(61) Educating Small Acreage Forest Landowners and Potential Service Providers

James Finley, Penn State Cooperative Extension, State College, PA; and Adam Downing, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Madison, VA

Concurrent Session: D1:  Reaching the Forestland Owner

The challenge of doing extension programming with owners of small forest parcels (i.e., less than 10 acres) in the Eastern United States (59% of the forest properties) is increasingly difficult as parcelization divides properties and landowners pursue non-timber objectives. While the overall acreage involved in these ownerships is relatively small (8% of forest base), these owners represent a growing underserved audience and potentially have significant political influence that could lead to increase support for forestry programs. Traditionally, forest stewardship programs target forest landowners with more than 10 acres, and it is unlikely that state or consulting foresters are going to shift their interests to small properties.

Extension foresters in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia designed and produced a high-quality, color, self-assessment manual entitled, “The Woods in Your Backyard: Learning to Create and Enhance Natural Areas Around Your Home” that uses a step-by-step process (and case study) that includes detailing objectives, drawing a map, inventorying and planning activities, and includes a focus on converting lawns to forest. The manual directs people to make informed decisions that ensure clean water, viable populations of native wildlife, recreational opportunities, and forest health. Within the first year following its release in October 2006, 3500 copies have been sold, mostly through train-the-trainer workshops in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia that encourage forestry, master gardener, and other volunteers to implement local outreach programs.

Along with programs directed to landowners, outreach programs have been extended to landscape contractors and arborists to encourage them to become service providers for this nontraditional audience - offering basic forestry services as part of their business model. In order to assess the impact of the outreach efforts to landowners and the current climate of potential service providers to these ideas, separate surveys were initiated in fall of 2007. This presentation will share the results of surveys with landowners, volunteers, and landscape and arborist professionals. It will also provide insights and assessments on approaches that are most effective based on experience, as well as new partnerships that have been developed to reach new audiences.

Jonathan Kays
University of Maryland Cooperative Extension
18330 Keedysville Road
Keedysville, MD 21756, USA
Phone: 301-432-2767 ext. 323
Fax: 301-432-4089
E-mail: jkays@umd.edu