African-American Forestland Owners in Alabama s Black Belt

Transcription

1 African-American Forestland Owners in Alabama s Black Belt ABSTRACT Jianbang Gan, Stephen H. Kolison Jr., and Nii O. Tackie A survey in Alabama s Black Belt counties reveals that, like other nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) owners in the region, African-American forestland owners have diverse ownership objectives and occupations and represent the relatively financially well-off and better educated group in their communities. However, they have lower household incomes, hold their properties longer, and manage forestland less intensively than NIPF owners in general. The constraints they faced indicate a strong need to engage them in the stewardship of their forest resources, but such an effort calls for different landowner assistance programs and approaches. Keywords: minority forestland owners; nonindustrial private forests Nonindustrial private forests (NIPF) account for about 71 percent of the total forestland area in the southern United States (Smith et al. 2001). In Alabama, the NIPF share is even greater, at 78 percent (Hartsell and Brown 2002). Among these NIPF owners are African-Americans, who control a noticeable portion of NIPF land area in certain parts of Alabama, particularly in the so-called Black Belt counties. Many such owners consider themselves underserved or underrepresented landowners missed by public programs and private services (USDA Forest Service 2000). The need to reach out to minority landowners has been recognized (US General Accounting Office 1997), but little is known about African-American forestland owners. This lack of information impedes the design and implementation of landowner assistance programs to address their needs. Who are these African-American Rory Stephens forestland owners? What are the attributes of their forests? Why do they own forestland and how do they manage their forest resources? What kind of assistance, if any, do they need? Answers to such questions would improve understanding of NIPF landowners in general and Alabama s African-American forestland owners in particular. Given the increasing importance of NIPF in timber and nontimber provision in the region and the nation (Best and Wayburn 2001) and the need to provide better services to minority landowners, our survey of African-American forestland owners seeks to enhance the development and implementation of public and private outreach programs. Above: Extension agents with Tuskegee University conduct a stream bioassessment as part of a forest management plan evaluation in Barbour County. 38 Journal of Forestry April/May 2003

2 The Study The rich soils of Alabama s Black Belt historically supported cotton plantations. The region is now also richly endowed with forest resources. The counties selected for this study Bullock, Butler, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Montgomery, Perry, Sumter, and Wilcox were chosen because of their relatively high concentration of both African- Americans and forest resources. The proportion of African-Americans in these counties ranges from 40.8 percent in Butler to 84.6 percent in Macon (US Bureau of the Census 2002). Forestland varies from 49.6 percent of the total land area in Montgomery to 83.9 percent in Butler. Seven of the 12 counties had more forest land use than the state average, 70.8 percent (Hartsell and Brown 2002). One challenge to surveying African- American forestland owners is the paucity of information about this population (Gan and Kolison 1999). Because a probability sampling method cannot be used when a population list is unavailable or cannot be compiled, we used snowball sampling obtaining referrals from initial subjects to generate additional subjects. Like any nonprobability sampling method, snowball sampling may introduce bias because the chance for each participant to be chosen is unknown. But because it is useful and economical for sampling unknown populations, snowball sampling has been increasingly used in social, health, and marketing studies (Henry 1990; Lavrakas 1993; Weisberg 1996). We compiled an initial list of African-American forestland owners in the study area from available sources: the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, the Alabama Forestry Commission, local forestland owner associations, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, and individuals who had worked with African-American landowners in the area. To minimize the potential sampling bias, we sought to cover a wide spectrum of African-American forestland owners, particularly in terms of ownership size and geographic location. The landowners in the initial list were interviewed face-to-face and asked to help identify other landowners. Landowners were interviewed according to the order they were entered on our list. The process continued until the number of landowners interviewed across all 12 counties exceeded 100. At that point, based on the descriptive statistics, we felt we had an adequate representation of the general African-American forestland owners in the study area. The remaining 182 landowners on the list were surveyed via mail using the same questionnaire. The standard Dillman (1978) method was used with three followups. A week after the initial mailing, a postcard reminder was sent to those who had not responded. A second reminder was sent three weeks later. The reminder included another copy of the questionnaire and a self-addressed envelope. Seven weeks after the initial mailing, a third reminder was mailed. The face-to-face landowner interviews, starting in fall 1999, were carried out by experienced farm specialists who were familiar with landowner surveys, forest landowners, and the study area. The entire survey process took about one year to complete, with 102 landowners interviewed in person and 69 valid mail responses received. There were no statistically significant differences between the means of key variables derived from the face-to-face interview and the mail survey data. All the data were therefore combined for analysis. The survey consisted of 34 questions, in landowner-friendly language, addressing forestland attributes, ownership objectives, past management activities, participation in landowner assistance programs, and characteristics of landowners. It had been tested using a selected small group of landowners. Results Landowner characteristics. A majority of the forest landowners surveyed were nonfarmers, and many were retirees thus they were quite similar to the other NIPF owners in the state (table 1, p. 40). Around 80 percent of them were at least 50 years old, and more than 38 percent were age 65 or older. More than 65 percent had at least a bachelor s degree far above the average education level of the general population in these counties, where, according to the 2000 census, fewer than 9 percent of the population have a college or higher degree. The median annual household income of these landowners was $30,000 to $49,999, significantly higher than the median household income in the counties. That forestland ownership was associated with higher income and educational levels parallels information on NIPF owners in general (Alig et al. 1990). Forestland ownership had not significantly contributed to the annual household income of these minority owners, however. Only about 4 percent said that revenues from forests made up at least one quarter of their annual household income. Forest attributes. The attributes of the forestland owned by the African- Americans are presented in table 2 (p. 41). The size of their forest tracts ranged from 2 to 700 acres, with a median size of 40 acres. Only 3 percent controlled 500 acres or more, and 73 percent owned less than 100 acres. About 15 percent of the landowners owned less than 10 acres. According to Birch (1997), about 69 percent of all NIPF owners surveyed in 1993 in Alabama owned less than 10 acres. The discrepancy might be due in part to the potential bias of the snowball sampling method: Large landowners are more noticeable and easier to identify, and thus they might be overrepresented in our survey. If those who owned less than 10 acres are excluded, the ownership patterns are quite similar. However, our results were generally consistent with other findings on overall NIPF ownerships in the state. Mc- Nabb and Bliss (1994) reported that 5 percent of landowners owned less than 8 acres. And Zhang et al. (1998) found that 32 percent of the landowners held less than 51 acres; our survey showed that about 54 percent of the African- American owners controlled less than 50 acres. In addition to forestland, most of the African-American landowners surveyed also owned nonforest land. The median amount of total land owned by the survey participants was twice that of their forestland. April/May 2003 Journal of Forestry 39

3 Table 1. Characteristics of African-American forestland owners in Alabama s Black Belt and of Alabama NIPF owners in general. Percentage of landowners African-Americans NIPF owners Characteristic (n = 171) in general Age 29 or younger (30 or younger) (31 50) (51 70) 65 or older (71 or older) 2 (no response) Education No high school diploma (or equivalent) High school (or equivalent) College or higher (no response) Occupation Farmer , 16 3 Nonfarmer , 84 3 Gender Male 77.2 Female 22.8 Annual household income <$10, $10,000 $29, $30,000 $49, ( $50,000) 3 $50, (>$50,000) Percentage of annual household income from forests % (<10%) % ( 10%) 50% Derived from McNabb and Bliss (1994). 2 Derived from Birch (1997). 3 Derived from Zhang et al. (1998). Most of the forests owned by the African-Americans were mixed pine and hardwood stands, followed by pine or hardwood-dominant stands. The median age of these forest stands was 14 to 20 years. Some 23 percent of the pines were younger than 10 years, and another 20 percent were 25 years or older. On average, the mixed stands and hardwood stands were older: About one-third of the hardwoods and 45 percent of the mixed stands were at least 25 years old. Most of the landowners had owned their forestland for a long period. Although about 17 percent of the survey participants had obtained their land during the past 10 years, 45 percent had held their properties longer than 25 years. African-American landowners tended to hold their forestland longer than Alabama NIPF owners in 40 Journal of Forestry April/May 2003 general; only 31 percent of the latter had owned their properties for more than 25 years. Many of the African- American parcels had been held in the family and passed down for generations, some since the abolishment of slavery (Molnar et al. 2001). Certain socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the landowners were found to be related to size and duration of ownership (table 3). The proportion of household income from forestland was positively correlated with size of ownership clearly, the larger the forestland holding, the greater its potential for contributing to household income but there was no statistically significant correlation between size of ownership and other socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. This indicates that income and education were not the dominant factors influencing ownership size or vice versa, although forestland ownership was associated with higher income and better education. This may be attributable to the ownership pattern and the diverse occupations and income sources of these landowners. Because three quarters of the landowners owned less than 100 acres, the contribution of forestland to household income was very limited. Income from other sources also reduced the effect of ownership size on household income. Income, education, and sex were negatively correlated with years of ownership. This does not necessarily mean that the landowners with higher income and educational levels tended to hold their properties for a shorter period; rather, the individuals with higher income and educational levels acquired their forestland later in life. In other words, those who acquired forestland more recently were more likely to be the individuals with relatively high income and good education, which provided financial ability and motivation for forestland acquisition and holding. Interestingly, women were more likely to hold their properties longer than men. Ownership objectives. Why do the African-Americans who participated in our survey own forestland? The answers were split between timber and nontimber production. About 28 percent of respondents indicated that their primary objective was timber production, including the production of sawtimber, pulpwood, and fuelwood. Almost the same percentage said that nontimber production was their most important ownership objective. Among the nontimber objectives, wildlife and hunting led the list, followed by watershed protection and recreation. Although no studies on NIPF owners exactly matched our categories of ownership objectives, the percentage of the African-American owners who considered timber production their primary objective was strikingly similar to that for Alabama NIPF owners in general (table 4, p. 42). In short, like other NIPF landowners, the African-American owners had diverse objectives, and many of them had multiple objectives.

4 Except for education, no socioeconomic and demographic variables were significantly correlated with African- American landowners consideration of timber production as the primary ownership objective. Landowners with a higher educational level were more inclined to value nontimber benefits of forests (table 3). Forest management. About 22 percent of the African-American landowners were aware of best management practices. Two thirds had implemented at least one management practice on their forestland (table 4). More than half had planted trees, about one third had fenced their property, 26 percent had used prescribed burning, 22 percent had thinned their forest stands, and 18 percent had established some fire protection measures, mainly firelines. Other management practices were less common. Fewer than 15 percent of the landowners had a forest management plan fewer than NIPF owners in general and their forestland was less intensively managed. About 43 percent of the landowners surveyed allowed cattle to graze on their forestland another noticeable difference between minority and nonminority landowners in the state, confirmed in previous studies (Gan and Kolison 1999; Molnar et al. 2001). More than two thirds of the African- American landowners had harvested timber from their forestland. This figure was comparable to the finding by Zhang et al. (1998), but higher than that of Birch (1997) on NIPF owners Table 2. Attributes of forestlands owned by African-Americans in Alabama s Black Belt and by Alabama NIPF owners in general. in general. Minority owners may be more likely to harvest timber because harvesting is negatively correlated with income (Alig et al. 1990), and in general African-American owners reported less income than NIPF owners overall. African-Americans NIPF owners (n = 171) in general Acreage of forestland Median % 69.1% % 20.6% % 4.4% % 3.3% % 1.8% % 0.5% 1,000 0% 0.3% Median acreage of total land owned 80 Mean proportion of pines in area 34% 31% 2 Mean proportion of hardwood in area 17% 50% 2 Mean proportion of mixed pine and hardwood in area 49% 19% 2 Median age of pine stands (years) Median age of hardwood stands (years) Median age of mixed stands (years) Years in ownership Median % 10.2% % 31.8% % 27.0% % 5.2% % 16.5% % 6.8% % 2.4% % 0.1% 1 Derived from Birch (1997). 2 Derived from Hartsell and Brown (2002). These figures are the state averages in area for all NIFP forestlands. All other figures in the table are in terms of ownership units. The proportion of household income from forestland was significantly correlated with forest management behavior (table 3). Tree-planting, development of forest management plans, and timber harvesting were positively Table 3. Correlations between demographics of African-American forestland owners and their forestland attributes and ownership, management, and program participation behavior. Annual gross Proportion of Occupation Gender household household income (1 for farmers, (1 for male, Attributes and behavior income from forestland 0 otherwise) Education Age 0 for female) Acreage of forestland owned *** Years in ownership 0.23*** ** 0.22*** 0.19** Timber production as the primary ownership objective ** Tree-planting *** Management plan *** Timber harvesting * 0.20** Request for technical assistance *** Request for financial assistance *** ** 0.03 *** significant at 1%; ** significant at 5%; * significant at 10%. NOTES: Figures are Pearson correlation coefficients. April/May 2003 Journal of Forestry 41

5 Table 4. Ownership objectives and management behavior of African- Americans in Alabama s Black Belt and of Alabama NIPF owners in general. correlated with the proportion of household income derived from forestland. The more dependent the household on income from forestland, the more likely the landowner was to plant trees, develop a management plan, and harvest timber. However, farmers were Percentage of landowners African-Americans NIPF owners (n = 171) in general Primary objective Investment, future income Timber production Nontimber benefits Wildlife, hunting 20.5 <8 Watershed protection 17.3 Recreation Management behavior Have harvested timber , 65 4 Have implemented at least one management practice Have allowed cattle to graze on forestland 43.3 Have a forest management plan Percentages may not sum to the total or 100 percent because respondents could choose more than one objective. 2 Derived from McNabb and Bliss (1994). 3 Derived from Birch (1997). 4 Derived from Zhang et al. (1998). Table 5. Landowner assistance for African-American forestland owners in Alabama s Black Belt. Percentage of landowners (n = 171) The most-needed technical assistance Management plan design 35.1 Tree-planting 33.3 Wildlife management 22.2 Cattle grazing 20.5 Timber marketing or sale 15.6 Prescribed burning 15.2 Disease control 15.2 The most-needed financial assistance Cost share for tree-planting and forest management 60.2 Grant or loan to rent or buy equipment 47.4 Grant or loan to pay for consulting services 32.2 Tax credit to keep the property 7.0 Have requested technical assistance 39.2 Have received technical assistance 29.8 Have requested financial assistance 28.7 Have received financial assistance 11.1 Preferred ways to receive information and assistance In-field demonstration or training 66.7 Short courses or workshops 56.7 How-to brochures 22.2 less likely to harvest trees than nonfarmer owners. Landowner assistance. Many of the African-American landowners surveyed expressed interest in technical assistance in forest management. More than 35 percent indicated that obtaining a management plan was where they needed the most help (table 5). One third said that assistance in tree-planting was most needed, and some 22 percent identified wildlife management as their first priority. Assistance in managing cattle grazing was also a priority. Among the most-needed kinds of financial assistance were cost sharing for tree-planting and forest management, and grants or loans for equipment purchase or rental and for consulting services. Although these landowners had not received much assistance from consulting foresters, they appeared willing to request technical assistance if the consultants services could be made more affordable through grants or loans. Many landowners said they did not know how or where to request help. In the past, about 39 percent had requested technical assistance, but fewer than 30 percent had received technical assistance from various sources mainly the Alabama Forestry Commission, Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, and US Department of Agriculture. These landowners had also obtained some assistance from consulting foresters and from friends and relatives. Even fewer landowners had requested or received financial assistance. A majority were not aware of federal and state cost-share programs and the availability of other grants or loans. Landowners who said they would like to receive information and assistance would prefer personal contacts, such as infield demonstrations and short courses and workshops, over brochures and other printed materials. Proportion of household income derived from forest resources was positively correlated with the request for technical and financial assistance: Those who were more dependent on forestland income were more likely to ask for assistance. Age was positively correlated with requests for financial assistance but not technical assistance. No other socioeconomic and demographic characteristics were significantly correlated with requests for assistance: Those with low income and educational levels were not more likely to seek assistance than richer and better-educated landowners. 42 Journal of Forestry April/May 2003

6 Recommendations African-American forestland owners in Alabama s Black Belt have much in common with other NIPF landowners in the region. They are diverse in ownership objectives and occupations, and most are nonfarmers. The size of forestland they own varies considerably but is generally small, and their forests are not their major source of income. On average, they are better educated and have a higher household income than the general population in the study area. Although they are at least as likely as other NIPF owners to harvest timber, their forestland is less intensively managed, and fewer of them have forest management plans. This suggests potential for improving the productivity of their forestland and enhancing their income from forestland through more intensive management, which can be achieved through technical assistance. Most of the African-American landowners know they need technical assistance but are not familiar with available sources, and programs that disseminate information in written form may not be appropriate. Moreover, many of these landowners face more difficult financial constraints than the average NIPF owner in the region and cannot afford consulting services or even cost sharing. Barriers to reaching these landowners, particularly those with small tracts and financial and technical constraints, need to be removed through more proactive assistance programs. Public programs that provide services at relatively low cost should be strengthened. Consulting foresters can also expand their services to African-American landowners if financial assistance for these landowners to pay for such services is available. To reach out to more African-American landowners, thus enhancing sustainable management of the forest resources they own, we suggest that policymakers, educators, and consultants More widely and effectively advertise landowner assistance programs to minority landowners. Deliver assistance in the audience s preferred way that is, in person rather than through printed materials. Recognize barriers to minority owners participation in assistance programs, in particular, the inability of some to afford even cost-sharing services. Identify the landowners who are most in need (because of low income and education) and provide assistance. The landowner characteristics revealed by our study have several implications for rural development and technical assistance to African-American forestland owners. First, because these forest landowners are relatively well-off and well educated, they can play an important role in local rural community development. The knowledge acquired by these landowners would eventually diffuse through their communities. Second, although the average income of these landowners is above the county average, it is still lower than that of Alabama s NIPF owners in general. In fact, more than 30 percent of the households earn less than $30,000 annually. Enabling them to enhance their income through responsible forestry is critical to improving their quality of life and alleviating rural poverty. Finally, these landowners may not have a good understanding of forest management. Because more than 80 percent of them are nonfarmers, their experience in managing natural resources may be limited. Yet their relatively high level of education may make it easier to teach them about forest management. Technical assistance to these landowners would encourage efficient and sustainable management of their forests. Ours was a pilot study intended to understand African-American forestland owners in Alabama s Black Belt. Although snowball sampling was a viable and practical approach for this study, it cannot guarantee an unbiased sample. Nevertheless, our results provide some insights into African-American forestland owners in Alabama s Black Belt. We hope this study encourages further research on African-American forestland owners and other ethnic groups, which would ultimately provide a more comprehensive picture about NIPF landowners overall. Literature Cited ALIG, R.J., K.J. LEE, and R.J. MOULTON Likelihood of timber management on nonindustrial private forests: Evidence from research studies. General Technical Report SE-60. Asheville, NC: USDA Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station. BEST, C., and L.A. WAYBURN America s private forests: Status and stewardship. Washington, DC: Island Press. BIRCH, T.W Private forest-land owners of the southern United States, Resource Bulletin NE-138. Radnor, PA: USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. DILLMAN, D.A Mail and telephone surveys: The total design method. New York: John Wiley & Sons. GAN, J., and S.H. KOLISON JR Minority forestland owners in southern Alabama. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry 23(3): HARTSELL, A.J., and M.J. BROWN Forest statistics for Alabama, Resource Bulletin SRS-67. Asheville, NC: USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station. HENRY, G.T Practical sampling. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. LAVRAKAS, P.J Telephone survey methods: Sampling, selection, and supervision. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. MCNABB, K., and J.C. BLISS Nonindustrial private forest owner attitudes toward the use of silvicultural herbicides. Journal of Natural Resource and Life Science Education 23: MOLNAR, J., A. BITTO, and G. BRANT Core conservation practices: Adoption barriers perceived by small and limited resource farmers. Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 646. Auburn University, AL. SMITH, W.B., J.S. VISSAGE, D.R. DARR, and R.M. SHEFFIELD Forest resources of the United States, General Technical Report NC-219. St. Paul, MN: USDA Forest Service, North Central Research Station. US BUREAU OF THE CENSUS State and county quick facts. Washington, DC. Available online at quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/01000.html; last accessed by staff January USDA FOREST SERVICE Reaching out to America. Interim Strategic Public Outreach Plan (FS665). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. US GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE Farm programs: Efforts to achieve equitable treatment of minority farmers. Letter Report, 01/24/97, GAO/RCED Washington, DC. WEISBERG, H.F An introduction to survey research, polling, data analysis, 3rd ed. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. ZHANG, D., S. WARREN, and C. BAILEY The role of assistance foresters in nonindustrial private forest management: Alabama landowners perspectives. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry 22(2): Jianbang Gan (j-gan@silva.tamu.edu) is associate professor, Department of Forest Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX ; Stephen H. Kolison Jr. is director, Cooperative Agricultural Research Program, Tennessee State University, Nashville; Nii O. Tackie is farm management specialist, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama. Funding: USDA Fund for Rural America competitive grants program. April/May 2003 Journal of Forestry 43