Nursery Cost-Estimating at the NRCS Bridger Plant Materials Center

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Bridger Plant Materials Center (BPMC)at Bridger, Montana, has maintained cooperative agreements with Glacier and Yellowstone national parks for restoration research and native seed and plant production for nearly 15 years. Over time it became necessary to develop cost prediction tools to evaluate contractual obligations and allocate project resources. Since conventional nursery cost-estimating systems did not adequately address the increased expense of cleaning, inventorying, storing, and propagating wildland (uncultivated) seeds and plants, BPMC developed cost-estimate matrices based on production difficulty and the size of the seed production field, bareroot stock, or container unit. Production difficulty is determined by personal experience, the experience of other growers, or by numerical rating systems. Seed and plant values are based on Foundation seed prices or commercial and conservation nursery prices adjusted to reflect the additional inputs needed to grow wildland ecotypes for restoration projects. BPMC matrices can be used as templates for other cost-estimating systems and are easily modified as changing economic conditions, emerging propagation technologies,and unfavorable weather influence cost. It is recommended that contracting parties collaborate on the development of cost-estimate matrices, and that these matrices be used as evaluation and planning tools rather than accounting or budgetary systems.

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Details

Author(s): Joseph D. Scianna

Publication: National Nursery Proceedings - 2002

Event: Western Forest and Conservation Nursery Association and the Forest Nursery Association of British Columbia Meeting
2002 - Olympia, WA

Section: Western Forest and Conservation Nursery Association and the Forest Nursery Association of British Columbia