Low Impact Development Manual for Michigan - OSEH - University ...

Water quality improvement
Landscape restoration using native species, which
includes minimizing disturbance and maintenance,
improves water quality preventively by minimizing
application of fertilizers and pesticides. Avoiding this
nonpoint pollutant source is an important water quality
objective. See Chapter 9 for Water Quality Improvement
methodology, which addresses the pollutant removal
effectiveness of this BMP.
Cost
Cost estimates in Michigan for various aspects of native
landscaping, including material and installation costs,
are the following:
• $1,000-$2,500/acre for prairie installation or
woodland understory installation
• $1,800-$2,600/acre for bare-root tree installation
(10-foot spacing)
• $10-$20/plant for gallon-potted native perennial
• $2.50-$3.50/plant for plug-sized native perennial
• $250-$400/tree for balled-and-burlap tree
installation
Costs for meadow re-establishment are lower than those
for woodland, largely due to the need for tree installation.
Again, such costs can be expected to be greater
than installing a conventional lawn (seeding and mulching),
although installation cost differences diminish
when conventional lawn seeding is redefined in terms
of conventional planting beds.
Cost differentials grow greater when longer term operating
and maintenance costs are taken into consideration.
If lawn mowing can be eliminated, or even reduced
significantly to a once per year requirement, substantial
maintenance cost savings result, often in excess of
$2,000-$3,000 per acre per year.
If chemical application (fertilization, pesticides, etc.)
can be eliminated, substantial additional savings result
with use of native species. These reductions in annual
maintenance costs resulting from a native landscape
re-establishment very quickly outweigh any increased
installation costs that are required at project initiation.
The aesthetic, water quality, and environmental
protection benefits of native landscaping are clear.
Nonetheless, implementation is often hindered because
parties paying the higher up-front costs (usually the
developer) are different than the parties reaping the
benefits of reduced maintenance costs. Overcoming
this impediment involves recognizing that native
landscaping is another part of the “infrastructure” that
communities must build into design in order to achieve
the desired outcome of appearance and water quality
protection.
LID Manual for Michigan – Chapter 7 Page 238