scholarly journals Public Attitudes about Private Forest Management and Government Involvement in the Southeastern United States

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kreye ◽  
Rimsaite ◽  
Adams
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Private Forest ◽  
Regional Survey ◽  
Southeastern Us ◽  
Government Involvement

In the southern United States the country’s top wood-producing region, factors such as intergenerational land transfer and population spillover from urban areas have resulted in forestland conversion and reduced production of critical ecosystem services associated with forest systems (e.g., timber, clean water supply, wildlife habitat). Public attitudes, which drive forestland policy prescriptions, may also be evolving due to the way people experience and perceive forests (e.g., recreation), and think about the role of government in private forest decisions. These changes have significant implications for forestland management and the forest-based economy, both locally and globally. We present the results of a regional survey (n = 1669) of residents in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina, which assessed attitudes toward timber harvesting and government involvement on private lands. We found significant public support for timber harvesting with a somewhat stronger focus on ecosystem maintenance compared to timber production, and strong support for policies that empower landowners (e.g., assistance programs) over regulatory strategies. We conclude that existing government policies and programs are failing to help landowners meet public demand for ecosystem service provision on private forest lands in the southeastern US. Public attitudes appear conducive to innovative policy strategies such as market-based solutions and nudges. Perceptions of forest health will likely be the metric the public and landowners will use in assessing the value of policy alternatives, in addition to economic impact. Public ignorance and indifference towards forest management also appear to be growing.

Vom Forst zum Wald. Entwicklungstendenzen im naturnahen Waldbau | From a Production-Oriented Forest to a Multipurpose Forest. New Trends in Near-Natural Silviculture

1999 ◽  
Vol 150 (12) ◽  
pp. 484-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolf Hockenjos
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Timber Harvest ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
The Other ◽  
Private Forest ◽  
Wide Spread ◽  
Great Demand ◽  
The Past ◽  
Forest Enterprises

Concepts of near-natural forestry are in great demand these days. Most German forest administrations and private forest enterprises attach great importance to being as «near-natural» as possible. This should allow them to make the most of biological rationalisation. The concept of near-natural forestry is widely accepted, especially by conservationists. However, it is much too early to analyse how successful near-natural forestry has been to date, and therefore to decide whether an era of genuine near-natural forest management has really begun. Despite wide-spread recognition, near-natural forestry is jeopardised by mechanised timber harvesting, and particularly by the large-timber harvester. The risk is that machines, which are currently just one element of the timber harvest will gain in importance and gradually become the decisive element. The forest would then be forced to meet the needs of machinery, not the other way round. Forests would consequently become so inhospitable that they would bear no resemblance to the sylvan image conjured up by potential visitors. This could mean taking a huge step backwards: from a near-natural forest to a forest dominated by machinery. The model of multipurpose forest management would become less viable, and the forest would become divided into areas for production, and separate areas for recreation and ecology. The consequences of technical intervention need to be carefully considered, if near-natural forestry is not to become a thing of the past.

scholarly journals Private Forest Owners and Invasive Plants: Risk Perception and Management

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Paige Fischer ◽  
Susan Charnley
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Invasive Plant Species ◽  
Private Forest ◽  
Nipf Owners

We investigated nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) owners' invasive plant risk perceptions and mitigation practices using statistical analysis of mail survey data and qualitative analysis of interview data collected in Oregon's ponderosa pine zone. We found that 52% of the survey sample was aware of invasive plant species considered problematic by local natural resource professionals; 70% was concerned about these species; and 46% had treated invasive plants on their parcels. Owners' perceptions of invasive plant risks fell along a spectrum ranging from a lack of awareness or concern, to the view that invasive plant infestations have discrete causes and controllable consequences, to the perception that incursions by invasive plants have diffuse causes and uncontrollable effects. Being aware or concerned about invasive plant species were predictors (p ≤ 0.001) of whether owners treat their parcels to control invasive plants. Holding wildlife habitat and/or biodiversity as an important forest management goal was also a predictor (p ≤ 0.08) of whether owners treated their parcels to control invasive plants. Some owners were sensitive to the risks of invasive plant infestations from nearby properties, and a surprisingly high percentage of respondents had cooperated with others in forest management activities previously. Our findings suggest three approaches to increasing the frequency of invasive plant mitigation by NIPF owners that hold promise: (1) raising awareness and concern about invasive plants and their impacts on forest management goals that owners care about, such as wildlife habitat and/or biodiversity; (2) providing assistance to help owners mitigate invasive plants they feel unable to control; and (3) engaging owners in coordinated efforts across ownership boundaries to address invasive plant risks.

scholarly journals A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Michigan Nonindustrial Private Forest Landowners

2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Potter-Witter
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Tree Planting ◽  
Management Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Incentive Programs ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
Program Enrollment

Abstract Incentive and assistance programs for nonindustrial private landowners in Michigan were evaluated for their effectiveness in encouraging forest management activities. This article reports on selected results of a comparative analysis of program enrollment, landowner characteristics, and management accomplishments. The analysis was based on data from a survey of 2,230 nonindustrial private forestland (NIPF) owners who were members of the Michigan Forest Association (MFA) or were enrolled in the Commercial Forest Program (CF), the Forest Stewardship Program (FSP), or the Two-Hearted River Watershed (TRW) landowner program in 2000. With a 55% overall response rate, landowners reported on present and past management activities and program enrollment. To address the question of the effectiveness of incentive programs, this comparative analysis tested the hypotheses that forest management activity reported by Michigan NIPF landowners who were enrolled in several types of incentive programs did not differ significantly by program and that management activity was not significantly explained by landowner demographics and parcel characteristics. Landowner program enrollment was compared with respect to tree-planting, timber harvesting, timber stand improvement, wildlife habitat improvement, and soil and water protection. To examine the differences, if any, between landowners who practice forest management and those who do not, explanatory demographic and parcel characteristic variables also were tested for their effect on management activity levels.North. J. Appl. For. 22(2):132–138.

scholarly journals Modeling the potential impacts of climate change on the water table level of selected forested wetlands in the southeastern United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 6289-6305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Zhu ◽  
Ge Sun ◽  
Wenhong Li ◽  
Yu Zhang ◽  
Guofang Miao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
United States ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Potential Evapotranspiration ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Forested Wetlands ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Southeastern Us

Abstract. The southeastern United States hosts extensive forested wetlands, providing ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, water quality improvement, groundwater recharge, and wildlife habitat. However, these wetland ecosystems are dependent on local climate and hydrology, and are therefore at risk due to climate and land use change. This study develops site-specific empirical hydrologic models for five forested wetlands with different characteristics by analyzing long-term observed meteorological and hydrological data. These wetlands represent typical cypress ponds/swamps, Carolina bays, pine flatwoods, drained pocosins, and natural bottomland hardwood ecosystems. The validated empirical models are then applied at each wetland to predict future water table changes using climate projections from 20 general circulation models (GCMs) participating in Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project 5 (CMIP5) under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. We show that combined future changes in precipitation and potential evapotranspiration would significantly alter wetland hydrology including groundwater dynamics by the end of the 21st century. Compared to the historical period, all five wetlands are predicted to become drier over time. The mean water table depth is predicted to drop by 4 to 22 cm in response to the decrease in water availability (i.e., precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration) by the year 2100. Among the five examined wetlands, the depressional wetland in hot and humid Florida appears to be most vulnerable to future climate change. This study provides quantitative information on the potential magnitude of wetland hydrological response to future climate change in typical forested wetlands in the southeastern US.

scholarly journals Improving Communications to Increase Nonindustrial Private Forest Landowner (NIPF) Participation in Forest Certification Programs: A Case Study in Arkansas, USA

Forests ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Elena C. Rubino ◽  
Nana Tian ◽  
Matthew H. Pelkki
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Private Forest ◽  
Certification Programs ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Nonindustrial Private Forest ◽  
Nipf Landowners

Despite the socioeconomic and ecological significance of the 10.4 million acres of forestland owned by nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners across Arkansas (approximately 58% of forestland in the state), only 5% of this land is certified through the American Tree Farm System. As such, understanding how to improve the reach and content of communications to NIPF landowners is vital for expanding certification participation and subsequent improvement of forest management in Arkansas and throughout the southern United States. To explore current and optimal communications to increase NIPF participation, we employed Berlo’s source–message–channel–receiver (SMCR, 1960) model to analyze survey data collected from Arkansas NIPF landowners regarding their familiarity with, interest in, and information sources for forest certification programs. Our results indicate that NIPF landowners have a relatively low familiarity with certification programs and a low interest in adopting a certification program regardless of personal involvement throughout the certification process, the transparency of on-sight inspections to the public, and the requirements of forest management plans. However, positive correlations were found between self-reported familiarity with certification programs and the perceived usefulness of various information sources, indicating that communications to NIPF landowners have the ability to be influential. Furthermore, the results showed that the greatest perceived benefits to landowners were improved timber growth and health, better management actions, and environmentally-friendly timber harvesting, whereas the most concerning perceived drawbacks were increased record-keeping and paperwork as well as management costs. These findings will offer actionable insights into future messaging campaigns and provide directions for new approaches of reaching NIPF landowners to increase their participation in forest certification.

scholarly journals How Much Is the Abandonment of Forest Management in Private Forests Worth? A Case of Poland

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1138
Author(s):  
Piotr Tadeusz Gołos ◽  
Joanna Ukalska ◽  
Emilia Wysocka-Fijorek ◽  
Wojciech Gil
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Soil Protection ◽  
Private Forest ◽  
Private Forests ◽  
Forest Landowners ◽  
Average Value ◽  
Forest Ecosystem Services ◽  
Economic Balance ◽  
And Gender

The provision of forest ecosystem services (such as biodiversity, water and soil protection, and recreation) is often associated with a reduction in timber harvesting. In the case of private forests, such a situation requires institutional solutions that allow the economic balance of forest management to be maintained. The aim of the study was to find out the average value of monetary compensation private forest owners would expect in case of timber harvesting restrictions. The study was conducted with a random sample of 1003 forest landowners. The average value of expected compensation ranged from PLN 2300/year/ha (which corresponds to the price of about 12 m3 of wood in Poland) under the condition of no restrictions on timber harvesting but the need to apply indicated of forest management methods, to PLN 4900/year/ha in the model assuming a total ban on harvesting. In general, higher compensation was expected by farmers who stated that they sold timber and those whose agricultural area was larger than the average in Poland. When harvesting restrictions are low, the expected compensation is influenced by the age and gender of the respondent, or the number of people in the household.

scholarly journals Private Forests in Nepal: Status and Policy Analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swoyambhu M. Amatya ◽  
Prakash Lamsal
Keyword(s):  
Present Status ◽  
National Level ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Private Land ◽  
Private Forest ◽  
Community Forest ◽  
Private Forest Owners ◽  
Forest Owners ◽  
Private Forests

 This paper reviews and analyses the present status of private forests and tenure administration in light of existing legal, policy, and regulatory frameworks in Nepal. Additionally, the present status of private forests, as well as the scenarios of timber harvesting, transportation, marketing, and their administration are thoroughly revised. Provisions regarding forests and trees on private land and their basis are examined and implications are articulated for potential policy improvements for enhanced tenure security. It is shown that robust national-level policies and legal frameworks exist, and that there is an increasing trend of timber flows to markets from private forests over the past five years. However, there is still skepticism, mistrust and fear amongst private forest owners, saw millers, and forest administration that prevents the full use of the bundle of rights that legal and policy provisions have promised. An unusually slow pace of private forest registration, lengthy and multi stage processes for obtaining harvesting and transportation permits, and official bans on important commercial species, among others, are found to be the factors that most hinder the private forest owners’ and tree growers’ interests, and their rights and obligations with respect to the management and use of their private forest resources. It is concluded that a simplified permitting process along with programmatic support would promote and help to grow private forestry and that Nepal’s experience and lessons learned from community forest implementation would be a great asset to move towards this end. Connecting community forest user groups for organised and cooperative action, and mobilising their institutional strength and accumulated funds for pro-farmer technical and regulatory support would allow farmers to intensify tree plantations and forest management. Further steps are required to convince policymakers and secure necessary budgetary support to this end..

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document