Understanding and ReachingFamily Forest Owners
Brett J. ButlerU.S. Forest Service
Northeastern Area Association of State ForestersForest Resource Planning Committee Annual Meeting
June 7-9, 2011 Portsmouth, NH
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Conclusions
• Family forest owners rule!• Size matters• Beauty, privacy, nature, and legacy• To manage or not to manage?• They’re a bunch of old guys• Family forest owners don’t own forests
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Who is this?
A. The first chief of the U.S. Forest Service
B. Gifford PinchotC. The former governor
of PennsylvaniaD. All of the above
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According to 1,000 likely voters: who owns most of the forests in the U.S.?
A. U.S. GovernmentB. Forest industryC. Family forest owners
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National Woodland Owner Survey
To better understand:• Who the landowners are• Why they own land• How they have used it• How they intend to use it
Conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis program
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National Woodland Owner Survey
• Family Forests Owners of the United States, 2006 (NRS-GTR-27)
• NWOS Table Maker
• www.fia.fs.fed.us/nwos
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Size of Family Forest HoldingsNorthern U.S., 2006
U.S. Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey
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Family Forest Ownership ObjectivesNorthern U.S., 2006
U.S. Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey
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Family Forest Ownership ObjectivesNorthern U.S., 2006
U.S. Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey
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• Timber harvesting 53% of family forestland
• Forest management plan 16% of family forestland
• Management advice 31% of family forestland
Management of Family Forests
U.S. Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey
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Age: 40% 65 or older
Occupation: 49% retired
Gender: 86% male
Race: 98% white
Education: 34% college degree
Demographics of Family Forest Owners
U.S. Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey
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Concerns
1. Property taxes
2. Family legacy
3. Trespassing
4. Insects and plant diseases
5. Dumping/vandalism
U.S. Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey
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Sustaining Family Forests Initiative
A collaboration among government, industry, conservation, certifications, landowner, and academics organizations
Our goal is to conduct social marketing research:• That will serve as a wide-ranging resource• To aid in the development of outreach and
services
Sustaining Family Forests Initiative
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Social Marketing
Selling ideas, not products
Examples:• Anti-smoking • Mothers Against Drunk
Driving• Smokey Bear
Sustaining Family Forests Initiative
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Social Marketing
A program designed to promote a voluntary change in behavior by a target audience for personal and social benefit
Three components:• Research
• Attitudinal segmentation• Prime prospects• Focus groups
• Campaign • Evaluation (behavior change?)
Sustaining Family Forests Initiative
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Attitudinal Segmentation
• Woodland retreat
• Supplemental income
• Working the land
• Uninvolved
Sustaining Family Forests Initiative
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Prime Prospects Segmentation
Engaged in land management
Unengaged in land management
Favorable attitudes toward
stewardship
ModelOwners
Prime Prospects
Unfavorableattitudes toward
stewardship
PotentialDefectors
Write-offs?
Sustaining Family Forests Initiative
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Prime Prospects and Attitudinal SegmentationsNorthern U.S., 2006
Pe
rce
nt
of
Fo
res
tla
nd
Sustaining Family Forests Initiative
40Fleishman-Hillard, Inc.
Online
Partnerships
PSA/Advertising
NewsMedia
CelebritySightings
Retail
DirectMail
Events
Social Marketing: “Surround Sound” Communications
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Words Matter
• Very few forest owners own any forest– Trees, Woods, Wildlife
Richard Scarry
Sustaining Family Forests Initiative
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Words Matter• What is forestry, foresters and loggers?
Dr. Seuss
Sustaining Family Forests Initiative
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Words Matter• Terms like stewardship, sustainable management,
and forest health are not part of their regular vernacular
• They do not strongly differentiate between conservation and preservation
Sustaining Family Forests Initiative
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Preferred Methods for ReceivingForest Management Information
U.S. Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey
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Communication Messages
Do• Target • Hit hot button issues• Stress options• Use their words
Don’t• Be preachy• Go global
Sustaining Family Forests Initiative
Traditional Tools
1. Working forests
2. Management plans
3. Cost share
4. Conservation easements
5. Preferential tax programs
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New Tools
1. Targeted marketing
2. Succession planning
3. Peer to peer
4. Ecosystem services
5. Health care
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Forest Health-Human Health Initiative
The Pinchot Institute for Conservation 55
Insurance Provider
Forest Owner (& Offspring)Forest
Health
Human Health
CarbonInvestor
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Conclusions
• Family forest owners rule!• Size matters• Beauty, privacy, nature, and legacy• To manage or not to manage?• They’re a bunch of old guys• Family forest owners don’t own forests
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Credits
• National Woodland Owner Survey– Brett Butler– Jake Hewes– Earl Leatherberry
• Sustaining Family Forests Initiative– Brett Butler– Mary Tyrrell– Purnima Chawla– Geoff Feinberg– Judy Langer– Ravi Singh
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Questions?
Brett ButlerU.S. Forest Service, Amherst, MA
[email protected]; 413.545.1387
www.fia.fs.fed.us/nwos www.EngagingLandowners.org
www.FamilyForestResearchCenter.org