Nonindustrial Private Forest Research Articles

Recognition of Wildlife Amenity Values in Defining the Small Forest Ownership Problem in the United States: A Literature Review

The nonindustrial private forest or family forest problem originated early in the twentieth century and still exists today. These owners were seen to manage their lands in a suboptimal manner resulting in low forest productivity relative to other ownership groups, leading to future timber supply problems. Over time these concerns lessened, but numerous federal forestry incentive programs still exist today to ensure family forest lands are properly managed. Since family forest owners control nearly two-thirds of American private forest land, this concern can be defended. Policies that impact the family forests will coincidentally often become important wildlife policies. The NIPF and family forest literature is examined to identify the transition in the NIPF problem from one centered solely on timber to one that considers the broader values of the forest, especially wildlife. This literature also describes many natural resource management relationships and policy tools that directly related to wildlife policy. The interaction of forest and wildlife policies is a fascinating aspect of the human dimension of wildlife. The literature review is extensive so that wildlife researchers will have a source to identify this important research resource.

Factors affecting nonindustrial private forest landowners' willingness to supply woody biomass for bioenergy

Abstract Bioenergy is a renewable form of potential alternative to traditional fossil fuels that has come to the forefront as a result of recent concerns over high price of fuels, national security, and climate change. Nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners form the dominant forest ownership group in the southern United States. These forests often tend to have large quantities of small diameter trees. Use of logging residues and non-marketable small diameter trees for bioenergy production can create economic opportunities for NIPF landowners. The results demonstrated that landowners’ willingness to harvest woody biomass was influenced by their ownership objectives, size of the forest, structure and composition of tree species, and demographic characteristics. The model found that relatively younger landowners who owned large acres of forestland with pine plantations or mix forests had the potential to become a preferable choice for contractors, extension foresters and bioenergy industries as they were more likely to supply woody biomass for bioenergy. Findings of this study will be useful to bioenergy industries, extension foresters, nonindustrial private forest landowners and policy makers.

Factors influencing nonindustrial private forest landowners' policy preference for promoting bioenergy

Woody biomass has gained considerable attention in the U.S. as a feedstock for producing renewable bioenergy. Though these resources are generally not cost competitive with fossil fuels under current technology and market conditions, they are likely to generate numerous socioeconomic and environmental benefits to the entire nation. Since the positive externalities associated with wood-based bioenergy production are not fully accounted for in the market place, policy incentives could play an important role in its promotion in the future. Nonindustrial private forests (NIPFs) of the southern United States, representing a large percentage of timberlands in the nation, are often viewed as potential sources of woody biomass for future bioenergy production. It is therefore critical to understand landowners' policy preferences for promoting wood-based bioenergy. This study examines policy alternatives preferred by landowners for promoting wood-based bioenergy and utilizes binary logit models to identify the factors influencing these policy preferences. The results indicate that landowners in general prefer tax based policies over direct subsidy support. A significant relationship was observed between landowners' decision to support or not to support different policy instruments and their income, age, distance of residence from the forest, size of the forest owned, size of trees in the forests, forest management objectives, and previous experience of using government cost-share programs.

Non-industrial private forest owners' financial risk taking: Does gender matter?

Male and female non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners differ in inheritance positions, valuations and forest management style. A survey of Swedish NIPF owners found that male and female owners differ in their willingness to take a financial risk. The preliminary analysis, looking only at gender, revealed no difference in the willingness to take risk. Dividing the population according to dependence on income from forestry, however, showed that female NIPF owners increased their willingness to take financial risk when the dependence of income from forestry changed from insubstantial to notable. Females' tolerance towards risk was also significantly higher than males' at the notable level of dependence of forestry income. Having or not having economic yield as one of the most important objectives of ownership seemed to have a little effect on the willingness to take financial risk; however, the results were further strengthened when adding this dimension. A gender perspective was applied to explain identified differences between male and female forest owners concerning their willingness to take financial risks. Whether these differences emanate from real differences in willingness to take risk, or whether they are effects from other differences in male and female forest ownership, is discussed.

Non-Industrial Private Forest Landowner Use of Information Sources Concerning Management of Their Woodland on the Tennessee Northern Cumberland Plateau

Recent studies have pointed towards non-industrial private forest landowners being underserved. This article presents data collected on the Tennessee Northern Cumberland Plateau in 2005 by the University of Tennessee to assess landowner use of information sources and employs an econometric model to assess landowner characteristics and how they affect what sources of information landowners are most likely to use. Results reveal that landowners have mostly used friends, family, and neighbors as information sources. Multinomial logistic regression results reveal that landowners may be motivated to actively manage their forestland but are not necessarily interested in Extension information.

Analysis of individual private forestry in northern Spain according to economic factors related to management

Abstract In addition to being motivated by profit, the management decisions taken by non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners involve other considerations beyond timber, such as non-timber goods and services, as well as factors that affect the level of timber output from the land. Ensuring and improving forest profitability to make NIPF management viable is one of the main challenges faced by this type of landowner. This study empirically explores and assesses management by NIPF owners, through analysing attributes of forest economics (investment in holdings, expenditure on planting and silviculture, public subsidies, along with timber and non-timber incomes). With the aim of predicting outcomes, a multiple regression model was also constructed to investigate and quantify the relationship between socioeconomic and holding factors, and the planting activities carried out by NIPF owners. For this, 103 resident forest landowners in a forest region in northern Spain were interviewed in person, during March 2004, about their commitment to and involvement in land management during the period 1999–2003. The results mainly revealed that attractive forest returns and favourable market conditions for timber production are significant factors for investment in and development of forestry, with personal and family conditions also being important factors in explaining the type of land management carried out. In particular, the multiple linear regression model for forest planting activity correctly explained 84.5% of the variability observed in the study population, indicating that both the investments in and the incomes from forestry play an important role in the activity, as does the size of the holding. The findings may be of interest in promoting public measures related to timber markets and economic incentives for forest management, which will allow landowners to develop economically viable practices, as well as enabling fulfilment of social and environmental demands for sustainable forestry and rural development.

Financial Feasibility of Selection-Based Multiple-Value Management on Private Lands in the South: A Heuristic Case Study Approach

Abstract Over the last 10 years, multiple-value, ecosystem-based approaches to management on public forestlands have become more prevalent. However, less attention has been paid to this concept in the private sector. Although it is recognized that nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners own forestland for a diversity of reasons, information on management approaches that seek to more fully meet multiple objectives is needed, particularly for southern US pine forests. Alternatives to plantation management are available, but little information exists on the economic implications so that NIPF landowners can make informed decisions regarding implementation. This study develops a simple economic model as a heuristic tool to compare financial performance of extensive, multiple-value management approaches. The 50-year projection illustrates that, although not equal to more intensive management systems by some economic performance metrics, multiaged, selection-based alternatives can provide substantial net cash flow, maintain significant timber volume, and have comparable total value.

Cooperation and Communication: Benefits for Non-Industrial Private Forest Landowners

FOR235, a 6-page fact sheet by Nicole Ricci, Chris Demers. and Alan Long, discusses various opportunities available to landowners needing resources for successful long-term land management. Includes references. Published by the UF School of Forest Resources and Conservation, March 2010.

Risk preferences, risk perceptions and timber harvest decisions — An empirical study of nonindustrial private forest owners in northern Sweden

A mail survey of nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) owners in two counties in northern Sweden was conducted to investigate the risk preferences of NIPF owners and their perceptions of the return and risk of timber investment relative to investment alternatives outside forestry. We also used the data collected from the survey to examine the relationship between the stated preferences, subjective judgements, and the observed and planned timber fellings. Our aim was to determine as to what extent the NIPF owners' harvesting behaviour was consistent with their preferences and subjective judgments. The result shows that a majority of the NIPF owners who responded to the survey were risk-neutral or risk-prone. There were no statistically significant correlations between a forest owner's attitudes toward risk and the size of forest property. However, risk preferences have significant impacts on the decision to fell: the more a forest owner likes to take risks, the more likely it is that he/she conducts final felling. The result also shows large variations among NIPF owners with respect to the subjective judgements of the return and risk of the alternative investments. For each respondent we elicited the most preferred investment alternative based on the stated risk preferences and the subjective judgements of the return and risk of the alternative investments. Owners whose preferred investment alternative is the mature forest are on average significantly less active in harvesting than owners with other preferred investment alternatives. However, there are no significant differences in the felling intensity and the growing stock of timber among the different groups of NIPF owners. The examination of NIPF owners' harvesting behaviour, risk preferences and subjective judgments reveals strong indications of the difficulties for NIPF owners to make rational decisions when faced with uncertainties.

Examining the Compatibility between Forestry Incentive Programs in the US and the Practice of Sustainable Forest Management

This research explores the intersection between the various federal and state forestry incentive programs and the adoption of sustainable forestry practices on non-industrial private forest (NIPF) lands in the US. The qualitative research reported here draws upon a series of eight focus groups of NIPF landowners (two each in Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina). Despite minor regional variations, the dominant theme that emerged is that these landowners’ purchase and management decisions are motivated by the “trilogy” of forest continuity, benefit to the owner, and doing the “right thing.” This trilogy is quite consistent with notions of sustainable forestry, but somewhat more at odds with the objectives of many financial incentive programs, as well as specific tactics such as third-party certification. A series of policy recommendations that emerge from this research is presented.

Conflicts in conservation: Woodland key habitats, authorities and private forest owners in Sweden

The process of protection (e.g. reserves, agreements) on the lands of non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners sometimes leads to conflicts (conflict: a perceived threat to needs, interests or concerns; in this study, “threat” was important). To investigate predictive factors for such conflicts in southern Sweden, a questionnaire was sent to 132 NIPF owners with woodland key habitat (WKH; identified biodiversity values). The response rate was 77% and conflict was reported by 22.5% of respondents, while 14% reported good relations with authorities. The respondents reported conflict due to rules for cutting, protection and compensation. Compared with other owners, those reporting conflict were younger (mean 54 versus 62 years old), had more negative opinion about the personal contact with the authority, had twice as large an area of WKH and had more negative opinion about the WKH. Logistic regression revealed four variables that predicted conflict: area of WKH on property, opinion about WKH, opinion about personal contact and, especially, age of respondent. Younger forest owners may be more dependent upon income from harvesting than older owners. Conflicts were frequent and the factors identified here should be taken into account in forest conservation work.

Professional judgment in non-industrial private forestry: Forester attitudes and social norms influencing biodiversity conservation

Abstract The integration of conservation into management of non-industrial private forests rests with professional foresters. This paper empirically examines the intentions of foresters to conserve habitats beyond what is the minimum legally defined requirement when planning forestry operations: either by delineating particular habitats defined in the Finnish Forest Act completely outside the operation, despite this not being the obligation, or by delineating other valuable habitats that are not defined in the law. This type of voluntary exceeding of minimum conservation requirements is dependent on professional judgment, which is the focus of this article. The analysis applies the theory of planned behaviour, according to which intentions to behave in a particular fashion are influenced by attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived control over the behaviour. The investigation pays attention to behavioural and normative beliefs as well as other contextual factors influencing habitat delineation practice. The data consist of 311 survey responses (response rate 58%) of Finnish foresters planning forestry operations in non-industrial private forests, employed by public, private and associational organisations. The model is rather powerful in explaining intentions to exceed the minimum requirements. We find social norms to have a strong influence on delineation intentions. This effect is stronger in the case of delineation of other valuable habitats than in the more standardised delineation of legally defined habitats where the foresters have broader experience and consider themselves more autonomous. Normative beliefs relative to other foresters' expectations dominate the general subjective norm, signalling a primacy of a professional norm and the importance of peer networks. Also the general attitude has a strong influence on intentions, whereas the effect of perception of control is low. Past behaviour predicts intentions, which implies tradition and habit to have an important role in defining the way biodiversity conservation is integrated into forest management. In other words, abrupt changes are unlikely to occur in an institutionalized practice. Our analysis contributes to the understanding of policy implementation as well as governance of multiple functions of forests more generally.

Understanding the management logic of private forest owners: A new approach

Recently, several typologies of non-industrial private forest owners were established in order to assess their objectives and attitudes toward forests. However, current management practices and work organization have usually not been explicitly addressed in these empirically based typologies. In a context of increasing outsourcing and decreasing family work in forests, it is important to know the forest practices, who carries them out, and with whose labour and equipment. The interrelated knowledge of these variables sheds light on the constraints faced by different forest owners and about the agents caring for their forests. Such knowledge can also improve the understanding of forest owners' behaviour and, therefore, be useful for the design and implementation of forest policies. The work models of Portuguese non-industrial private forest were identified with these goals in mind. A cluster analysis, using a representative nationwide sample and an empirically based set of variables, was instrumental in identifying six work models. The interrelation amongst these models and other variables such as landholding attributes (e.g. forest size and dominant species), owners' social profile, and their economic goals was also assessed. Finally, the main dynamics of private owners' forest management are outlined.

Motivations and Land-Use Intentions of Nonindustrial Private Forest Landowners: Comparing Inheritors to Noninheritors

Abstract The documented importance of intergenerational human capital transfers in agriculture generally gives us reason to suspect that such transfers may be important in a forestry context and that there may be important implied differences between first-generation woodland owners and multigeneration woodland owners with respect to their motivations and future intentions. In turn, knowledge of the motivations and intentions of nonindustrial private landowners may be extremely important because such knowledge may be vital in terms of our ability to predict future timber supply and the availability of nontimber amenities. Also, the effectiveness of public policies targeting nonindustrial private forest landowners may depend critically on their motivations and intentions. In this article, we analyzed 8,373 responses to the National Woodland Owner Survey to compare characteristics, motivations, and intentions of multigeneration forest landowners against those of single-generation forest landowners. In brief, we found there were significant differences in their motivations and management behavior; inheritors are more active forest managers and manage for both timber and nontimber forest products more aggressively than noninheritors who typically value esthetics, privacy, protection of biodiversity, and nonhunting recreation.

Characterization of nonindustrial private forest owners and their influence on forest management aims and practices in Northern Spain

Explaining and predicting nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) owner land management based on social, economic, and environmental factors is an increasingly important issue in policy arenas and academic research on rural development and planning. This study empirically explores and assesses management behavior by NIPF owners by analyzing attributes of landowner profile (age, educational level, primary occupation, engagement in farming, membership of professional groups, training in forestry, availability of market information, and specific knowledge and use of production criteria for timber harvesting). With the aim of predicting outcomes, a multiple regression model was constructed to investigate and quantify the probabilities of and factors influencing the participation of owners in agricultural and forestry associations. In March 2004, 103 resident forest landowners were interviewed about their commitment to and involvement in land management during 1999–2003 in Marina Oriental, a forest region of Galicia, Northern Spain. Results suggest that professional occupation, particularly farming background, is the main factor affecting, either directly or indirectly, the forest management behavior of NIPF owners in the area. In particular, our logistic regression model for landowner membership of professional groups explained 77.9% of the variability observed in the study population, which suggests that the agricultural background of NIPF owners and their expectations from forests, represented by their future intention to enlarge the forestland base, play an important role in membership. In the region, forestry could be a valuable economic activity but it is not considered as such today. Findings could be used as a guide for design, planning, and implementation of research and policy measures that allow NIPF landowners to promote sustainable forestry for rural development.

Land-use and land-base patterns in non-industrial private forests: Factors affecting forest management in Northern Spain

There is increasing worldwide interest in land-use allocation and management within the sphere of rural planning and development. The study of land-use patterns mainly focuses on understanding the practices and values of individuals involved, and no debate of this issue would be complete without taking into account non-industrial private forest (NIPF) ownership as a key component in most rural areas worldwide. This paper empirically explores and assesses NIPF owners' management in terms of analysing dynamics in farming and forestry practices (past conversions from forestland to meadow and from marginal meadow to woodland, and intentions to change the current productive forest species and to extend the area of woodland) and landholding attributes (size and degree of parcellation in productive forestland). Logistic regression models were also used to investigate the probabilities and influencing factors involved in transforming marginal meadows to woodland, and attempts on the part of NIPF owners to change the current productive forest species and increase productive forestland. For this, a total of 103 NIPF owners in Northern Spain were interviewed in person, in March 2004, about their commitment to and involvement in land management during 1999–2003. The models correctly explained 73.3%, 83.7% and 73.3% of the variability in having converted marginal meadow in woodland and of future intentions to change the productive forest species and increase the area of productive forestland, respectively. The results of the study indicate that forest management mainly responds to investment and increasing the productivity of the land as a capital asset, which is directly influenced by the size and degree of parcellation of the holding, and directly or indirectly related to the owner's interest in timber production. The results may be used by forest professionals, researchers and policymakers in order to design and execute successful forest policies related to land management and planning.

Impact of carbon value on the profitability of slash pine plantations in the southern United States: an integrated life cycle and Faustmann analysis

The emergence of voluntary carbon markets provides an additional income opportunity to nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners because of the carbon sequestered in forest biomass. This study integrates life cycle analysis and the modified Faustmann model to assess the impact of carbon payments on the optimum rotation age and profitability of 1 ha of privately owned but intensely managed slash pine ( Pinus elliottii Engelm.) plantation in the southern United States. Guidelines of the Chicago Climate Exchange were followed for carbon payments. When carbon payments were included, land expectation values (LEVs) were found to be about $1384·ha–1 and $1063·ha–1 for the with and without thinning scenarios, respectively. When payment for carbon sequestered in the live forest biomass was included, LEVs increased to about $2807·ha–1 and $2765·ha–1 for the aforementioned scenarios, respectively. No significant change in the optimum rotation age was observed in the presence of carbon payments. Results suggest that voluntary carbon markets could play a key role in improving the financial returns to NIPF landowners.

Empirical Accounting of Adaptation to Environmental Change: Organizational Competencies and Biodiversity in Finnish Forest Management

Integration of biodiversity conservation into economic utilization of natural resources has become a central response to the challenges of sustainable development. However, the resources and competencies required to implement such an integrated strategy at the level of the individual, the organization, and the sector are not known. To address this knowledge gap, we have developed an approach to analyze responses of organizations to environmental change and evolving social demands for biodiversity conservation. We analyze the scale, scope, and distribution of the resources and competencies that support the delineation of ecologically significant habitats in intensively managed nonindustrial private forests in Finland, an important international actor in the sector. Based on a national survey of 311 foresters working in public agencies, private firms, and cooperative organizations, we investigate the division of labor in the sector and the patterns of investment in human capital, organizational resources, and information networks that support delineation. We find that communicating frequently with the actors who are directly engaged in field operations is consistently the most productive resource in conserving habitats. Our analysis identifies differences in competencies among different types of organizations, as well as distinct roles for public and private-sector organizations. Beyond identification of differences in conservation behavior and competencies among organizations, our analysis points to substantial uniformity in the sector. We attribute similarities in patterns of investment in conservation resources to historically structured central coordination mechanisms within the sector that include education, training, and broadly shared professional norms. These institutional structures and the resulting uniformity can be potential impediments to radical innovation. Our approach to analyzing adaptation to environmental change highlights the interplay between investments in competencies by actors within a particular technical domain and the evolving external institutional environment.

Effect of conserving habitat for biodiversity on optimal management of non-industrial private forests in Florida

Healthy forests and enhanced habitat for wildlife is a growing concern among public and policy makers. These concerns have led to substantial interest in promoting various regulatory and voluntary compliance policies to further biodiversity on private forests. These policies, however, might result in additional cost to forestland owners. In this paper, we estimate the opportunity cost of adopting various biodiversity-friendly forest practices. We do this in the context of slash pine, a dominant commercial tree plantation species in Florida. Results suggest that prescribed burning, invasive species control, maintaining streamside buffer zones, and extending timber harvest beyond the optimal rotation age would significantly decrease the profitability of slash pine forestry. If the major objective of landowners is to maximize profits, results indicate that they are less likely to adopt these practices at socially desirable levels without a policy support. More specifically, results suggest that an annual payment of $38–83 per hectare is required for landowners to adopt these practices. The paper further argues that application of mere command-and-control approaches to implement these practices may result in conversion of private forests to other competitive land uses.

Native American Nonindustrial Private Forest Landowners in Southeastern Oklahoma

Abstract This study attempts to characterize the Native American forest landowners in a three-county area of southeastern Oklahoma through a mail-out landowner survey. The total forestland owned by the survey respondents totaled to 12,211 ac with a mean of 140 ac. However, 56% of the respondents own less than 80 ac. More than one-half of the Native American respondents live on or adjacent to their forestland and only 17% are absentee landowners. Almost 60% of the landowners indicated personal reasons as their primary reason for owning their forestland followed by 19% for economic uses and 17% for recreational uses. Over one-half of these landowners indicated they have harvested their forest sometime in the past. Of the 45% that have not harvested their forest in the past, 31% indicated that either stumpage prices were too low or that their trees were not mature yet. Although most Native American forest landowners are involved in managing their forestland, lack of knowledge on forest management and harvesting strategies is an impediment to more effective, active management.