Forest Management Expenses of Mississippi's Nonindustrial Private Forest Landowners

Abstract

Abstract Detailed information about the forest management expenditures incurred by nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners over time provides a wealth of information about costs associated with forestland ownership, management practices implemented by NIPF landowners, and changes in management intensity over time. A survey of Mississippi's nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners owning 20 ac or more of forestland was conducted to determine their annual expenditures on forest management practices for the period 1995–1997. Landowners were asked how much they spent on property taxes, professional services, timber management activities, and other management activities. The resulting expenditures data were summarized in three ways: frequency of occurrence, mean expenditures per-acreowned for all respondents, and mean expenditures per-acreowned for those respondents engaged in each activity. With the exception of property taxes, most expenditures occur infrequently. Fewer than 15% of all respondents incurred expenditures for any specific activity during any survey year. Total annual expenditures for all respondents averaged $9.68/ac-owned over the study period. Across all landowners, property taxes represented the largest component of annual expenditures with planting costs and consulting forester fees ranking second and third. Mean expenditures for only those respondents engaged in each activity told a slightly different tale. Planting and consulting forester fees were the two largest expenditures, but site preparation, timber cruising, timber marking, and surveyor fees were all greater than property taxes for those engaged in these activities. South. J. Appl. For. 26(2):93–98.