Alachua County Forever Cattle Grazing Business Plan January 24, 2012

Alachua County Forever

Cattle Grazing

Business PlanJanuary 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