Small Scale Forestry in Southeastern Oklahoma

Abstract

The objective of this study is to provide information that can be used to better customize consulting services, programs, and policies so that they can appeal more effectively to their target audience, better assist in meeting landowner wants and needs, and address the strengths and weaknesses of their private forest management. This objective can be met through the development of a profile of landowners in southeastern Oklahoma. This profile can be generated from survey data and be further developed through addressing several research questions and constructing a few economic models. This survey was sent to private owners of more than 50 acres of forested land in Atoka, Chocaw, Johnson, Latimer, LeFlore, McClain, McCurtain, Pittsburg, and Pushmataha counties. This study found that there were significant sub-categories within the sample, such that it would be more illuminating to divide the sample into these categories in the future. Timber planning was linked to consulting, but consulting was not as good an indicator of timber planning. This indicates that timber planning is the better indicator of management style. Landowners were shown not to be excellent judges of how sustainable their forest practices were. This is likely due to considering sustainability issues leading to perceiving them more often in one's own management. Willingness to manage for carbon sequestration was linked to forested proportion, number of times timber was harvested by the landowner, management intensity. With this information it would be possible for private landowner related consultants, programs, and policies to more effectively identify and interact with their target audience.