Non-industrial Landowners, the Incentive to Forego Harvesting, and the Importance of Scale of Activities

Abstract

Despite all that has been written regarding NIPF landowners, there have not been any studies providing a clear examination of willingness to harvest using a range of harvesting prices. An interesting problem that has not been previously examined is the determination of the relationship between the decision to harvest and the characteristics of owners and their land, such as preferences, landowner type (absentee vs. resident), site qualities, that function in determining potential scale of harvesting activities. This study examines which of these characteristics are important in landowner decisions regarding timber harvesting. Landowner access to land and preferences regarding land use are important in the decision to forego harvesting, while landowner type (absentee vs. resident), access to land, and preferences regarding land use are important in determining scale activities.