Alachua County Forever Cattle Grazing Business Plan January 24, 2012

1. Alachua County Forever Cattle Grazing Business Plan January 24, 2012

2. Purpose of the Plan • 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

3. 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.” Kristin Grace Larry Korhnak Mac Stone

4. Part of a Stewardship Strategy • Non-native Invasive Control • Planting Natives • Forestry • Prescribed Fire • Solid Waste Removal • Map Making • Coordinating Volunteers • Grant Writing • Infrastructure Development • Timber Harvesting • Hunting Agreements

5. Part of a Stewardship Strategy Basic Ingredients Required: • People • Materials • Partnerships Results (since FY08) • $380,049 offset • $610,648 partner • $990,697 total

6. People

10. Benefits of Grazing • 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

12. Metzger Preserve

13. Estimated Offsets • Size: 635acres 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)

14. Policy Directives • The Board of County Commissioners recognizes that: • …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. • … 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

15. Policy Directives • The Board of County Commissioners recognizes that: • … conversion of natural areas to grazing range is not consistent with Alachua County Forever and Wild Spaces & Public Places referenda. • … 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. • … 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.