Private Forest-Land Owners of the United States

Birch, Thomas. Private Forest-Land Owners of the United States. 1994. USDA FS. RBNE 134.

Information from a recent study of forest-land owners has provided a new estimate of the number of ownerships and insight into the attitudes and actions of this important group of decision makers. Nearly 47 percent of private forestland is in ownerships of more than 500 acres. An estimated 45 percent of thes owners have harvested timber from their holdings at some time in the past. Owners have a positive attitude toward timber cutting at a time when there is greater demand for products from the forest. Interest in harvesting the timber resource has created a situation in which watchful monitoring and good stewardship are needed to maintain the productivity of ecosystem for future generations.