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

bbutler01@fs.fed.us; 413.545.1387

www.fia.fs.fed.us/nwos www.EngagingLandowners.org

www.FamilyForestResearchCenter.org