Reaching Beyond the Choir:To Underserved Private

Forest Landowners

Adam K. Downing

Forestry & Natural Resources Agent, Northern District

Situation

• A relatively rapid rate of ownership turnover.• Need to continually attract new and unreached

landowners to educational opportunities. 

Fig 2. Forestland ownership in Extension’s Northern District.

Public 7%

Forest Industry 6%

Private Forest Landowner

87%

Fig 1. Virginia’s land use distribution.

Wetland 4%Water 2% Residential 3%

Transitional 1%

Agriculture24%

Forest68% 120,000 landowners,

2.4 million acres

Goals• Reach Forest landowners

– “bring them into the fold”

• Educational objectives:– As a result of attending an all day conference, participants will….

• Identify one or more specific stewardship actions to take on their land.

• Network with other landowners.• “Get connected” with public and private natural

resource professionals.

Methods & “keys”

• 2 day-long conferences– mix of session types: general & concurrent– Accessible location– Time of year and Saturday– Mix of material: large & small acreage owners

• silviculture, invasive control, fish ponds, wildlife habitat, alternative income opportunities, tree id, backyard birding, forest history, forest future, myths, planning, cost share programs, selling timber, etc., etc.

Methods & “keys” - continued

• Planning Committee– Broad representation: natural resource

related agencies, landowners, associations, etc.

– Keep it “nimble”– Meet once to brain storm topics, identify a

good balance (acreage)

Methods & “keys” – continued

• Marketing– Take advantage of

“WILDLIFE”– “Couple” friendly

registration– Exciting word choice

Methods & “keys”

- continued

• Promotion– Quad-fold

brochure– Posters– E-mail notices– Newsletter

announcements– Press releases

Methods & “keys”

• $ support– First year = grant– Subsequent years = sponsors– 2 forest industry sponsors at $200.00 each

• Increases “buy-in” • Helps the budget• Looks good on faculty reports

Impacts• 684 individual participants.

~ 66% each year are new to Nat. Res. Education

• ~ 80% each year identify at least one action to take

• 1-year follow-up:– 89% indicated they had put into practice something on their land– 78% identified more than one action they had taken

Keep up the good work; best use of my tax dollars I can think of!

Thank you for providing an opportunity to enhance my property’s usefulness and future.

Super opportunity to network with all the various agencies.

Impacts

Attendee distribution from 2005