Park City Municipal is piloting biochar production on about 200 acres in Lower Thaynes Canyon. Crews from Circle Forestry are using portable kilns to cook excess forest fuels into biochar instead of pile burning them. The city reports the method retains 40-60% of the carbon in the biomass, compared with 1-2% from open pile burns, and it produces far less smoke. The biochar will be spread locally as a soil amendment to improve water retention and soil health, supporting a watershed that supplies Park City's drinking water. The pilot is backed by a Climate Smart Communities Initiative grant and runs through November. City staff say the approach could expand to other municipal parcels and be replicated in other mountain towns.
