National Woodland Owner Survey
by Brett Butler, USDA/Forest Service the National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) coordinator

Thursday, April 11th 

The Report

USFS Researcher Brett Butler joined NCSAF in April for a NCSAF luncheon discussing preliminary results of the latest National Woodland Owners Survey. Brett works out of the Northern Research Station and co-directs the Family Forest Research Center. The U.S. Forest Service’s National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) contacts approximately 5,000 private forest ownerships from across the U.S. every year to survey: who they are, why they own land, how they have used it in the past, and how they intend to use it in the future. 

According to preliminary data, there are over 10 million family forest ownerships, or more than 22 million family forest owners, in the United States. This ownership accounts for 35% of the nation’s forest resources and represents the largest forest ownership group in the U.S.  The latest NWOS data, collected in 2011 and 2012, represent the first time the program is remeasuring the sample points – if the ownerships were the same, they were resurveyed and otherwise new ownerships were surveyed for the first time.  Interesting trends are beginning to arise, most notably in landowner rationale for owning the land. It appears as though the desire to gain regular income or timber revenue from the land is of far lesser importance than the desire for scenic beauty, wildlife habitat conservation, or the maintenance of an important family legacy.

Brett and team hope to publish final results early next year.

The Announcement

There are over 10 million family forest ownerships in the United States and collectively they control 35% of the nation’s forest resources.  In order to create effective forest policies and programs, it is imperative to understand the characteristics of these ownerships and the trends in their characteristics.  The U.S. Forest Service’s National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) contacts approximately 5,000 private forest ownerships from across the U.S. every year to ascertain: who they are, why they own land, how they have used it in the past, and how they intend to use it in the future.  The latest NWOS data, collected in 2011 and 2012, represent the first time the program is remeasuring the sample points – if the ownerships were the same, they were resurveyed and otherwise new ownerships were surveyed for the first time.  These data will allow for unprecedented trend analyses to be performed.  Information on changes in land ownership characteristics (e.g., size of forest holdings), landowner attitudes, landowner behaviors, and landowner demographics will be presented along with the implications for forest policies and programs.

Location:   American Forest & Paper Association. 1111 19 th St NW, Suite 800.

Time:   NCSAF business starts at 11:45.  Presentation will be from 12:00-1:00 pm.

Lunch will be provided.

Questions:    Contact Christine Cadigan, Program Chair, at ccadigan@forestfoundation.org.

Brett Butler has worked for the USDA Forest Service since 1998.  In 2000, he joined the Forest Inventory and Analysis program at the Northern Research Station where he co-directs the Family Forest Research Center (FFRC), coordinates the National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS), and analyzes forest resources.  The FFRC is a joint venture between the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.  It is charged with conducting and coordinating research to increase our understanding of family forest owners’ attitudes, behaviors, needs, concerns, and demographics.  The NWOS is charged with determining who owns the forests of the U.S., why these people own forests, and what they intend to do with it.  Brett’s current research focuses on survey methods for collecting information from private forestland owners, analyzing trends in private forestland owners and the land that they own, and studying the factors that influence decisions made by private landowners.