Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Broussard Allred, S., Smallidge, P. and N. Connelly 2011. Attitudes and Interests of Woodland Owners, Foresters, and Loggers to Supply Woody Biomass. Forest Resources Extension Sharing In-Service Training, Arnot Forest, Van Etten, NY, May 4, 2011. Broussard Allred, S., Smallidge, P. and N. Connelly 2010. Attitudes and Interests of Woodland Owners and Foresters to Supply Woody Biomass. Cornell University Cooperative Extension In-Service Training, Nov. 18, 2010. Broussard Allred, S and N. Connelly 2010. Interviewing Loggers and Small-Scale Processors about Biofuel Opportunities: Workshop on Interviewing. Workshop at "Forest Resources Extension Sharing" In-Service training, Arnot Forest, Van Etten, NY, May 3, 2010. PARTICIPANTS: Shorna Allred, Cornell University, Dept. of Natural Resources organized and led team activities, including project team meetings focused on survey instrument development, CCE In-Service, and CCE social science interviewer training. Peter Smallidge, Cornell University Dept. of Natural Resources, assist in providing oversight of project activities. Brett Chedzoy, CCE Schuyler, actively developing programs in biomass related to expanding woody biofuel industrial needs. Provide advice to project and assist in project activities. Laurel Gailor, CCE Warren, actively developing programs in biomass related to expanding woody biofuel industrial needs and logger education. Provide advice to project and assist in project activities. Guillermo Metz, CCE Tompkins, assist in an advisory capacity and with project activities as appropriate. Tony Nekut, forest owner and Master Forest Owner volunteer. Active in development of renewable biofuel/bioenergy woodlot management and demonstration of new wood burning technology at Cayuga Nature Center. Provide advice to project and assist in project activities. Marilyn Wyman, CCE Greene, actively developing programs in biomass related to expanding woody biofuel industrial needs. Provide advice to project and assist in project activities in Catskill region. Nancy Connelly, Research Associate, Cornell Human Dimensions Research Unit. TARGET AUDIENCES: Woody biofuel small-scale producers, woodland owners, professional foresters, and CCE educators PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
To better understand potential constraints on woody biofuel production in New York state, Human Dimension Research Unit researchers teamed with Cornell Cooperative Extension personnel to study three audiences involved in supplying woody biofuels - landowners, foresters, and loggers. Knowing the constraints faced by these three groups will help to develop educational programs that guide the decisions of owners and producers in sustainable and renewable energy enterprises. A mail questionnaire was developed and sent to 2,400 New York State woodland owners in 2010 (response rate 46%). Woody biofuels were defined as firewood, low quality logs, wood pellets, chips, etc. that can be used to heat homes or provide energy for businesses. Over half of the woodland owners in NYS have at least some awareness of woody biofuels. Far fewer (16%) have actually sold wood for woody biofuels. We described three groups of woodland owners: (1) those with no interest in selling woody biofuels (estimated at 38% of respondents), (2) those who have already sold woody biofuels (16%), and (3) those with an interest in selling, but who have not yet done so (46%). The owners who have actually sold woody biofuels are more strongly connected with utilitarian values than those who simply express interest. Thus, the interested owners may not have sold not because they lacked opportunity, but because they have not connected the harvest with their ownership objectives. Owners who have sold are more likely to live in rural areas and fewer have college degrees. The majority sold low grade wood associated with a sawlog harvest. Thus, the owners who sold woody biomass may be more connected to and comfortable with resource extraction, they may see woody biomass harvest as an "add-on" benefit to a sawlog harvest, and may also have lower salaries that encourage a greater dependence on harvesting from their property. Those who haven't sold but are interested represent a large audience estimated at almost 52,000 owners and 3.3 million acres in NYS. The majority live in rural areas, but the group includes a substantial urban/suburban component. They tend to have a higher education level, so materials developed should reflect that. They will seek out information from a variety of sources - written materials and the Internet may be the most effective ways to reach this group. They are particularly concerned about increased land taxes, the skill of the forester recommending the harvest, landowner liability, not receiving a fair price, and timber theft. Therefore, they are interested in learning more about the types of wood that are good, rules and regulations, tax benefits/implications, the amount of money they are likely to make, and who to contact for advice and technical assistance. Woodland owners will need to have confidence or strong incentives to overcome concerns such as potential increases in land taxes, changes in their liability, fair prices, and timber theft. Further, owners are concerned about the skill of the forester, sustainability, and how the harvest might impact their other ownership objectives.
Publications
- Connelly, N.A., Allred, S.B., and P.J. Smallidge. (2012, In Press). Foresters and Loggers Views on Woody Biofuels in New York. Cornell University Human Dimensions Research Unit, HDRU Series.
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Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: In the fall of 2010 surveys were conducted with two of the audiences - landowners and foresters - to identify and understand barriers within the woody biofuel supply system in New York State. Results of the landowner survey showed that over half had at least some awareness of woody biofuels. Far fewer (16%) have actually sold wood for woody biofuels. The majority of owners who have sold woody biofuels have sold low grade wood associated with a sawlog harvest. Respondents who did not want to sell generally fell into two groups - those already using all wood for their own personal use, and those not interested in selling for nature or aesthetic reasons. Those who have not sold but are interested represent a large audience estimated at almost 52,000 owners and 3.3 million acres in New York State. They are interested in learning more about the types of wood that are good, rules and regulations, tax benefits/implications, the amount of money they are likely to make, and who to contact for advice and technical assistance. Additionally, in-depth interviews with 11 loggers and producers in New York State were conducted with the help of local CCE staff that we trained in qualitative interviewing methods and IRB procedures. We also produced and shared with project stakeholders final research report summarizing the results of the landowner survey. This was also communicated to CCE staff at an In-Service training. Publications and Trainings: Connelly, N. A., P. J. Smallidge, and S. B. Allred. 2011. New York State Woodland Owners and Their Interest in Woody Biofuels. Human Dimensions Research Unit Series Publication 11-6. Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. 31pp. Broussard Allred, S., Smallidge, P. and N. Connelly 2010. Attitudes and Interests of Woodland Owners and Foresters to Supply Woody Biomass. Cornell University Cooperative Extension In-Service Training, Nov. 18, 2010. PARTICIPANTS: SHORNA ALLRED, Cornell University, Dept. of Natural Resources organized and led team activities, including project team meetings focused on survey instrument development, CCE In-Service, and CCE social science interviewer training. PETER SMALLIDGE, Cornell University Dept. of Natural Resources, assist in providing oversight of project activities. BRETT CHEDZOY, CCE Schuyler, actively developing programs in biomass related to expanding woody biofuel industrial needs. Provide advice to project and assist in project activities. LAUREL GAILOR, CCE Warren, actively developing programs in biomass related to expanding woody biofuel industrial needs and logger education. Provide advice to project and assist in project activities. GUILLERMO METZ, CCE Tompkins, assist in an advisory capacity and with project activities as appropriate. TONY NEKUT, forest owner and Master Forest Owner volunteer. Active in development of renewable biofuel/bioenergy woodlot management and demonstration of new wood burning technology at Cayuga Nature Center. Provide advice to project and assist in project activities. MARILYN WYMAN, CCE Greene, actively developing programs in biomass related to expanding woody biofuel industrial needs. Provide advice to project and assist in project activities in Catskill region. NANCY CONNELLY, Research Associate, Cornell University Human Dimensions Research Unit. Conduct interviews and provide guidance in survey design and implementation. TARGET AUDIENCES: Woody biofuel small-scale producers, woodland owners, professional foresters, and CCE educators PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Although woodlands dominate more than 60% of the New York landscape, the contribution of those woodlands to renewable energy as woody biofuel is potentially limited by access. Specific constraints on access include landowner attitudes about biomass harvesting and the willingness and availability of loggers and foresters to redirect their time and equipment from potentially more profitable harvests. In an attempt to better understand those constraints Human Dimensions Researchers teamed with Cornell Cooperative Extension personnel to study three audiences involved in supplying woody biofuels - landowners, foresters, and loggers. Knowing these constraints will support the development of educational programs that help guide the decisions of owners and producers in sustainable and renewable energy enterprises.
Publications
- Connelly, N. A., P. J. Smallidge, and S. B. Allred. 2011. New York State Woodland Owners and Their Interest in Woody Biofuels. Human Dimensions Research Unit Series Publication 11-6. Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. 31pp.
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Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The first year of this project entailed developing the survey instruments, conducting the quantitative surveys, training CCE educators in in-depth interview methods, and piloting the logger interview guide. We surveyed 2,000 New York State forest owners that own at least 25 acres or more. We also surveyed 400 foresters working in New York State. We also developed and piloted an interview guide for loggers. We organized a session as part of the November 2010 CCE In-Service "Energy and Climate Change" track to present the findings of this research and discuss implications and how it can be utilized in broader education about energy. The in-service brought together leading campus researchers that highlighted various aspects of woody biofuel production and implications for forest owner outreach and education. Additionally, CCE educators are aiding in conducting portions of this research due to their close ties with the logging community in their respective regions. In May 2010, we conducted a training session to train CCE educators to conduct interviews with loggers in their communities. The interviews will determine what, if any, barriers are limiting the ability or willingness of loggers and woody biofuel producers to increase the production and mobilization of woody biofuels. Specific Outputs were: 1) Forest Landowner Survey instrument: A Survey Of New York State Woodland Owners And Their Interest In Woody Biofuels, 2) Professional Forester Survey instrument: Foresters' Views on Woody Biofuels in New York, 3) Interview Guide: Logger and Woody Biofuels Producer Interview Guide, 4) Broussard Allred, S and N. Connelly. 2010. Interviewing Loggers and Small-Scale Processors about Biofuel Opportunities: Workshop on Interviewing. Workshop at "Forest Resources Extension Sharing" In-Service training, Arnot Forest, Van Etten, NY, May 3, 2010. (audience: CCE natural resource educators, 25 attendees), and 5)Broussard Allred, S., Smallidge, P. and N. Connelly 2010. Attitudes and Interests of Woodland Owners and Foresters to Supply Woody Biomass. Cornell University Cooperative Extension In-Service Training, Nov. 18, 2010. (audience: CCE educators, 12 attendees). PARTICIPANTS: SHORNA ALLRED, Cornell Dept. of Natural Resources organized and led team activities, including project team meetings focused on survey instrument development, CCE In-Service, and CCE social science interviewer training. PETER SMALLIDGE, Cornell University Dept. of Natural Resources, assist in providing oversight of project activities. BRETT CHEDZOY, CCE Schuyler, actively developing programs in biomass related to expanding woody biofuel industrial needs. Provide advice to project and assist in project activities. LAUREL GAILOR, CCE Warren, actively developing programs in biomass related to expanding woody biofuel industrial needs and logger education. Provide advice to project and assist in project activities. GUILLERMO METZ, CCE Tompkins, assist in an advisory capacity and with project activities as appropriate. TONY NEKUT, forest owner and Master Forest Owner volunteer. Active in development of renewable biofuel/bioenergy woodlot management and demonstration of new wood burning technology at Cayuga Nature Center. Provide advice to project and assist in project activities. MARILYN WYMAN, CCE Greene, actively developing programs in biomass related to expanding woody biofuel industrial needs. Provide advice to project and assist in project activities in Catskill region. NANCY CONNELLY, Research Associate, Cornell University Human Dimensions Research Unit. Conduct interviews and provide guidance in survey design and implementation. TARGET AUDIENCES: Woody biofuel small-scale producers, woodland owners, professional foresters, and CCE educators PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Although woodlands dominate more than 60% of the New York landscape, the contribution of those woodlands to renewable energy as woody biofuel is potentially limited by access. Specific constraints on access include landowner attitudes about biomass harvesting and the willingness and availability of loggers and foresters to redirect their time and equipment from potentially more profitable harvests. In an attempt to better understand those constraints Human Dimensions Researchers teamed with Cornell Cooperative Extension personnel to study three audiences involved in supplying woody biofuels - landowners, foresters, and loggers. Knowing these constraints will support the development of educational programs that help guide the decisions of owners and producers in sustainable and renewable energy enterprises. In the fall of 2010 surveys were conducted with two of the audiences - landowners and foresters - to identify and understand barriers within the woody biofuel supply system in New York State. Results will be analyzed in early 2011.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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