This accumulation of data led to the production of a workshop training video "The Economics of Tree Preservation," and a 17-page publication "Tree Preservation During Construction: A Guide to Estimating Costs." The target audience for both the video and the publication includes builders, developers, and contractors. The estimating guide details the labor and equipment hours associated with 37 separate tree preservation tasks, specifies several materials "costs" associated with those tactics, and includes a separate glossary of common tree preservation terms. In a separate part of this project, a survey of homeowners was conducted to reveal what, if any, expenses were incurred for removing or repairing trees after construction. Approximately 40% of those surveyed reported construction related expenses, averaging $500 per household. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $78,000 grant toward the $179,956 project. For further information, contact Gary R. Johnson, Associate Professor, University Extension Service, Department of Natural Resources, University of Minnesota, 1530 N. Cleveland Avenue, 116 Green Hall, Saint Paul, MN 55108-1027. Phone: (612) 625-3765. E-mail: gjohnson@mes.umn.edu.

1993 Cost & Benefits of Urban Forests Project