Family Forestry ConcernsFamily Forestry Concernsin Washington Statein Washington State

Donald Hanley, PhD, WSU Extension Forester

with additional slides by Creighton, Baumgartner, and BlatnerDepartment of Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University

• The purpose of this presentation is to give you a brief overview of the educational and technical assistance program available to family forest landowners in the state.

• Enjoy the Forest• Experience and Observe Nature• Understand the Ecological Web

• Understand the Interplay of Humans & Forests• Make Decisions on Environmental Issues

• Be Responsible for the Future• Become a Mentor

Some Goals for Today

Adapted from:NORWEGIAN FORESTRY EXTENSION INSTITUTE

www.skogkurs.no

We will NOT be talking about individual trees. . .

Even though we know that these trees are some of the most important ones!

And sometimes they are just in the wrong place!

Or they growway too fast

Forest

Non-forest

20.7 MM Acres

49%

21.9 MM Acres 51%

Total Area by Land ClassWashington State

Source: US Forest Service 1997, WFPA 2000

• Families own 3.1 million acres (20% of forestland in WA.)

Native Am.8%

Federal29%

Industry28%

State/ county12%

Family20%

Source: US Forest Service 1997

Family forest ownership in Washington is over 3.1 million acres!

Can you visualize a parcel of land that is 3.1 million acres

How far would a two mile-wide swath stretch from Seattle going East along I-90?

Over 2421 miles!From Seattle to Cleveland OH

Where are they located in the state?

Where are they located in the state?

These family forests have an enormous responsibility to steward the public resources of

clean air and water – all the while providing significant wildlife habitat!

And this habitat comes in all shapes and sizes

Forest management challengesForest management challenges

•Forest conditions•Resource protection

Fire Insects Disease

•Economic considerations

•Water quality•Forest fragmentation•Endangered species•Ecosystem-based

management

Challenges and Opportunities for Family Forest Owners

“Most landowners want to do what is right for the land”Don Hanley, 1983

• Estate Planning

• Regulatory Issues & Stability

• Management Planning & Implementation

• Insufficient Educational & Technical Assistance Opportunities

• Development Pressures

• Loss of Markets/Fluctuating Prices

• Recreational Demands

Who are they?

• Average age of respondent: 57 years

• 85% Male

• 93% Caucasian

• 50% annual income of $50,000

• Acreage owned• Range from 1 to 10,000 acres• Median parcel size: 40 acres

• Length of ownership• Mean 23 years

• 50% reside on their property

• 50% absentee• 48% live > 50 miles from forest

property(Respondents N = 872)

Ownership Objectives

Primary Reason for ownership

Very to somewhat important

Privacy 88%

Satisfaction from owning land 88

Personal/Sentimental attachment to land

87

Scenic beauty and aesthetics 85

Provide wildlife habitat 81

A legacy for my children 77

Protect fisheries and wildlife 73

Let nature take its course 67

A place to hike and camp 59

Income from timber 48

Investment for future resale of land 45

A place to hunt and fish 34

Access to nearby recreation 34

A place to ride motorbikes, etc. 16

Eventual commercial development 14

Income from hunting leases 1

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

State NationalForest

Industry Family

1980-89 1990-99 2000-02

Average Harvest Volumes by OwnershipWashington State

(MMM BF)

Timber HarvestingWhen do you plan to harvest?

• Within the next 5 years 24%

• Within 6 to 10 years 8%

• Possible at some future date 28%

• No plans to harvest 30%

• Unsure 9%

Landscape PerspectiveLandscape PerspectiveStatement Agree

• Forests and woodlands do not benefit the local community 04%

• My land provides important habitat for wildlife 88%

• Wetlands are of no benefit to others 06%

• What my neighbor does on their land 15%does not affect me or my land

• My land is part of a much larger system 73%

• What I do on my land affects others 69%

• I would consider working with others if it meant the 67% forest would be better off

• My land is not important to others 20%

• My property is insignificant in the big picture of all the 32%land in the county

Statement Agree

• Society has no responsibility to provide for future 05%

• I have a responsibility to leave my land in at least as 86%good a shape as I found it.

• What I do on my land will not matter in the long term 15%

• My land should provide for the needs of future plant 75%and animal species

• My land need not provide for the future 13%

• Land is a testament to the previous owner 66%

Temporal VisionTemporal Vision

Small Scale Issues

Long-term Problems:• Trespassing• Poaching• Vandalism• Illegal dumping• Timber theft• Non-timber theft• Had a substantial fire (<10 yrs)

Conclusions

• Owners are more highly educated• Owners are more affluent• Owners are more highly computer literate

than ever before• Owners hold views on the environment

and resource management similar to the public at large

• Many owners struggle to balance environment and other values against monetary concerns

Based on these Conclusions

WhatEducational Assistance

andTechnical Assistance is

Available?

Forest Stewardship Educational Program

established 1989

• We made the transition in 1989 from a “timber management only” program to one that gets family forest landowners interested in their forest ecosystem regardless of their ownership objectives. Timber management and other techniques are then used to help owners achieve their personal objectives.

The Forest Stewardship Educational Program is

sponsored by these

organizations working in

partnership!

Backyard Forest Stewardship Program

Backyard Forest Stewardship Program

Summer 2008 Twilight Tours – King County Examples

Publications vary from Songbirds to Tree Pruning to Harvesting

Many available as pdf downloads for “free”

An “In the Woods Event”

Try these great websites!

ext.nrs.wsu.eduwww.ruraltech.orgwww.dnr.wa.gov

Washington DNR Website Best for technical assistance and regulatory information

And to schedule a forester, wildlife biologist or forest health expert to visit your property

Another GREAT website is:

www.ruraltech.org

A UW-CFR Educational Center

WSU Extension Forestry Website:ext.nrs.wsu.edu

For Additional InformationContact:

• Don Hanley – WSU Extension Forester

• College of Forest ResourcesUniversity of WashingtonPO Box 352100Seattle WA 98195-2100

• dhanley@u.washington.edu

• 206-685-4960