What is the anticipated costs and what is currently budgeted for maintenance of the existing ‘8600’ acres of savanna/grass lands? Accounting data for the costs of this project (8,600)?
We project out our costs for programs such as timber and fire then submit a request for funding annually. This is done as one budget item. We do not break it down into such detail. As land managers we take into account our areas that need treatments and plan for those areas several years in advance. You can find more information about where we spend our funds in one of our “Questions from the Public” articles at https://landbetweenthelakes.us/where-does-the-money-go/.
Our prescribed burning costs have been averaging around $20 per acre. Prescribed fires serve as a best management practice for maintenance of oak-grassland and open canopy acreage. Fire is one of the most economical ways to treat the landscape and reach our desired conditions in our Oak-Grassland Restoration Demonstration Areas. We have projected these areas to be burned on a 3-5 year rotation depending on weather and research needs.
Timber harvesting also provides an economically efficient method to achieve the desired results in our Oak-Grassland Restoration Demonstration Areas. Because we use local master loggers who sell the timber for different wood products, harvesting also provides economic benefits to local communities. These costs vary depending on the site requirements and desired conditions.
