Three California Fuelbreaks: Costs and Benefits

Does the construction of a fuelbreak have an elect on the economic productivity of the timberland it occupies? This problem was studied on three forested fuelbreaks in central California. The findings indicate that, according to U.S. Forest Service standards, output values and rates of return on growing-stock capital are increased by treatment. The increased returns are not large, but on well managed fuelbreaks, amount to a present value of between $1 and $10 per acre every 10 years, which can offset maintenance or construction costs.