(Cover Letter) January 27, Joe Doe 123 State Street Abc, MI Dear Joe:

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1 (Cover Letter) January 27, 1997 Joe Doe 123 State Street Abc, MI Dear Joe: We need your help-- about 5 minutes worth. Michigan State University Extension is conducting a statewide mail survey of a sample of Michigan's private forest landowners. Your name was randomly selected from property tax rolls in the county in which your forest land is located. The purpose of this survey is to determine what type of information private landowners are seeking in regards to the ownership of their forested property. In addition, this survey will determine how private forest landowners currently get information about managing their land as well as what methods of communication they prefer to receive information about their forest land. As a group, the private forest landowners in Michigan own one-half of Michigan's valuable forest resource. Therefore, the ability of private forest landowners to maintain good stewardship of Michigan's forests is key to the long term sustainability of this natural resource. MSU Extension has a tradition of sponsoring educational programs for private forest landowners and it is extremely interested in your responses. The information collected through this survey will be used to formulate new educational programs and approaches to providing information for private forest landowners in Michigan. Please return the survey by March 15, For your convenience, we have enclosed a stamped envelope already addressed to AEE Center for Evaluative Studies, 409 Agriculture Hall, MSU, East Lansing, MI We hpe to have results analyzed by late spring. Thank you for helping us learn how to serve you better. If you have any questions about this survey, do not hesitate to call Ralph duffek at Sincerely, Ralph Duffek, CED Co-Chair, Forestry AOE MSU Extension

2 (First follow-up letter or it could be a post card) February 10, 1996 Last week you were mailed a questionnaire titled Non-Industrial Private Forestland Owner Survey. If you have already completed and returned the questionnaire, please accept our sincere thanks. If not, please do so as soon as possible. The return of your completed questionnaire will help us design future Forest Extension programs and services. If by some chance you did not receive the questionnaire, or it got misplaced, you will receive another one within the next two weeks. Sincerely, Ralph Duffek, CED Co-Chair, Forestry AOE MSU Extension

3 (Second follow-up letter) March 3, 1997 Dear Non-Industrial Private Forrestland Owners: We need your help to finalize the study to determine the what type of information private landowners are seeking in regards to the ownership of their forested property. On January 27, you were sent a survey concerning your thoughts about what type of information private landowners are seeking in regards to the ownership of their forested property and how private forest landowners currently get information about managing their land as well as what methods of communication they prefer to receive information about their forest land. A reminder post card was sent to you about two weeks later, and until now we have not received your survey. If you have already returned this information, thanks for your cooperation. If you have not yet completed the survey, and by chance you have misplaced it, another survey and self addressed return envelope is enclosed. We understand that you are very busy with Spring preparations, but your help is needed to determine the future direction of forestry Extension for private land owners. Please fill out the survey today, so that your perspectives are added to those of other producers. If you have any questions or concerns, please phone me at (906) Thank you in advance for your help. Sincerely, Ralph Duffek, CED Co-Chair, Forestry AOE Team MSU Extension

4 NON-INDUSTRIAL PRIVATE FOREST LANDOWNER SURVEY 1. How many acres of forest land do you currently own? 2. How many years have you owned this property? 3. Do you live on your forested property or is your primary residence elsewhere? a. Primary Residence on my forested property b. Primary Residence is elsewhere c. Other (please explain) 4. Why do you own your property? Please check the primary reason for your owning forest land: a. Wildlife b. Outdoor Recreation c. Financial Investment d. Legacy/Pass onto children e. Other (please describe) 5. Please check the type of activities that you have performed on your property during your length of ownership: a. Harvested timber for income b. Planted trees & shrubs c. Had written management plan prepared d. Completed wildlife projects (other than planting) e. Hunted, fished or other forms of outdoor recreation f. Other (please describe) 6. Please check what type of activities that you hope to perform on your forested property over the next five years? a - f choices as above any others to add? 7. Please rank the subject matter areas you are most interested in learning more about: (1=highest priority, 10=lowest priority) a. Hardwood Timber Management

5 b. Softwood Timber Management c. Wildlife Management for Game Species d. Wildlife Management for Non-Game Species e. Tree Planting f. Timber Income Tax Management g. Property Tax Management h. Water Quality, Erosion & Best Management Practices i. Maple Syrup Production j. Other (please describe) 8. Please check the methods of communication that you consider most useful in receive information and learning about your forest land: (1=most useful 11=least useful) a. Indoor Group Meetings/Workshops b. Outdoor Field Trips c. Written habdouts, bulletins & pamphlets d. Videotapes e. Television Programs f. Radio programs g. Newspaper articles h. Audio Tapes i. Newsletters j. Hunting, Fishing & Other Outdoor Publications k. Other (Please describe) 9. For educational programs involving group seesions (workshops, field trips, etc.), how long are you willing to travel from home to attend such sessions? (check one) a. Less than one hour b. Between one and two hours c. Other (please describe) 10. What time of year is the most convenient for you to attend programs relating to ownership of your forest lands? (1= most preferred; 4= least preferred) a. Winter b. Spring c. Summer d. Fall The following are some questions that may be appropriate to ask Michigan's forest landowners in our survey. Please review, add to and

6 delete so we can discuss during our conference call on Friday. Michigan State university Extension is conducting a random survey of Michigan's non-industrial forest landowners (NIPF) to better assess what is needed in educational programs. As a group, the NIPF owner represents one-half of Michigan's valuable forest resource, and it is extremely important that the landowner is knowledgeable about resource management if we are going to be good stewards of our forest land. NIPF LANDOWNER SURVEY 1. How many acres of forest land do your currently own? 2. How many years have you owned this property? 3. Please check the primary reason for your forest land ownership: a. Wildlife b. Recreation c. Timber Investment d. Inheritance e. Other 4. Please check the forest management activities in which you have participated during your ownership: a. Timber Harvesting b. Tree Planting c. Timber management plan d. Wildlife projects 5. Please rank the educational topic areas in which you would be interested in participating: (1=highest priority, 5=lowest priority) a. Timber Management b. Wildlife Management c. Timber Tax Management d. Commercial Forest Act e. Sugar Maple Syrup production 6. Please indicate the preferred method in which you would like to receive educational information: (1=most preferred, 5=least preferred) a. Group sessions b. Video c. TV d. Written handouts e. Other Steve... 1.) Are you familiar with the following landowner resources and educational programs available through your County Michigan State University Extension office? a.) Forestry information publications such as "Guidelines for Improving

7 Northern Hardwood Timber", "Identifying Trees of Michigan", "Tree Planting in Michigan", "Timber Sale Contracts" and forestry management publications from other universities? Yes Some NO b.) Annual regional workshops available to you such as "Timber Contracts", "Managing Income Tax from a Timber Sale", "Forest Floor Edible Plants", Woodland owners Workshop", or "Regional Forest managment Conferances". Yes Some No 2.)What type of information would you like to recieve from Michigan State University Extension that would improve your land owning expierience. a.) none b.) c.) d.) 3.)What type of format do you prefer to recieve information from Michigan State University Extension? a.) none b.) Mail c.)personal visit by forester/landowner specialest d.) Group presentation e.) Oter - Explanin. 4.)How many Michigan State University Extension Forestry/landowner Specialests/agents do you think should be supported by Michigan State University to assist landowners accross the state in their landowning expierience? Circle the dot or number that represents your feeling