Alachua County Forever Cattle Grazing Business Plan January 24, 2012
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Transcript of Alachua County Forever Cattle Grazing Business Plan January 24, 2012
Alachua County Forever
Cattle Grazing Business Plan
January 24, 2012
• Articulate principles that guide grazing and leasing cattle grazing range
• Develop criteria to evaluate which lands would benefit from grazing
• Describe principles to be followed in contracting out grazing rights
• Recommend sound business practices that will guide cattle grazing on these lands
Purpose of the Plan
Part of a Stewardship Strategy“To acquire, protect and manage environmentally significant lands, to protect water quality and wildlife habitat, and provide areas for low-impact, resource-based recreation.”
Larry Korhnak
Mac S
tone
Kristin G
race
Non-native Invasive Control
Planting Natives
Forestry
Prescribed Fire
Solid Waste Removal
Map Making
Coordinating Volunteers
Grant Writing
Infrastructure Development
Timber Harvesting
Hunting Agreements
Part of a Stewardship Strategy
Basic Ingredients Required:People MaterialsPartnerships
Part of a Stewardship Strategy
Results (since FY08)$380,049 offset$610,648 partner
$990,697 total
People
• Maintain the current ecological quality and conservation values
• Cost reduction
• Generate revenue or offset resource management costs
• Reducing wildfire risk
• Provide site security
• Preserve the County's rural heritage
Benefits of Grazing
Metzger Preserve
Estimated OffsetsSize: 635 acres Pasture: 585 acres
Improvements$2,500 Informational Kiosk (County/Bond)$150 Regulatory Signs (County/Bond)$2,650 Total
Average Annual Management Costs$875* Exotic Plant Control (County/GF)$7,140* Security (County/GF)$34,200*Pasture Maintenance (County/GF)$500* Fence, Gate, Boundary Maintenance (County/GF)$4,325* Road/Fire Break Maintenance (County/GF)$300* Trail Maintenance (County/GF)$933 Monitoring (County/GF)$7,125 Prescribed Fire (County/GF)$55,398* Total
*cost may be offset with a cattle grazing lease ($47,340/yr)
The Board of County Commissioners recognizes that:
1. …well-managed nature preserves contribute to the community’s quality of life by protecting water resources, protecting and enhancing wildlife habitats, and providing natural areas suitable for resource-based recreation.
2. … grazing appropriate areas of a preserve can be a valuable stewardship tool and directs that cattle grazing on these Alachua County Forever preserves shall be allowed when the following conditions can be met:
• only on improved or semi-improved (rough) pasture• only where grazing has recently occurred • only on an interim basis until habitat restoration activities can occur• only as a prescribed management tool consistent with the goals of the adopted preserve
management plan• only where the preserve’s conservation values will not be degraded
Policy Directives
The Board of County Commissioners recognizes that:
3. … conversion of natural areas to grazing range is not consistent with Alachua County Forever and Wild Spaces & Public Places referenda.
4. … grazing rights are a commodity, with economic value subject to market forces, and directs that they should be leased at market value. The Board also recognizes that offsetting County property management expenses can be a valuable substitute for cash proceeds.
5. … it is beneficial for the County to re-invest any grazing revenues in the stewardship of the Alachua County Forever portfolio of preserves and directs that these funds supplement existing stewardship funding.
Policy Directives