Promoting the Adoption of Snow Fences through Landowner Engagement

Snow and ice issues cost Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) nearly $100 million annually, in addition to the associated public safety and environmental costs. MnDOT and the University of Minnesota collaborated to estimate the costs and benefits of snow control measures as well as the constraints that landowners face to adopt snow fences to control snow ice problems. Benefits outweigh costs, often by a wide margin, but landowners are constrained by the lack of knowledge, and the real and perceived inconvenience of installing, maintaining, and farming around a snow fence. Landowners feel that the payments provided by MnDOT to install and maintain a snow fence are an important incentive, and they want more information about installing and maintaining a snow fence from a trusted source, a peer, or a testimonial. This project aims to promote greater adoption of the strategies to address blowing and drifting snow problems. This will be accomplished through greater landowner and public engagement. This project will: (1) carry out and prepare a minimum of 30 case studies of landowners who have implemented snow control measures; (2) enter the case studies into a computer and smartphone-based program that can be accessed by MnDOT and landowners; (3) revise and improve a MnDOT snow fence inventory to assist MnDOT identify and report on snow fences; and (4) develop curriculum and training materials for MnDOT personnel.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • MP-20(002)

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $134967
• Contract Numbers:

  1036299

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Minnesota Department of Transportation

  395 John Ireland Boulevard
  St Paul, MN  United States  55155
• Managing Organizations:

  Minnesota Department of Transportation

  395 John Ireland Boulevard
  St Paul, MN  United States  55155
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Minnesota, Department of Forest Resources

  115 Green Hall
  1530 Cleveland Ave. N.
  St. Paul, MN  United States  55108
• Principal Investigators:

  Current, Dean

• Start Date: 20200319
• Expected Completion Date: 20220531
• Actual Completion Date: 20220531

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Inventory; Landowners; Outreach; Public information programs; Snow fences; Training
• Geographic Terms: Minnesota
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Education and Training; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01736013
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Minnesota Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 1036299
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 9 2020 10:39AM