COST BENEFIT ANALYSES OF CRANBERRY CULTIVATION AND FRAC SAND MINING

Economic prosperity in central and western Wisconsin is due, in part, to both frac sand mining and cranberry cultivation. Both industries benefit from the abundant natural resources and the developed infrastructure of Wisconsin in order to produce high yields and transport product efficiently. Although these industries produce very different products, they do compete for much of the same resources in order to manufacture goods. Attributes such as water supply, land cover type, slope and access to transportation are employed as variables in GIS software in order to develop a suitability ranking of areas in Wisconsin for both frac sand mining and cranberry cultivation. By doing this we can more efficiently allocate land resources, based on need and suitability, to the benefit both industries. In this scenario, the objectives of implementing GIS are to identify areas in the state that are best suited only for Cranberry cultivation or only for Frac sand mining and areas of possible competition. Economic analysis will identify the cost benefits of both industries existing in Wisconsin and discover efficient means to maximize their economic activity. The intention of this project is to bring full understanding of the economic significance of both the frac sand and cranberry industries and the implications of their presence in Wisconsin. These analyses can provide of mutually beneficial outcome for both industries.