(53) A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the North Carolina Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program

Dennis Hazel, Erin Sills, Robert Bardon, and Arnie Oltmans - North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

Session: Concurrent session C4:  Forestry

Publicly-funded forestry cost-share programs usually have the following common objectives: (1) provide incentives for private landowners to implement better management practices on their forests, and (2) provide ecosystem service benefits for the public at large through improved management.  In implementing these programs, state and federal government agencies have the challenge of documenting benefits to legislative bodies for long-term funding.  The North Carolina Division of Forest Resources (DFR) Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program (SPBPP) was authorized and funded by the USDA Forest service Forest Health Protection program in 2004.  The objective of this program is to encourage eligible forest landowners in North Carolina to improve forest health and reduce the threat and severity of Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) attack through technical assistance and cost-sharing of precommercial thinning (PCT) of pine stands.  This study documents the costs and benefits of this cost-share program from both the landowner and the State of North Carolina perspective.  Factors considered included risk reduction for SPB for landowners, SPB suppression cost savings, changes in volumes and values of future harvested products due to PCT, PCT direct costs (both landowner and agency), and program administration costs.  Although not evaluated metrically, interest in the program across the state with its diverse stand types and conditions and demographics were examined.  This study aided NCDFR program administrators with periodic evaluations and recommendations regarding more effective program administration and results are briefly discussed.  

Rafael Estevez
North Carolina State University
5421 Live Oak Trail
Raleigh, NC, 27613,USA
Phone: (919) 621-0902
E-mail: rcesteve@ncsu.edu