Understanding and Reaching America’s Family Forest Owners

Brett J. Butler USDA Forest Service

August 5, 2015

Findings from the US Forest Service’s National Woodland Owner Survey

Five Fun Family Forest Facts

1. Family Forest Owners Dominate!

2. Size of Holdings Make a Difference

3. Beauty, Wildlife, and Nature Matter

4. Love of the Land, but tnot Engaged

5. They are Old(er)

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NATIONAL WOODLAND OWNER SURVEY

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Objectives

Help answer: • Who owns America’s

forests? • Why do they own it? • How have they used it

in the past? • How do they intend to

use it in the future?

Methods

“The NWOS sampling design can be described as spatially tessellated and temporally systematic, disproportionately stratified, with-replacement, and probability proportional to size.” - Dickinson and Butler 2013 J. For. 111(5): 319–325

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Methods

• Part of FIA • Probability proportional to

size sample design • Self-administered, mail-

based paper questionnaire with online option and telephone follow-up

• Most recent data collection: 2011-2013

Cooperation Rate

Number of Responses

FAMILY FOREST OWNERS RULE!

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Forest Land by Ownership Class United States, 2013

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Private and Public Forestland, 2011

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Private

Public

Family Forestland, 2011

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Family

Other forestland

Size of Forest Holdings (Acres) Family Forests (1+ ac), US, 2013

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Family Forests (10+ ac) US, 2013

• 265 million acres • 4 million ownerships • 10 million owners • Average holding size

66 acres/ownership • Average land tenure

24 years/ownership

SIZE OF HOLDINGS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

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Size of Forest Holdings (Acres) Family Forests (10+ ac), US, 2013

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Selected Reasons for Owning by Size of Holdings

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Selected Forest Activities by Size of Holdings

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Selected Forest Management Programs/Activities by Size of Holdings

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BEAUTY, WILDLIFE, AND NATURE MATTER

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Part of Home/Farm Family Forests (10+ ac), US, 2013

• Part of home 63%

• Part of cabin 16%

• Part of farm 32%

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Reasons for Owning (1 of 3) Family Forests (10+ ac), US, 2013

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Reasons for Owning (2 of 3) Family Forests (10+ ac), US, 2013

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Reasons for Owning (3 of 3) Family Forests (10+ ac), US, 2013

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Reasons for Owning Family Forests (10+ ac), US

2006 1. Beauty 2. Privacy 3. Nature 4. Legacy 5. Investment 6. Hunting 7. Recreation 8. Timber 9. Firewood 10. NTFPs

2013 1. Beauty 2. Privacy 3. Nature 4. Legacy 5. Investment 6. Hunting 7. Recreation 8. Firewood 9. Timber 10. NTFPs

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LOVE OF THE LAND, BUT NOT ENGAGED

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“I want my wooded land to stay wooded”

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Forest Management Family Forests (10+ ac), US, 2013

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Activities in the Past Five Years (1 of 2) Family Forests (10+ ac), US, 2013

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Activities in the Past Five Years (2 of 2) Family Forests (10+ ac), US, 2013

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THEY ARE OLD(ER)

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Demographics Family Forests (10+ ac), US, 2013

• Age (65+) 43%

• Gender (male) 79%

• Education (college) 40%

• Income (+$100k/yr) 25%

• Minority 5%

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NWOS 2011-2013: Basic Products

• Brochure • Tables • NWOS Table Maker • Journal article • Documentation • Two-page summaries • Articles for landowner

publications • Data wheel • Presentations

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NWOS 2017-2019: New Modules

• Corporate • Urban • Public (?)

• State

- Intensifications - Add-ons

• Science modules - Climate change - Invasive species - Wildfire - Engagement - Decision making

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A Tale of Four Owners

Family Forest Owner Segmentation

Wendy & Ralph Woodland Retreat

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Walter Landus

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Working the Land

Samuel Ingus III

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Supplemental Income

Eunice (& Oscar)

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Uninvolved Owner

Attitudinal Segmentation Family Forests (10+ ac), US, 2013

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Five Fun Family Forest Facts

1. Family Forest Owners Dominate!

2. Size of Holdings Make a Difference

3. Beauty, Wildlife, and Nature Matter

4. Love of the Land, but tnot Engaged

5. They are Old(er)

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Credits The Family Forest Research Center: • Jake Hewes • Brent Dickinson • Kyle Andrejczyk • Marla Lindsay • Sarah Butler Sustaining Family Forests Initiative • Mary Tyrrell • Purnima Chawla • Emma Kravet • Ravi Singh

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Comments or Questions?

Brett Butler U.S. Forest Service, Amherst, MA

bbutler01@fs.fed.us; 413.545.1387

www.fia.fs.fed.us/nwos www.FamilyForestResearchCenter.org

www.engaginglandowners.org