MACHINE AND LABOR TIMES REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT KENTUCKY'S SKID TRAIL EROSION CONTROL AND REVEGETATION BMPS

This paper describes a study designed to determine average labor and machine times required to implement erosion control and revegetation best management practices (BMPs) for skid trails in Kentucky. Labor and machine activities were recorded for 14,400 feet of skid trail on 10 nonindustrial private logging sites. Reshaping activities such as filling ruts, berm removal, and water bar construction (the most typical reverse grade structure used for water diversion) were recorded using time-motion study techniques and continuous filming with a digital video camera. Labor activities for revegetation such as seeding and application of fertilizer were timed with a standard chronograph. The average total machine time for retirement activities per 1000 feet was 51 minutes for sites using dozers and 52 minutes for sites using skidders. A total of 133 water bars were measured and timed and the average delay-free cycle time for dozer constructed water bars was 1 minute 28 seconds (n=112) and 3 minutes 32 seconds for wheel skidder construction (n = 21). The average amount of labor time required to seed 1000 feet of skid trail was 23 minutes (n = 5). Linear regression was used to establish relationships between machine and labor time and a number of site variables such as slope percent, cut and fill parameters, and machine variables such as horsepower and machine type. INTRODUCTION It would be difficult to overstate the importance of using erosion control measures on haul roads, skid trails and log landings and yet their implementation costs are not well defined. Since the passage of the Clean Water Act in the 70’s, considerable research has been conducted to determine the costs of state and federally sponsored erosion control programs. However, the majority of these derive overall harvesting costs using cost estimates of individual practices obtained from surveys of logging and forestry professionals (Lickwar et al. 1992, Schaffer et al. 1998, Ellefson et al. 1985). Hewitt et al. (1998) used work study techniques and an 8mm video camera to measure the construction times of 191 water bars. The resulting multiple linear regression model was able to account for only 21% of the observed variation in water bar construction time. Using $65 as a base hourly rate for dozer operation and a mean construction time of 2 minutes and 19 seconds, they determined that the average waterbar cost $2.68. This paper presents a portion of the results of a study focused on determining the costs associated with skid trail retirement BMPs. Specifically on machine and labor times, and material costs used on active logging sites in Kentucky to remove berms, fill ruts, construct water bars, and revegetate skid trail. Since these practices are used by all logging operations installing BMPs, it is important that costs associated with these practices are well understood. These costs are not only beneficial to loggers but must be well understood by all parties involved in timber sales.