Manual Release Contracting: Production Rates, Costs, and Future

Authors: Fiddler, Gary O.¹; McDonald, Philip M.¹

Source: Western Journal of Applied Forestry, Volume 5, Number 3, 1 July 1990 , pp. 83-85(3)

Publisher: Society of American Foresters

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Abstract:

Manual release, primarily accomplished through the use of service contracts, is increasingly used by silviculturists for controlling competing vegetation in the West, particularly in California. Over 60 recent manual release contracts on four National Forests and one Bureau of Land Management Resource Area in California were analyzed for production rate and cost relationships. Mean number of acres completed per workday was 0.11-0.50 and the average cost of release was $174-$310 per acre. Grubbing or cutting costs were $0.44-$0.86 per seedling regardless of radius treated. Cutting and grubbing combined cost $0.63-$0.71 per seedling for 3-5 ft radii, and $1.19 for a 6-ft radius. The increased costs resulting from more realistic bidding and the projected unavailability of crews to do the work mean that many acres needing manual release will go untreated. West. J. Appl. For. 5(3):83-85, July 1990.

Document Type: Journal article

Affiliations: 1: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, USDA Forest Service, Redding, CA 96001

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