Resource Management Plan for the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. Volume 6. Forest Management. Addendum 1. Cost/Benefit Review

摘要

This review weighs the benefits of forest management (FM) activities on the Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) against the costs of those activities. The review's objectives are (1) to determine whether the FM program is cost beneficial and (2) to discover means of improving the cost effectiveness. By improving the cost effectiveness of the FM activities, the entire program can be strengthened and existing resources can be used even more effectively. Benefits may be either tangible or intangible, direct or indirect. No direct tangible benefits are credited to the FM program. Indrect tangible benefits are derived from the sale of merchantible timber, pulpwood, firewood, and hay. However, these revenues go directly to the US Treasury and thus do not offset any program costs. The other benefits are intangible. These are, in the most general terms, fire protection, disease control, research assistance, aesthetic improvements, improvements to certain wildfire habitats, reforestation, timber stand improvement, increased opportunities for research, and timber salvage. Costs for the FM program include capital and operating expenses. The annual operating budget, which is currently around $200,000, covers personnel salaries and materials but not capital equipment purchases. In general terms, the intangible costs include, but are not limited to, disturbance of soil, reduction of undisturbed areas for research, impacts on watersheds, aesthetic changes, and changes in wildlife habitats. (ERA citation 11:032764)