Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Forest landowners, consulting foresters and other natural resources professionals, educators Changes/Problems:COVID-19 changed the ability to hold meetings to advance partner research initiatives in support of the research and application of that research as described above. The global pandemic also forced human subjects research to occur by virtual meeting or phone, which does impact the quality of results with the inability to be face-to-face. Additional individual work and personal needs to respond to the pandemic introduced competing demands on partners' time and ability to contribute. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Goal 1-Continue to share the results of the 2010 forest landowners survey to help partners deeply understand the values and actions of private forest landowners to inform their outreach, education, and technical service provision. Presentations on forest legacy planning at multiple landowner workshops and other events. Goal 2-Presentations to professionals of the tremendous impacts of peer volunteers. The presentation planned for the 2020 Association of Natural Resources Professionals was cancelled due to COVID-19. Goal 3-Presentations to forest practitioners How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Goal 1-Presentations to partner organizations Goal 2-Presentations to partner organizations Goal 3-Presentations to partner organizations and an advisory group What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Goal 1 - Dissemination and analysis of the Forest Landowners Survey. Create a program of engagement on the legacy planning professionals' side of the relationship to help them understand the importance of forestland conservation as part of the legacy planning process with the successful receipt of a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant. Goal 2 - Analysis and presentation of the results of the qualitative study to evaluate the necessary components of adult learning and social capital that move forest landowners to adoption and implementation of the stewardship information received. Goal 3 - The Enrolled Forester project pivoted into a larger effort to reframe the practice of forest management on private forest lands. With the convening of a large working group of external stakeholders, we anticipate working both within and without the University to conduct a study to assess the feasibility of a new ecosystem management model of forest management services provided to (and sought by) private forest landowners.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1-For the Forest Landowners Survey, we conducted 3 focus groups with woodland owners to understand concerns they hold about caring well for their woodlands. The results of the focus groups indicated their top concerns, including: The need for public buy-in to understanding the importance of private forests (would lead to potential programmatic support) The importance of management for forest restoration and concern over forest resilience with a changing climate Concern over the ability to find people to do work on their woodlands; they can't find forestry professionals who can help them. Concern over the prevalence of invasives and fear it's a losing battle The importance of legacy planning and preparing family to take on the land responsibility, and what to do if the current landowner doesn't have heirs Concern that many landowners don't understand the forest system and are making bad decisions Concern over regulating for correct management versus the use of voluntary programs Using the results of these focus groups, in this program year, we were able to design and test the survey that will be administered to 6,600 landowners across the state. Goal 2-In this program year, we conducted phenomenological and semi-structured interviews with woodland owners who had interacted with consulting foresters and owners who had interacted with peer volunteers. Interviews were completed remotely, due to COVID-19. In total 34 interviews were conducted. The data collected will help to determine if there are replicable aspects that would assist the forestry professional community in better engaging woodland owners to move them to good forest stewardship. Goal 3-During this program year, we completed the work of the Enrolled Forester project, funded by a grant with the US Endowments for Forestry and Communities and in partnership with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Forestry. Using the results of the survey conducted last program year, we wrote a white paper for distribution to partners, and began the application of the research with the convening of an expert panel to address how forests are managed on private forest lands.
Publications
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Progress 05/01/19 to 09/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Forest landowners, consulting foresters and other natural resources professionals, educators Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Applied research to deepen the understanding of PFLs - continue to share the results of the 2010 forest landowners survey to help partners deeply understand the values and actions of private forest landowners to inform their outreach, education, and technical service provision. Presentations on forest legacy planning at multiple landowner workshops and other events. Applied research to expand the adoption and support for peer-to-peer education networks - presentations to professionals of the tremendous impacts of peer volunteers. Applied research to expand the visibility and sustainability of forestry practitioners - presentations to forest practitioners. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Applied research to deepen the understanding of PFLs - presentations to partner organizations. Applied research to expand the adoption and support for peer-to-peer education networks - presentations to partner organizations. Applied research to expand the visibility and sustainability of forestry practitioners - presentations to partner organizations and an advisory group What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Applied research to deepen the understanding of PFLs - dissemination and analysis of the 2020 Forest Landowners Survey. Pursue additional grant monies to create a program of engagement on the legacy planning professionals' side of the relationship to help them understand the importance of forestland conservation as part of the legacy planning process. Applied research to expand the adoption and support for peer-to-peer education networks - qualitative and quantitative study to evaluate the necessary components of adult learning and social capital that move forest landowners to adoption and implementation of the stewardship information received. This study will be undertaken in the summer 2020. Applied research to expand the visibility and sustainability of forestry practitioners - continue to hold planning meetings with advisory committee to support the creation of an independent organization that would help landowners feel confident they are hiring foresters who will manage sustainably (and not just to maximize economic return), since in PA anyone can call themselves a forester without education or apprenticeship.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Applied research to deepen the understanding of PFLs. - no results to report Goal 2: Applied research to expand the adoption and support for peer to peer education networks. - completion of a literature review to investigate the adult learning and creation of social capital that occurs in peer-to-peer educational networks to determine if there are replicable aspects that would assist the forestry professional community in better engaging woodland owners to move them to good forest stewardship. The literature review will be used to create the model on which we will base the investigation of the impacts, implementation, and receptibility of information coming from peers as compared to professionals. Goal 3: Applied research to expand the visibility and sustainability of forestry practitioners - Through a grant with the US Endowments for Forestry and Communities we undertook a survey of forest landowners in three counties across the state to understand how they use consulting foresters in managing their land. At the same time we surveyed consulting foresters across the state to understand how they work with forest landowners. Survey 1 to the Forest Landowners went to 850 forest landowners in each of three counties. Overall, we sent 2,550 surveys, with 156 coming back undeliverable. We received 1,074 responses for a response rate of 45%. Survey 2 to the Consulting Foresterswent to 192 foresters on the Bureau of Forestry's listing, with 26 coming back as undeliverable. We received 99 responses for a response rate of 60%. Forest Landowner Survey Results Two-thirds of our respondents own forestland. Of those approximately 73% have undertaken an action on their property in the last 10 years, with timber harvesting and firewood cutting by far the predominant activities (64% and 68%) Challenges forest landowner face in managing their woodlands include time (56%), knowing what to do (45%) costs (31%), other reasons (19%), and finding professional help (15%). We also asked if woodland owners had hired a forester to work on their land (without defining who a forester was). Of those 45% said yes and predominately hired private consulting foresters (65%) to do timber harvests (88%, with forest management plans a distant second, 30%). Those who had not hired a forester would consider doing so for a timber harvest (63%), a forest management plan (51%) as the two top ranked activities. Their reasons for not hiring a forester include: costs (37%), personal time (25%), Other (25% which included not ready, no interests, prefer to do it myself, no need, don't know where to get help, bad experiences...), uncertainty about personal needs (21%), and small property sizes (21%). Respondents were asked if they had done a timber harvest that produced income and 61% responded in the affirmative. The majority of those folks (54%) hired a forester who they predominantly identified as a consulting forester who covered all aspects of the sale. Those who had a timber sale but did not hire a forester did so because they primarily (52%) believed they could negotiate the sale themselves. The 54% who hired a forester were asked if they felt the forester represented them fairly. The vast majority (93%) said yes. Those hiring a forester paid as a percentage of the sale amount (79%), but the majority (71%) were not given a choice in how they payment occurred. Tree size by and large (84%) determined the trees that were removed, but other actions that may lead to more sustainable outcomes were also ranked highly: tree species (69%), impact to the future forest (66%). However, when respondents were asked how the harvest was described, the majority of respondents replied in ways that are indicated of a high grade or diameter limit cut, a very unsustainable practice. For the majority of harvesting landowners who hired a forester, 88% said that the harvest met their expectations. Word of mouth was the most common way respondents found their forester, with 38% receiving recommendation from another woodland owner and 35% receiving recommendation from neighbors or family. Demographic trends of respondents largely reflect the trends of the full landowner population. The majority are employed full time (51%) followed closely by retired (45%). The majority have completed educational levels above high school (9% some college, 15% technical school, 22% bachelor's degree, and 20% graduate/professional degree). Average age is 65, which makes them slightly older than the statewide population. The majority (71%) intend to pass their land on to their family. The results of this survey raise some interesting questions about the practices of the foresters within the profession, the expectations of landowners in working with those professionals, and where opportunity might be to help impact decision points that may lead to unsustainable outcomes. Consulting Forester Survey Results The vast majority of respondents to this survey were consulting foresters (85%) followed by NRCS contractor (16%) and other categories (15%). The majority of their time is made up of conducting timber sales (39%) followed by general forest management (15%), inventory and appraisal (12%) and wildlife habitat management (7%). Requests these foresters receive from private forest landowners in the last 10 years have shown more requests for controlling invasives, sustainability, harvesting, and deer management. A few note that there are more educated landowners out there, and many indicate they haven't seen a change in requests. New challenges foresters are facing include in rank order: invasives, infrastructure/regulatory changes, unrealistic expectations of the landowners, costs, and market issues. They perceive that landowners face the following impediments in following their advice for management: costs, their willingness to invest in the land, lack of markets, trying to maximize returns, and finding qualified people to do the work. Two-thirds of the respondents indicate they are able to receive a livable wage from their work. 79% have turned away business in the last 10 years, with the top reason being that practices sought didn't fit their ethic. When conducting a timber sale, the vast majority use a percentage of sale fee structure (74%), followed by an hourly fee (41%), and fee based on other categories (20%). The foresters feel that landowners don't have a preference of one fee structure over another, and for those who do (45%) they believe landowners prefer the percentage of sale as a fee structure because there is no out of pocket fees, and it's easy to understand. Just under half of the foresters work on projects partially paid for by federal cost-share or incentive programs (49%). And the plurality (49%) believe that their requests for non-timber sale activities have stayed the same as they were 10 years ago. Interestingly, on average the foresters have had their practice for 33 years, with the average age being 60. This represents an upcoming turnover of great magnitude as landowners try to find reputable foresters to help them care well for their land.
Publications
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