Kenneth Munson

Kenneth R. Munson is currently global director of forestry projects with International Paper, based in the USA. Until July 2012, he was director of forestry and wood supply for International Paper – Europe, headquartered in St. Petersburg Russia. Prior to this assignment he had a similar role with Ilim Group in Russia. He has worked in the forest products industry for 28 years in positions of forest operations, research and technology, and nursery management in the U.S. South, Northeast and Pacific Northwest. He also has forestry project experience in Brazil, China, Canada, France, Poland, New Zealand and the Philippines. He is a director of ArborGen, a forest biotechnology company, and a director of the non-profit Arbor Day Foundation.

Prior to joining industry, he served on the forest science faculty at the University of Florida. Prior to graduate school he was a wildlife biologist with the US government. He has a graduate certificate in Finance from Southern Methodist University, B.S. and M.S. degrees in wildlife science and soil science, respectively, from Oregon State University and a Ph.D. in forest soil science from the University of Florida.

In the drive to reach ambitious EU renewable energy targets, woody biomass constitutes an emerging solution. Set to become the biggest woody biomass plantation in Europe, International Paper’s short rotation hybrid poplar plantation initiative in the Pomerania region in Poland is an excellent example of an initiative to develop a new carbon-neutral energy crop on marginal or unused agricultural land boosting jobs and prosperity locally. This case study will explain the techniques and technology used to develop plantations, and the broad socio-economic and environmental benefits.