Planting woody biomass for energy production can be used as a mine reclamation procedure to satisfy the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) and provide renewable energy for the United States.  This study examines the economic viability of bioenergy production on previously mined lands using multiple hardwood species and treatments.  Five species were planted at two densities; one-half of the trees were fertilized in year two.  Height and diameter of the trees were measured annually for five years; the first three years by cooperating researchers at Virginia Tech, the last two years specifically for this report.  Current and predicted mass of the species, effects of planting density and fertilizer application, and the land expectation value (LEV) of each treatment were summarized.  A sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine how changes in production costs, stumpage price, rotation length, and interest rate affect the economic feasibility of bioenergy production.  Renewable energy and mine reclamation policies were investigated and it was determined that woody bioenergy can be planted as a mine reclamation procedure and may receive financial incentives.  Production cost appears to have the largest impact on LEV and is often the difference between positive and negative returns for the landowner.  The extra cost of fertilization and high density planting do not increase LEV; the unfertilized, low density treatments have the best LEV in all examined scenarios.  In general, bioenergy was found to be economically viable as a mine reclamation procedure only in limited circumstances.  In low cost, high price scenarios, bioenergy crops could have the potential to reforest both active and abandoned mine lands throughout southern Appalachia. / Master of Science

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The purpose of this dissertation research is to examine how local context in four natural resource dependent Appalachian settings shape the formal Basic Engagement Plan (BEP). In 2002, the federal Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) formed a partnership with AmeriCorps VISTA and local environmental improvement organizations to restore Appalachian locales suffering from pre-regulatory environmental damage. To stimulate diverse local institutional engagement, the partnership developed the BEP. It is a formal process of institutional interaction to initiate working relationships where none exist between participating organizations and public administrators, legislators, and nonprofit organizations. To explore the research question, I use a multiple-case study design and comparative analysis. Because the partners work to restore local environments through sustainable community development, the research is grounded in sustainable community development literature. I continue the trend that juxtaposes its considerations of environmental protection, economic development, and social justice with the interactional perspective of community, a sociological model of community grounded in social interaction. Sustainable community development literature is dominated by an authoritative intervention paradigm. The juxtaposed model at the heart of this research does not deny the important contributions of authoritative intervention. Rather, it complements this conventional arrangement by discussing the important role of horizontal institutions in the process. Key findings show local contexts are multi-faceted and dynamic. In this regard, the variation in impact of local contexts on the formal BEP process shows that a one-size-fits-all approach is problematic for sustainable community development in natural resource dependent settings. The dissertation concludes with a set of comparative findings across the four cases and discussion of four important ways in which the research contributes to theory and practice. / PHD / This dissertation research provides a comparative case study of a hybrid, theory-based model of community development in rural settings. The model marries an interactive perspective of community and a type of community development that emphasizes sustainable practices. These practices seek to balance environmental protection, economic development, and social justice in the community development process. Its union is an excellent fit to organize the complexities of stakeholder relationships witnessed in selected natural resource dependent settings. In this regard, the research advances understanding of the model as a tool to organize multi-faceted working relationships. Secondly, the research advances the notion that inclusion of diverse stakeholders is important to restoring environmental damage and alleviating economic insecurities. It examines how diverse stakeholders break down communication barriers in natural resource dependent communities to find common goals to encourage sustained working relationships. The unpleasant implications of natural resource dependence create a setting where government is often the vital stakeholder to community development. In these settings, common goals and shared understanding of a public issue occur as government priorities allow. As priorities change so do the abilities of other key stakeholders to participate in the community development process. This research compliments understanding of the conventional government arrangement by highlighting the perspective of diverse stakeholders. Local practitioners can lessen the impact of changing government priorities by advancing their own organizational abilities to participate in community development. The dissertation concludes with a set of comparative findings across selected cases and discussion of important ways local practitioners can sustain the social change they seek to make in their communities.

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