America's Family Forest Owners

Authors: Brett J. Butler¹; Earl C. Leatherberry²

Source: Journal of Forestry, Volume 102, Number 7, October/November 2004 , pp. 4-14(11)

Publisher: Society of American Foresters

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Abstract:

The number of family forest owners in the conterminous United States increased from 9.3 million in 1993 to 10.3 million in 2003, and these owners now control 42% of the nation's forestland. The reasons why people own forestland are diverse. Some of the more common ones are aesthetic enjoyment, the tract is part of a farm or home site, and to pass the land on to heirs. Half of the family forest owners have harvested trees, but only 3% of them have a written forest-management plan. Trends in owners' ages and future land-use intentions suggest widescale transfers of family forestland in the near future.

Keywords: Nonindustrial private forests; small-scale forestry; landowner survey; forest inventory; National Woodland Owner Survey; environmental management; forest; forest management; forest resources; forestry; forestry research; forestry science; natural resources; natural resource management

Document Type: Regular article

Affiliations: 1: Research Forester Northeastern Research Station USDA Forest Service 11 Campus Boulevard, Suite 200 Newtown Square PA 19073, Email: bbutler01@fs.fed.us 2: Research Social Scientist North Central Research Station USDA Forest Service 1992 Folwell Avenue St. Paul MN 55018, Email: eleatherberry@fs.fed.us

Publication date: 2004-10-01

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