Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:As this project moved from implementation, the target audience has evolved from participants, to academic partners and colleagues, and has recently began to expand to include government and forest industry partners. In 2016 presentations in Pennsylvania included the Pennsylvania Hardwood Development Council and the Governor's Green Ribbon Task Force focused on forest conservation, jobs, and development. Changes/Problems:Could not put in correct section - FTEs are [Scientist Support (SY) 0.049] which does not get captured because it rounds the nuber leaving it 0.0. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Eric Larson, a doctoral student who completed is degree at Penn State, used this project for is dissertation work, which he completed in 2016. In total, three doctoral students (1 from Penn State, and 2 from the University of Tennessee) participated in various portions of the qualitative data collection and thus expanded their skills in this methodology. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Preliminary findings of the study were shared with forest industry in Pennsylvania to the Hardwood Development Council and the Governor's Green Ribbon Task Force on forest conservation, jobs and development. A paper is in draft form by Eric Larson titled Private Forest Landowner Willingness, Community Impacts and Concerns, and the Development of a Wood-based Biofuels Industry to the journal Biomass and Bioenergy. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Several participants in the project are drafting papers for distribution through peer reviewed journals, which will aid in expanding the discussion about private forest owners and biofuel development.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Site selection for the key informant interviews used a longitudinal database consisting of social and environmental data for all counties east of the Mississippi and conterminous to the west. The database served to develop clusters to maximize understanding forest cover and percentage of private ownership. Interview protocol involved interviews in conterminous metropolitan and rural counties. The metropolitan county was selected first. The counties and states were Stone and River, MS, Lawrence, TN (only one county), Clinton and Centre, PA, Marathon and Clark, WI, and Fairfield and Lancaster, SC. 95 key informant interviews of knowledgeable stakeholders in the selected counties representing diverse perspectives were conducted and engaged 9 elected officials, 16 forest landowners, 4 Extension agents, 5 media professionals, 9 state resource managers, 3 federal resource managers, 10 environmental NGO staff members, 12 local service organization staff members, 16 private (industry or consulting) foresters, and 11 business owners/managers. The interview instrument drew from study objectives and research literature covering: 1) local economy changes and efforts to increase and/or retain jobs and income; 2) forest management and local quality of life; 3) interest in biomass harvesting and use to sustain economic development; 4) impacts biomass use on existing industry; 5) effects on habitat and environmental resources; 6) perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats with biofuel production; 7) conflicts over natural resources use and exchange values for economic development; and 8) understanding various stakeholder perceptions about biomass related issues and energy development. The key informant interviews identified several major themes, including concerns and opportunities over landowner versus public rights, trust, economic opportunities and impacts, knowledge and education, the environment, and broader community context. There was overlap and connection between themes. The analysis found a wider variety of and more complex attitudes and beliefs about the biofuels industry than commonly assumed. Communities and PFLs would not respond solely for economic incentives. While economic aspects--such as jobs, taxes, and profit--may be significant drivers behind community and PFL support for and willingness to participate in harvesting and the development of a wood-based biofuels industry, key informants indicated these were only a few of many considerations influencing decisions to support the biofuels industry. Many of these concerns were not economic. Key informants indicated PFLs often owned land for multiple reasons not related to harvesting income. They highlighted diverse perceptions held by communities and PFLs. These positive and negative perceptions covered many concerns, which, in the end, may be barriers to community support for and PFLs willingness to harvest wood-based biofuels. While there were other drivers behind forest management and harvesting decisions, there was a high interest in biomass for biofuels to improve rural economies. Communities and PFLs that harvested understood that it provided opportunities to gain economic incentives such as jobs, tax revenue, and income. The project's quantitative work identified potential opportunities and concerns held by PFLs and the public associated with forest-based biofuel production, particularly related to local economic development, well-being, and existing wood-based industries. The instrument drew from a synthesis of qualitative findings, existing literature, and secondary data. Telephone survey methodology was employed using a multi-stage probability sample of 908 PFLs and 920 non-PFLs (49.6 and 50.3 percent, respectively with a margin of error of 5%) or 1,828 households across the study region. The survey measured perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with the development of biofuel facilities and their impact on regional forests. This study measured different aspects of topics relevant to PFLs' willingness to contribute to the biofuel industry. For example, PFLs plans (cutting trees, non-cutting, and harvesting trees for sale) and beliefs and perceptions concerning outcomes and impacts of harvesting biomass for energy (forest health, economic impacts, etc.). The bivariate results indicated individually many variables, or sets of variables, had statistically significant relationships with PFLs' willingness to harvest biomass for energy. For example, the set of variables that dealt with PFLs' plans, as well as their perceptions concerning possible outcomes and impacts had the largest relationships with the dependent variable - willingness to harvest for the biomass industry. The sets of variables concerning PFLs' values (exchange and use) and their knowledge and information attainment significantly related to PFLs' willingness to harvest for biomass. Within the set of PFL values, connection with nature was not statistically significant. Others had found connection to nature influenced support for types of development; it was surprising not to find this relationship in this study. The multivariate analysis showed that two sets of variables related to PFLs' willingness to harvest biomass for energy. Broadly, perceived impacts from harvesting for biofuels, and plans concerning their forests influenced willingness. Logistic regression results indicated PFLs' harvesting and forest management plans had a strong relationship with PFLs' willingness to harvest biomass for energy. PFLs with plans to cut trees for any reason, including for sale, were more willing to do so for energy production. This was consistent with research focused on how plans relate to actions and behaviors. Here, PFLs harvest plans did not specifically support a biofuels industry; instead PFLs were already planning to cut for various reasons - including for sale - they were open to harvesting biomass for energy because it aligned with their plans. PFL willingness to harvest biomass was not a change to their plans. It was a plan adaptation not driven so much by increased profit; rather, it was an extension of a decision to cut. Given the diversity of PFLs, the reasons for harvesting (e.g., timber stand improvement, weed control, etc.) need to be better understood. PFLs who perceived negative impacts of increased harvesting for biofuels (i.e., negative to forest health, aesthetics, recreational activities, and to the economies of surrounding communities) were less likely to harvest for biofuel. The set of sociodemographic variables was not statistically significant wit willingness to harvest biomass for energy, when other variables introduced. In sum, a better understanding of PFLs' willingness to harvest biomass for energy was obtained through variables related to and possibly influenced willingness to participate. This analysis showed that PFLs' plans and perceptions of potential impacts and outcomes influenced their likelihood to participate willingly in such harvests. If a wood-based biofuels industry is to develop to attain national and state policy goals it must support efforts to decrease negative impacts, and increase local economic benefits. To achieve a robust biofuels industry it is necessary to engage PFLs and communities. Findings suggested policies and practices created to increase PFLs and communities' economic opportunities, while reducing negative impacts may increase support for harvesting and development. This involves promoting sustainable development policies that include PFLs and communities in the development process. Often, the process follows the principles of decide-propose-defend - meaning that developers, policy makers, and states decide. Acceptance and support of the biofuels industry and bioenergy - like any other activity - requires local involvement in all phases of activity.
Publications
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Larson, Eric. Community Impacts, Concerns, and Private Forest Landowner Willingness to Participate in and the Potential Development of a Wood-based Biofuels Industry. Doctoral Dissertation. Penn State University. 158pp
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Finley J, Luloff A, Hodges D, Gordon JS, Willcox A (2013, October 12-16) Can the Biofuel Industry Access Biomass from Non-Industrial Private Forests: Socioeconomic Impacts of Biofuels on Rural Communities. Paper presented at The Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops, Washington DC.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Gordon JS, Finley J, Luloff A, Hodges D, Willcox A (2014, June 9-13) Can the Biofuel Industry Access Biomass from Non-Industrial Private Forests? Paper presented at the 20th International Symposium for Society and Resource Management, Hannover, Germany.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Gordon JS, Finley J, Luloff A, Hodges D, Willcox A (2015, Aug 6-9) Landowner Attitudes towards a Forest Bioenergy Economy: A SWOT Analysis. Paper presented at the 78th Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Society, Madison, WI.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Tanner S, Finley J, Luloff A, Hodges D, Gordon JS, Willcox A (2015, June 13-18) Rural Community and Forest Landowner Attitudes in the Potential Development of a Timber-based Biofuel Industry. Paper presented at the 21st International Symposium for Society and Resource Management, Charleston, SC.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Larson E, Tanner S, Luloff A, Finley J, Willcox A, Hodges D, Gordon JS. (2016, Jun 22-26) Private Forest Landowner Willingness to Harvest for the Potential Development of a Wood-Based Biofuels Industry. Paper presented at the 22nd International Symposium for Society and Resource Management, Houghton, MI
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Tanner, S.E., E.C. Larson, A.E. Luloff, J.C. Finley, A.S. Willcox, D.G. Hodges, and J.S. Gordon. 2015. Rural Community and Forest Landowner Attitudes in the Potential Development of a Timber-Based Biofuel Industry. 21st International Symposium on Society and Resource Management. June 13-18; Charleston, SC.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Larson, E. C., S. E. Tanner, A. E. Luloff, J. C. Finley, A. S. Willcox, D. G. Hodges, and J. S. Gordon. 2016. Private Forest landowner willingness to Harvest for the Potential Development of a Wood-Based Biofuels Industry. Presented at: 2016 International Symposium on Society and Resource Management (ISSRM), Houghton, Michigan. June 22-26.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Larson, E. C. D. G. Hodges, J. C. Finley, A.E. Luloff, A. S. Willcox, and J. S. Gordon. 2016. Perceptions and Management Intentions of Private Forest Landowners in the Eastern U.S.: Implications for Wood Energy Production. To be presented at: Advances and Challenges in Managerial Economics and Accounting, International Symposium of International Union of Forestry Research Organizations, 4.05.00 (Managerial Economics and Accounting), Vienna, Austria. May 9-11.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Hodges, D. G., E. C. Larson, J. C. Finley, A.E. Luloff, A. S. Willcox, and J. S. Gordon. 2016. Wood Bioenergy and Private Forests: Perceptions of Owners in The Eastern U.S. To be presented at: Forest Economics and Policy in a Changing Environment: How Market, Policy, and Climate Transformations Affect Forests; Annual Meeting of the International Society for Forest Resource Economics. Raleigh, North Carolina. April 4.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Hodges D, Gordon JS, Luloff A, Willcox A, Royer B, Finley J (2016, Apr 3-5) Wood Bioenergy and Private Forests: Perceptions of Owners in the Eastern United States. Paper presented at the 2016 Meeting of the International Society of Forest Resource Economics, Raleigh, NC.
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