| Nearly three-quarters of Eastern forests are owned by private forest landowners (PFLs); the combined decisions made by PFLs have important implications on forest resources. We all benefit from the economic, aesthetic, recreational, and ecological services private forests provide. However, America's forested landscape is changing. Forests are becoming more physically disconnected as their surrounding land uses become increasingly urban in nature. In addition, the number of forest owners is increasing, while average forest parcel size is decreasing. The movement from large ownerships toward a more diverse range of owners has resulted in a multiplicity of management approaches, land tenure, and landowner characteristics. Each of these shifts can potentially lead to a diverse pattern of forest uses and conversion rates across the nation's landscape. If functional forest landscapes are to be maintained, efforts must be made to engage PFLs in forest management. This dissertation addresses the question of who Pennsylvania's PFLs are, and informs efforts to engage them in discussions and efforts to improve forest management. The research presented here focuses on where PFLs get their information, the type of management practices they engage, why they own their forestland, and how these motivations and intentions change over time. The PFL typologies presented here provide an important foundation for continuing to create alternative outreach approaches, reflective of PFLs' interests and goals in Pennsylvania. Implications of results are discussed and avenues for future research noted. |
