Does Landowner Awareness and Knowledge Lead to Sustainable Forest Management? A Vermont Case Study

Authors

Rene’ H. Germain, State University of New YorkFollow
Bryan Ellis, New York State Department of Environmental ConservationFollow
Stephen V. Stehman, State University of New YorkFollow

Volume

52

Issue

6

DOI

10.34068/joe.52.06.14

Abstract

Family forest owners control 40% of forestland in the United States. Timber harvesting on family forests represents a critical component of the nation's wood supply. We examined how awareness and knowledge translated into actual forest management practices. We conducted field surveys on 59 family forest properties, coupled with a landowner survey designed to measure landowner engagement. We determined that engaged landowners implemented silviculture and Best Management Practices at a higher level than their less engaged counterparts. Improvement was needed across the board. Forestry Extension professionals should continue to promote and re-enforce awareness and knowledge among landowners.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Germain, R. H., Ellis, B., & Stehman, S. V. (2014). Does Landowner Awareness and Knowledge Lead to Sustainable Forest Management? A Vermont Case Study. The Journal of Extension, 52(6), Article 14. https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.52.06.14