Differences and Similarities Among Members and Nonmembers of Forest Landowner Associations in the Southern United States
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Differences and Similarities Among Members and Nonmembers of Forest Landowner Associations in the Southern United States Puskar N. Khanal1 · Thomas J. Straka1 · Donald L. Grebner2 · Omkar Joshi3 Accepted: 17 April 2020 © Steve Harrison, John Herbohn 2020
Abstract Family forest owners represent the largest forest ownership group in the United States, but only about a quarter of their land has a forest management plan and only one in five receives professional forest management advice. Identifying communication avenues which provide technical forestry information to these owners is a longstanding problem in American forestry. Programs and activities that increase forest owner engagement have been shown to influence active forest management on these forests, and forest owners’ associations (FOAs) are a key source which supports this type of engagement. We report on a study of the similarities and differences among FOA members and nonmembers in terms of characteristics and forest management behaviors, which will be useful in planning outreach strategies and extension programs. Results indicate that about 16% of the southern forest landowners belong to FOAs, and have multi-objective reasons for owning forest land in the southern United States. FOA members and nonmembers statistically differed in terms of land holdings, reasons for owning forest land, having a management plan, and forest management activities. Members were more likely to be male and have higher incomes. Landowners’ preferred mediums for receiving forestry information varied with their membership status, with members strongly preferring information sharing which involved landowner/forester networking opportunities such as workshop and classes; while nonmembers preferred distance or non-personal means of communications. Findings clearly suggest preference differences in forestry information sources and communication formats to influence forestry behaviors of members and nonmembers in the southern United States. Keywords Family forest owners · Forest owners’ association · Forest owner engagement · Nonindustrial private forestry · Forest owner membership · Forest owner information
* Puskar N. Khanal [email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
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Introduction Family forest owners (FFOs) control 36% of the United States forestland, the most of any ownership group, but only 13% (controlling 26% of the FFO forest area) have a forest management plan and only one in five (controlling 36% of the FFO forest area) receivedprofessional forestry advice in the previous five years (Butler et al. 2016). This is significant because FFOs control just over 60% of private forestland in the United States and private forests produced 88% of the nation’s timber harvest in 2011 (Oswalt and Smith 2014). Also important is increasing importance FFOs place on nontimber values and their critical role in promoting sustainable forest management in the United States (Zhang et al. 2009). Program
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