

Research Program for Bamboo Pulp and
Paper Production. Presented by Daryl Ehrensing.

Timber Bamboo. Presented By Richard Haubrich, founding president of the
American Bamboo Society (ABS).

Development of a Bamboo Plantation in Vietnam. Presented by Simon
Henderson.

As part of the workshop a mini-tradeshow appeared along the side areas
of the hall. Displays were set up by bamboo nurseries, a bamboo importer,
and a harvester of fresh bamboo shoots and poles.

On the final day of the workshop a lively brainstorming session was
facilitated by Daryl Ehrensing, of Oregon State University, Corvallis,
Oregon.The group set out to prioritize goals and develop a strategy for
accomplishment, to appoint responsible group chairs, and to set date,
and location of next workshop. After three hours of vigorous brainstorming
by the group, a list of seven goals was developed and assigned to
responsible groups.

The projects listed as most important and possible to accomplish are as
follows:

1. Municipal sewage applications
In many areas municipalities use spray irrigation over
large fields for final treatment of sewage waste. An experimental bamboo
plantation using one of these facilities was proposed.
This method of handling sewage waste water appears to
have hayfields or golf courses as the main recipients. Although hybrid
poplars have been observed growing under these experimental conditions.

2. Riparian improvement
Many streams and rivers in the Pacific Northwest
affected by logging, livestock, and other human activities. Natural
resource agencies and private landowners are revegetating miles of these
disturbed water courses.
On public lands the goal is to replant the areas with native species.
Some landowners want to replant private riparian areas with bamboo. Bamboo
would create a beneficial environment for aquatic life by cooling the water
with shade and providing food for fish. A strip of bamboo alongside a stream
would buffer the riparian zone from cattle and other livestock. Bamboo
rhizomes knit and hold the fragile stream bank soils from flooding and
erosion. Landowners would be growing a marketable crop of bamboo poles,
plants and bamboo shoots.

3. Survey of interest in computer networking
There is an important need to promote communications between people
working with bamboo worldwide. A proposed method for accomplishing this
goal is through information networking via computer telecommunications.
Before the international bamboo community can be interconnected a
suitable communications path must be chosen that is accessible to all.
The chosen vehicle to make this decision is an international survey of all
the institutions and individuals creating bamboo information for
dissemination.
Funding for the project could be requested from the world bamboo
societies and institutions involved.

4. Determination of target species for pulp, poles, shoots, and craft
applications
American bamboo growing is in its infancy. More knowledge is needed
concerning the best bamboo species to grow for various
purposes in the variety of climates found in the Pacific Northwest.
It was proposed that coordinated research efforts be undertaken
through literature searches and test cropping as many species as possible.

5. Proceedings of the workshop
The compilation of the papers and the group discussion
period of the Pacific Northwest Bamboo Agro-forestry Workshop is to be
published. The format is a 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch book, similar to the books
reprinted by Herb and Patricia Hillery of the A.B.S. bookstore.

6. Development of other goals for researchers
As bamboo growing progresses in the U.S.A. new
information will be needed. The bamboo agro-forestry group will have to
determine research goals and funding sources. Cooperation and communications
between institutions and individuals will be a most important facet any
project.

7. Formation of grower, cottage industry and marketing coops
A sizable number of the participants of the bamboo workshop represented
people working in the region's bamboo trades. The group as a whole felt
the need to organize efforts in the area of specialty.
Bamboo growers with nurseries felt more cooperation
would be beneficial to consumers. Supply and demand problems could be
tackled on a group basis as a trade association.
Bamboo crafters need to be more organized to broaden the
market. A larger market and variety of products could be made available
to consumers.
Marketing coops for producers of bamboo poles, fiber and
bamboo shoots are needed to amass quantities of supply as might be needed for
manufacturers and distributors.

The Pacific Northwest Bamboo Agro-forestry workshop was coordinated by
Gib Cooper.

Funding for the workshop was provided by:

The Promotion Committee, Gold Beach Chamber of Commerce

The Pacific NW Chapter of the American Bamboo Society

Oregon State University, Extension Office

The date and place of the next Pacific Northwest Bamboo Agro-forestry
Workshop has not been determined. The Gold Beach Chamber of Commerce
would consider funding requests from the coordinator. However, other sources
of funding would need to be sought.

For further communication contact:

Gib Cooper, Coordinator
PNW Bamboo Agro-forestry Workshop
28446 Hunter Creek Loop
Gold Beach, OR 97444
Tel. or FAX 503/247-0835



------- end of forwarded message -------




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