Jasper — A newly proposed rule on biomass by the Regional Comprehensive Plan of the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council has Hamilton County officials concerned.

Tuesday, County Commissioners passed a resolution against the proposed amendment stating that the rule “is not in keeping with the desires and plans” of the board. The RPC’s Regional Planning Committee has proposed limiting the harvesting of biomass from natural recourses of regional significance.

The highly debated issue of biomass has proponents of the plant saying biomass represents one of Florida’s best opportunities at renewable energy in one corner, while others question whether North Florida’s forests can sustain a significant increase in biomass energy production. Recently, Hamilton’s own two large biomass projects have been moving slowly while the company’s building the plants and county officials wait and see if new federal and state climate legislation will support woody biomass.

The RPC’s proposed rule comes as the first real blow to the County’s biomass interests.

The new policy states: “Limit the harvesting of biomass from Natural Resources of Regional Significance to levels which will not significantly and adversely impact the functions of the Natural Resource of Regional Significance from which the biomass is harvested.”

Commissioners are concerned that timber growers in the county will be faced with limitation of sales, resulting in the loss of funds from the sale of their forest products because of a government entity imposing that limitation and creating a loss of income to the timber producers.

County Coordinator Danny Johnson said the proposed rule also concerns county officials since the intentions of incoming biomass plant Adage are to use primarily waste products as well as storm debris. "It might limit our potential for biomass in this county," Johnson said.

We need to do everything possible to see that this rule is dismissed, said Commissioner Mike Adams.

The resolution requests the committee give its “utmost and sincere efforts toward a full and impartial hearing regarding proposed policy 4.1.6, and, following such consideration to find and determine that proposed policy 4.1.6 will serve no useful purpose for the development of commercial business and industry in said County as well as cause a loss in the income of the timber producers of said county, and, therefore, dismiss any further consideration of that proposed policy or, in the alternative, made a recommendation to the full Board of the RPC that the said full Board dismiss that said policy from any further consideration toward adoption.”

Board Chairman Ronny Morgan said the resolution would be sent to neighboring Board’s of County Commissioners in hopes that they will support the County’s opposition.

The RPC will meet on Aug. 26, and at that time, representatives from Hamilton’s BOCC plan to be present to address the issue and express their concerns.