FISCAL NOTE
FUND(S):
WVDOF Fund 3081 plus WVU funds
Sources of Revenue:
Special Fund
Legislation creates:
Neither Program nor Fund
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
The total financial impact for Division of Forestry would be the loss of $16,000,000 potential timber sales and 4% growth of the harvest. WVU Division of Forestry and Natural Resources will also be greatly affected and were not able to access the electronic fiscal note so they have supplied information to the Division of Forestry to add to this note. This measure will eliminate all harvesting and management on the University Research Forest. The costs associated with the measure would be dramatic, as the WVU Division of Forestry and Natural Resources would be required to relocate all educationally based labs for students, all professional training and outreach programs, and all reasearch that would ever use the forest relative to management and stand manipulation. These costs are extremely difficult to quantify, but would be estimated that the extra educational costs incurred by the University could reach several hundred thousand dollars within a few years of implementation.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2011
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2012
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
2,340,000 |
2,220,000 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
170,000 |
170,000 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
80,000 |
50,000 |
| Repairs and Alterations |
0 |
90,000 |
0 |
| Assets |
0 |
2,000,000 |
2,000,000 |
| Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2. Estimated Total Revenues |
0 |
-300,000 |
-300,000 |
Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):
Division of Forestry would loose approximately $225,000 of potential revenue each year. WVU would loos $75,000 of Harvest revenue and student firewood sales for Forestry Club. Management activities, like thinnings and harvests would not be allowed, so no funds would be generated to cover the salary costs for staff currently paid through these management activities. At some point one to two staff members would be laid off due to a significant reduction in the work load associated with forest managemnet/research project site layout. Effectively, all theh staffing needed on site would be one person serving in a custodial role at the Forest Headquarters. Current expenses would likely decrease by about $30,000 due to the reduced workload associated with the minimal management required on the forest. Road maintenance efforts would be minimized and access to various parts of the forest would be significantly reduced over time, due to road failures (wash-outs, culvert maintenance issues, etc).
Memorandum
As previously mentioned this fiscal note reflects both the fiscal impact of the WV Division of Forestry and the WVU Division of Forestry and Natural Resources. The impact on WVU was prepared by
Joseph F. McNeel, PhD
Director, WVU Division of Forestry and Natural Resources
Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design
West Virginia University, Morgantown WV 26506-6125
jmcneel@wvu.edu
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Steve Meester
Email Address: Steve.Meester@wv.gov