Stephanie Snyder, USDA Forest Service Mike Kilgore, University of MN

Transcription

1 Stephanie Snyder, USDA Forest Service Mike Kilgore, University of MN

2 65% Private 35% Public Butler et al. 2015

3 Jointly owned by 2 or more individuals. Same rights to use and access the entire property, regardless of fraction of ownership interest. Also known as Heir Property. Undivided interest ownership occurs when: 1) Owner bequeaths property to heirs 2) Landowner dies without a valid will 3) Land sale to multiple buyers

4 Undivided interest land ownership is ubiquitous in the United States. High occurrence among minorities, Native Americans, and in low-income regions. 1/3 of Rural African-American Land Owned as UDIs (Graber, 1978). Tribal Land Holdings with Hundreds of Co- Owners (Shoemaker, 2003).

5 Undivided Interest Property: Often unmanaged, abandoned, partitioned, forced into sale. Less likely to be productively used or invested in. Complicates ability to carry out land management All owners need to agree. Trouble qualifying for loans or technical/financial assistance.

6 1. How prevalent are multi-owner ownerships among US family forests? 2. Are there relationships between the number of owners and forest management behavior?

7 Forest land owned by a greater number of individuals is: LESS likely to have been managed. LESS likely to have been enrolled in forestry programs. LESS likely to be managed in the future. MORE likely to be transferred (e.g., sold).

8 Census of private forest owners in the U.S. Administered by the U.S. Forest Service (FIA) NWOS seeks to better understand: Landowner characteristics Why they own land How they have used it How they intend to use it

9 How many people are part of this ownership? ( NWOS data cycle) Source: Metla

10 Non-corporate owners (i.e., family forest land) Single parcel owners Forest parcels 4.05 hectares (10 acres) Useable NWOS records = 4,259

11 One Owner Ownerships 29% Two Owner Ownerships 55% Parcel Ownerships 10 Acre Ownerships N= 4, GT10 NUMBER OF OWNERS

12 PAST Activities Harvested Timber Improved Wildlife Habitat Eliminated Invasive Plants Built Roads or Trails Controlled Burn Reduce Fire Hazard Cost Share Easement Property Tax Program Leased Land No Recent Activity FUTURE Activities Harvest Timber Improve Habitat Build Road or Trail Transfer Land

13 LANDOWNER ACTION % of Respondents Past Actions YES NO COMMERCIAL TIMBER HARVEST (Last 5 YEARS) COMMERCIAL TIMBER HARVEST (EVER) IMPROVE WILDLIFE HABITAT REMOVE INVASIVE PLANT CONTROLLED BURN 9 91 COST SHARE PROGRAM PROPERTY TAX PROGRAM CONSERVATION EASEMENT 5 95 LEASED LAND NO ACTIVITY PLANNED ACTIONS (5 YEARS) HARVEST IMPROVE WILDLIFE HABITAT TRANSFER LAND 15 85

14 No respondent-specific information (e.g., attitudes, demographic, concerns) included in our model (don t have NWOS data from all owners of parcel) Covariates Included: Wooded Acres Owned Number of Owners Continuous Categories (1, 2 or 3+ Owners) Involvement in Decision-Making Self Family Professional (Forester or Land Manager) 14

15 MARGINAL EFFECTS (Continuous Owner Var) LANDOWNER ACTION ACRES NUMBER OF OWNERS FAMILY PROFESSIONAL Commercially Harvested Timber (last 5 years) 0.060**** ** 0.243**** Commercially Harvested Timber (ever) 0.073**** 0.290**** Improved Wildlife Habitat (last 5 years) 0.071**** 0.104*** Removed Invasive Plants (last 5 years) 0.036**** 0.031* Built/Improved Trails (last 5 years) 0.023**** 0.037** 0.147**** Reduce Fire Hazard (last 5 years) 0.038**** 0.024* Conducted Controlled Burn (last 5 years) 0.030**** Conveyed Easement (last 5 years) 0.014**** 0.032*** Received Cost Share (last 5 years) 0.062**** 0.119**** Leased Land 0.079**** **** Participated in Forest Property Tax Program 0.041**** 0.040** 0.368**** No Activity (last 5 years) **** *** Commercially Harvest Timber (next 5 years) 0.071**** 0.249**** Improve Wildlife Habitat (next 5 years) 0.069**** 0.136**** Build Road (next 5 years) 0.087**** 0.085*** Build Trail (next 5 years) 0.039**** 0.170**** Transfer Land (next 5 years) 0.018**** ** ** * p 0.10 ** p 0.05 *** p 0.01 ****p

16 LESS likely to have: Removed invasive plants Improved wildlife habitat Reduced fire hazard Plan to improve habitat Conducted controlled burn Build trails Received cost-share $$ MORE likely to have: Leased their land Participated in property tax program Undertaken no recent forestry activities

17 LESS likely to have: Removed invasive plants Reduced fire hazard Conducted controlled burn Received cost share $$ Conducted commercial timber harvest Plan for a future commercial timber harvest Built roads Also found with 1 vs. 2 owners comparisons Never MORE likely to carry out an activity

18 Acreage matters a lot! Forester impact very influential. Family member influence less than expected. Number of owners and management activity matters somewhat, but not in the way we thought.

19 Forest land owned by a greater number of individuals are: Less MORE likely to undertake some land mgmt activities (e.g. harvest timber, improve habitat). in the past plan to do so in the future Less MORE likely to participate in cost-share assistance programs. NO More or LESS likely to sell their forest land.

20 More Robust Models Query all owners of undivided interest parcels. Include market, policy, owner and parcelspecific variables. Qualitative Work (case studies, focus groups) Decision-making structure and process. Dynamics of the decision-making process. Role of social norms, community/familial relationships.

21 Thanks!