In the summer of 2019, I was awarded a scholarship from the Western Land Alliance to attend Colorado State University’s Western Ranch Management and Ecosystem Stewardship Course. Over the next 21 days, I toured 10 sprawling ranches—each ranging from 50,000 to 600,000 acres—immersing myself in the practical realities of land stewardship. What struck me most was the overwhelming amount of deadwood and other biomass on these vast properties—from beetle-ravaged pines to scorched trunks left behind by wildfires.
PROJECT CONCEPT:
On the final day, I presented my capstone: Burning Woman Biochar, a bold vision to launch a biochar enterprise located near three or four of these mega-ranches. By transforming biomass into a regenerative resource, this initiative has the potential to revitalize local ecosystems, reduce wildfire threats, and generate new revenue streams for ranchers—all while tackling the urgent challenges posed by climate change.
The Problem
Western forests are in crisis. Decades of even-aged logging, fire suppression, and devastating insect infestations have left the land degraded and vulnerable. Everywhere you look—every ranch we visited—managers face the same dilemma:
What do we do with the massive slash piles?
How do we restore forests ravaged by insects and poor logging practices?
The Challenges
“If you have a fire that burns across federal or state land, get ready for the lawyers.” – Gus Holm, Ranch Manager, Vermejo Park
From liability nightmares to lack of staff and equipment, the hurdles are daunting. Here are the top concerns:
Liability: Prescribed burns and burn pile management can leave landowners exposed to hefty legal risks.
Limited Personnel: Understaffed ranches struggle to safely manage large-scale burn operations.
Health & Safety Risks: Smoke pollution affects local communities, while firefighting gear and training can be expensive.
High Costs: Legal fees, specialized equipment, and safety measures add up quickly.
Opportunity
Despite the challenges, there’s a silver lining—and it’s brimming with potential for innovation, profit, and ecological renewal:
Biochar & Beyond: Biochar produced from slash piles can be a profitable byproduct, offering ranchers a chance to create a new revenue stream. Think pine-pole furniture or other small-business ventures in rural areas.
Scale Suited for Small Production: Most landowners are limited to 4x4 slash piles, an ideal starting point for local, small-scale biochar production.
Large Ranch Leverage: Bigger ranches often burn 100x100x15 piles—expensive and risky, but an opportunity to modernize and reduce pollution by adopting innovative pyrolysis methods.
Data Gap, Big Potential: While billions are spent yearly on “fuel treatments,” the proven outcomes—especially in carbon sequestration—remain sparse. This gap signals a huge frontier for improvement and measurable results.
The Benefit for RanchES and Ranch Manager
Create a ‘Living Carbon Bank’: Properly managed ranchlands can sequester carbon on a massive scale, reversing climate impacts while revitalizing overgrazed or clear-cut areas.
Support a Long-Range Ecosystem Restoration Plan: Integrating biochar into soil and forest restoration strategies ensures healthier rangelands for generations to come.
Carbon Credits
Carbon credits are no longer a futuristic concept—they’re a tangible opportunity for progressive ranches:
Bar NI Ranch Example: Earning credits for “X” number of trees actively sequestering carbon isn’t just eco-friendly; it’s a promising revenue model.
Flip the Liability: Instead of fearing legal exposure from burn piles, invest in a biochar-based carbon sequestration strategy. Reduce wildfire risks and reap the benefits of a cooler planet.
Prime Real Estate for Carbon Banking: Ranches span vast territories, making them ideal for large-scale carbon drawdown initiatives.
By embracing biochar and carbon credits, ranch managers turn climate liability into a climate solution—and a financial asset.
A Game-Changer for Climate and Forest Management
If biochar production can be done cost-effectively, it could revolutionize how we combat climate change and revitalize forestlands. It’s a win-win for conservation-minded ranchers ready to lead the way in regenerative land management.
The IDEA
Burning Woman Biochar
a regenerative ecosystems services enterprise.
Location & Vision
Restore an Old Hotel near Tercio Ranch to serve as a Biochar Production Facility and Education Center.
House the core project team onsite.
Ranch Cooperative - Rally all nearby ranches into a localized biochar network—pool resources, share knowledge, and scale impact.
Gasified 4x4 Trucks - Develop two or three gasified vehicles running on wood fuel, a bio-product of closed-loop biochar production. Each truck hauls a 4x4x2 metal trough for small-scale biochar production.
Heavy-Duty Mulcher -Create biochar and mulch on-site, streamlining land clearing, soil enhancement, and carbon sequestration.
A New Standard for Carbon Storage
As technology refines and we can measure ground-level carbon more accurately, small to large-scale onsite biochar production will become the new gold standard for storing carbon and boosting soil fertility.
A Vision for the Next Seven Generations
By investing gradually in this pioneering biochar pilot program, ranch owners can help secure a prosperous future. It’s a bold step forward—one that promises both environmental resilience and economic opportunity.
Getting as many ranch owners involved in such a “pilot project” by investing into the project overtime in the hopes that they are building a future for the next seven generations.
Will you be among the visionary ranchers who turn liabilities into assets, harnessing the power of biochar to rebuild ecosystems, sequester carbon, and protect what matters most for the next seven generations?
Now is the time to act. Let’s transform ranchlands into thriving carbon banks, build rural economies, and pave the way for a more sustainable tomorrow.
RESOURCES: