Understanding and Reaching Family Forest Owners Brett J. Butler U.S. Forest Service Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters Forest Resource Planning.

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

Pop Quiz

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Who is this?

A. William McKinleyB. Teddy RooseveltC. Eleanor RooseveltD. Smokey Bear

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Who is this?

A. Walt WhitmanB. Henry David ThoreauC. John MuirD. Teddy Roosevelt

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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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Who is this?

A. John W. WeeksB. John E. WeeksC. John W. WeeksD. Edgar Weeks

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What do these people have in common?

Catalysts of Forest Conservation

Pop Quiz

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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

Forest Ownership

11U.S. Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey

U.S. Northern U.S.

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Forest Conservation: The Next Phase

Who are 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

Size Matters

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Size of Family Forest HoldingsNorthern U.S., 2006

U.S. Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey

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Size Matters

U.S. Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey

Beauty, Privacy,Nature & Legacy

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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

To Manage or Not to Manage – That

is the Question

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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

They’re a Bunch of Old Guys

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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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Plans for Family Forestland

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

How do we reach them?

Pop Quiz

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Who is this?

A. Woodsy OwlB. Smokey BearC. Connie FirD. Santa Claus

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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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Attitudinal SegmentationNorthern U.S., 2006

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 Segmentation Northern U.S., 2006

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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Group Membership

Sustaining Family Forests Initiative

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General Information Sources

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

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Pilot Study: Call Before You Cut

http://callb4ucut.com/

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