Saratoga, California — July 16, 2026 — Earth Foundries proudly celebrates its fifth anniversary, marking five years of innovation, partnership, and impact in the fight against catastrophic wildfire. Since its founding, Earth Foundries has helped improve the economics of wildfire mitigation, lowering the cost and carbon footprint of critical forest restoration projects while creating high-value materials from biomass that would otherwise be burned or discarded.
Founded by Dede and Roger Smullen, Earth Foundries was built around a simple but ambitious mission: End catastrophic wildfire through sustainable forest biomass processing and the development of a circular biomass economy.
Over the past five years, the company has grown from an idea into a recognized leader in mobile pyrolysis and biochar market development. Earth Foundries combines field-based biomass processing, GIS technology, and Incident Command System (ICS) principles to support wildfire mitigation and forest health projects across California.
“Five years ago, we set out to prove that wildfire mitigation could be both environmentally responsible and economically sustainable,” said Dede Smullen, Co-Founder and Chairwoman of Earth Foundries. “Today, we are proud of the projects we’ve completed, the partnerships we’ve built, and the growing momentum behind solutions that turn forest waste into long-term community value.”
Building a New Model for Wildfire Mitigation
Over the last five years, Earth Foundries has helped advance large-scale fuel reduction and forest health projects across California by integrating project management, stakeholder coordination, GIS mapping, and Incident Command System (ICS) principles into wildfire mitigation efforts. The company has championed the use of ICS management structures to improve communication, accountability, and operational efficiency among agencies, contractors, landowners, and community partners.
Earth Foundries’ proprietary Slash Attack® approach utilizes mobile pyrolysis technology to process forest slash directly in the field. By converting woody residues into valuable, durable carbon products on site, this method dramatically reduces hauling costs and emissions associated with traditional biomass disposal while creating long-term carbon storage from forest residues.
Earth Foundries’ work was also featured in the U.S. Forest Service Wood Innovations-supported film Fire-Forged Innovations | Wood Innovation Series, which highlights how biochar and mobile pyrolysis can turn wildfire mitigation and forest restoration work into durable community and environmental value.
Advancing Biochar Production and Market Development
A cornerstone of Earth Foundries’ work is establishing pathways for beneficial biochar utilization. Backed by a network of public and private partners, the company has helped establish biochar as a practical solution for agriculture, water quality improvement, composting, forest restoration, and environmental remediation.
Notable accomplishments include:
- Regional Expansion: promoted and deployed diverse biochar applications throughout Northern California.
- Best Practice Guidance: Authored a comprehensive Biochar Best Management Practices report to support producers and end users.
- Logistics: Distributed and tracked 595+ tons of biochar utilizing GIS-enabled mapping and public outreach programs.
- Deployment: Supported targeted agricultural, vineyard, bioswale, composting, and forest rehabilitation projects that demonstrate the versatility of biochar as a climate and land management solution.
- Industry Engagement: Collaborated with industry partners and national organizations to advance biochar industry standards.
Leveraging GIS and Technology for Better Outcomes
To elevate project planning, monitoring, and reporting, Earth Foundries has invested heavily in geospatial and digital tools. Utilizing GIS mapping and ArcGIS StoryMaps, the company provides stakeholders with a transparent view of project progress, biochar distribution, and regional environmental impact. These interactive capabilities empower agencies and project sponsors to make data-driven decisions while improving project accountability and public engagement.
Concurrently, the company is expanding its innovation efforts into technology platforms designed to streamline environmental reviews and project implementation, ultimately accelerating wildfire resilience initiatives.
Looking Ahead
As Earth Foundries looks ahead to its next five years, the company remains focused on building a sustainable biomass economy that supports healthier forests, safer communities, stronger rural economies, and higher-value uses for forest residues.
Future priorities include:
- Expanding Capacity: Scaling up mobile biochar production operations.
- Advanced Materials: Developing high-value carbon-based products for water filtration, soil health, environmental remediation, and durable carbon storage.
- Forest Health Projects: Supporting larger, landscape-scale fuel reduction initiatives.
- Carbon Tracking: Accelerating carbon removal and verifiable storage opportunities.
- Digital Innovation: Advancing data-driven software solutions for wildfire mitigation and environmental planning.
- Partnerships: Fostering collaboration between agencies, nonprofits, tribes, contractors, and landowners to deliver meaningful wildfire resilience at scale.
“Five years is an important milestone, but we believe we’re just getting started,” said Roger Smullen, Co-Founder and CEO of Earth Foundries. “Our goal is to make forest restoration more affordable by turning low-value biomass into useful carbon products that support healthier ecosystems and safer communities. We are committed to helping build that future, one project, one partnership, and one innovation at a time.”
About Earth Foundries
Earth Foundries is a California-based, woman-owned benefit corporation dedicated to ending catastrophic wildfire by lowering the cost and carbon footprint of forest health projects. The company specializes in mobile pyrolysis, biochar production and market development, wildfire mitigation project management, GIS mapping services, carbon removal strategies, and sustainable biomass utilization. Earth Foundries works with public agencies, nonprofits, private landowners, and industry partners to transform forest residues into environmental, economic, and community benefits.
Media Contact:
Dede Smullen
Earth Foundries, Inc.
dede.smullen@earthfoundriesinc.com
(408) 679-0254
Website: www.earthfoundriesinc.com