2. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 1 Giving Birth to Living Snow Fences Richard Straight – USDA National Agroforestry Center a partnership of the USDA Forest Service & NRCS

3. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 2 Structural snow fences have a long history of use… and abuse.

4. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 3 Giving New Life to Old Snow Fences

5. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 4 Living Snowfence Designed plantings of trees, shrubs and/or native grasses planted at critical locations along roads or around portions of communities and farmsteads. The purpose is to create a vegetative barrier that traps and controls blowing and drifting snow.

6. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 5 Blowing Snow on Roadways:

7. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 6 Snow Drifting on Roadways:

8. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 7

9. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 8 Standing Corn in Winter:

10. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 9 65% density Noticeable Snow Drift 30% density No Snow Drift Effects of Density on Snow Drifting

11. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 10 Drift Growth Wind Direction -15 H 3 H15 H020 H30 H first second third fourth fifth sixth seventh Growth Stages

12. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 11 1 Row East West, proper setbacks from east and south roads 200’

13. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 12 Problem Drifts

14. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 13 Problem Drift Fix 250’+ Space for end rows 250’+

15. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 14 “Snow Fence”

16. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 15 Problem Drift Fix

17. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 16 Nebraska LSF Program Program began with a local Natural Resources District in the mid 1970s Utilized state wildlife habitat funds County road departments State highway departments

18. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 17 LSF Habitat Program Costs per Mile Planting Stock$0 Tree Planting$924 Site Preparation$0 Weed Control, in row$279 Weed Control, between row$228 Fence Construction$1,365 Total $/mile$2,796

19. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 18 Slatted Snow Fence Costs per mile Material$3,517 Labor$1,995 Equipment$ 884 Total cost/mi$6,396

20. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 19 Costs per Mile per Year Living No Habitat Program $7,114/mi 50 yrs = $142 Habitat Program $2,796/mi 50 yrs = $56 Slatted $6,396/mi 5 yrs = $1,297

21. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 20 Colorado Interagency Living Snow Fence Program Began in 1982 Involved DOT, DNR, Forest Service, Soil Conservation Board, Landowners Primarily on state highways

22. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 21 New York LSF Partnership of NYDOT, SWCD, NRCS Utilizes willow trees and shrubs Fast growth Many species and varieties for many different site conditions Biomass production

23. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 22 Beneficial Willow Characteristics Rapid height growth –Can reach 15 ft or more in three to four years –Can be effective in as little as two years Maintains good density from the ground to the top of the crown Once established maintenance is minimal Measuring optical porosity on a living willow snowfence in Cortland County, NY

24. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 23 Iowa – Pheasants Forever

25. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 24 MN & ND LSF Programs Focuses strongly on snow removal costs Winter of 1996-97 was a major impetus Utilizes FEMA dollars for disaster prevention

26. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 25 The Costs of Snow Removal (Minnesota) 1992-1995 - State, County & Township budgets for snow removal averaged: ……….$113.5 million/year. 1996-97 - Winter Season - Snow Removal Costs exceeded: ……….$220 million/year..

27. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 26 Example: Redwood Falls - An 8 foot tall row of shrubs Planted 544 feet Collected over 21 tons of snow per lineal foot or over 11,400 tons of snow With the cost of snow removal at $3.00 per ton This living snow fence saves over $34,000 of snow removal expense.

28. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 27 Benefits: Snow / Wind Protection to communities, farmsteads and roadways. Crop Protection & Yield Increases Rural Beautification Wildlife Habitat

29. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 28 LSF: Protecting more than roads.

30. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 29 Environmental Benefits Create bird habitat –Over 35 species of birds have been found nesting or visiting willow biomass crops Early source of nectar for bees Reduced use of fossil fuels and salt for snow removal Carbon sequestration above and below ground in living hedges Wood thrush nesting in willow

31. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 30 Living Snowfence Benefits Snowfences reduce snow removal costs by 30 – 50% Improved visibility and road conditions Safety benefits and additional cost saving by reducing accidents Reduce road closures and associated costs Blowing snow creates hazardous conditions and increases snow removal costs.

32. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 31 Living Snowfences Effectiveness of living snowfences is determined by –Optical porosity –Height Both characteristics are easily manipulated by selecting certain species and manipulating spacing

33. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 32 Living Snowfence Benefits Living snowfences should be at the high end of the cost:benefit ratio range Secondary benefits such as wildlife habitat, aesthetic appeal, carbon storage Five year old willow living snowfence in Cortland County, NY.

34. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 33 Living Snowfence Benefits Economic cost:benefit ratio of structural snow fences is 1:2 – 1:30 Cost:benefit ratio of living snowfences is 1:6 to 1:80 due to –reduced installation costs –lower maintenance costs –longer lifespan –greater snow storage capacity Willow living snowfence established in 1993 in Cortland County, NY.

35. 10/5/05 2005 Living Snowfence Workshop - Spokane, WA 34 Living Snow Fences fill conservation needs fill economic needs fill environmental needs fill safety needs are very Ful-filling