What affects family forest owners' participation in forest conservation programs in the United States
In the United States, about 35% of forestland is owned by 10 million family forest owners, who are families, individuals, trusts, estates, family partnerships, and other unincorporated groups of individuals (Butler 2008). Most of these family forest owners hold relatively small tracts of land; however, their collective management behavior has an enormous impact on the sustainability of the nation’s forests. To encourage sustainable forest management, government agencies and non-profit organizations have established a range of policies and programs, including technical assistance, tax incentives, cost-share, forest certification, conservation easements, and outreach education. To date, most of these programs have attracted less than 10 percent of family forest owners nationwide (Butler 2008). Considering the large number of family forest owners and the low rate of participation, two questions arise: 1) what are the characteristics of family forest owners who choose to participate in forest conservation programs; 2) how can we capitalize on these landowner characteristics to improve current programs and attract a wider range of participants. By analyzing data from the USDA Forest Service’s National Woodland Owner Survey, we were able to examine three types of forest conservation programs: cost-share, forest certification, and conservation easements. We investigated the relationship between family forest owners’ participation in these programs and their characteristics, attitudes and behavior. In addition to contributing to the literature, our study provides a better understanding of family forest owners’ preference and concerns regarding different programs, and offers insights on strategies for improving program participation.
References
- Ma, Z., B.J. Butler, D.B. Kittredge, P. Catanzaro. What affects family forest owners’ participation in forest conservation programs in the United States? Manuscript to be submitted for publication in Forest Policy and Economics.
