By Alabama Public Radio
Linden AL – A plan that would establish a network of bamboo farms across the Black Belt is still under consideration by the Linden Industrial Development Board. The plan calls for enlisting area farmers to grow a grass-like bamboo called "Arundo Donax" (Ah-run-doe Doe-nax), which can be harvested and processed into a pulp that has a variety of industrial uses.
The plan is meant to create new jobs in the economically depressed Black Belt region. However, months after it was made public, details of the plan are still vague. Currently, the Linden Industrial Board is studying how different harvest periods of Arundo Donax can allow it to be used for different purposes ... including livestock feed, energy pellets and even alternative fuels. Those studies are expected to be completed by August. The plan, which is being pushed by West Wind Technology, has also drawn criticism by some environmental experts. The Alabama Invasive Plant Council says Arundo Donax is highly invasive and could spread quickly through Alabama's waterways.