The Role of Assistance Foresters in Nonindustrial Private Forest Management: Alabama Landowners' Perspectives

Nonindustrial private forest landowners in Alabama were surveyed and assistance foresters' involvement in their management activities documented. Overall, assistance foresters have participated in some 58% of all forest management activities. Consulting foresters account for 45 to 50% of those activities involving assistance foresters. Public foresters have more small and low income landowners as their clients, and consulting and industry foresters assist more medium and large landowners. The perception of all assistance foresters by the landowners is positive, and reputation is a key to acquire new clients. Respondents also believe that the number of public foresters shouM stay roughly the same or be increased, and they are evenly divided about paying a fee for services provided by publicforesters. South. J. Appl. For. 22(2):101-105. About 59% of the commercial timberland in the United States and 70% of the timberland in the South are owned by nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners. These landowners have always been significant contributors to timber supply and forest management. As timber supplies from public forests in the Pacific Northwest decline, NIPF landowners in the South will assume an even larger role in timber supply. Many NIPF landowners lack expertise in forest management and timber marketing, and are unfamiliar with current market prices and practices (Munn and Rucker 1994). When NIPF landowners lack expertise, experience, and information, then services from public and private assistance foresters are essential for efficient markets and broad participation in forest management. Assistance foresters include three groups: public foresters who work for county, state, or federal agencies and whose services are provided without charge; consulting foresters who run their own forestry consulting business and who charge a fee for services; and industry foresters who work for forest industry firms and provide services to NIPF landowners on behalf of the firms. AssisNOTE: Manuscript received September 30, 1996 accepted May 20, 1997. Daowei Zhang is the corresponding author and can be reached at (334) 8441067; Fax: (334) 844-1084; E-mail: zhang@forestry.auburn.edu. The authors wish to thank Jerry M. Dwyer for his help. Bradley/Murphy Forestry and Natural Resource Extension Trust provided partial financial support for this study. tance foresters' services cover all aspects of forestry, including management plan preparation, timber harvesting, marketing, reforestation, timber stand improvement, and wildlife management. Assistance foresters influence not only the benefits obtained from timber sales and forest management for NIPF landowners, but also the long-term health and productivity of forestlands, which are important to the general public. Previous studies of assistance foresters indicate the extent of this influence. In Georgia, for example, an assistance forester affects on average some 6,000 ac of forestlands per year (Cubbage and Hodges 1986). A survey by the Association of Consulting Foresters of America, Inc. (1994) finds that its members and their firms impacted some 25 million ac of NIPF lands in 1993. Field (1986) documents the profiles, clienteles, and achievement of assistance foresters at the national evel. Hodges and Cubbage (1990) provide information on assistance activities of the three groups of foresters. Munn and Rucker (1994) estimate that on average the increased sale prices received by NIPF landowners roughly equal the fees consultants have charged for their services. Little detailed research has been conducted on landowners' perceptions of the quality and distribution of services provided by assistance foresters. There is also the question of why there should be free public assistance if private assistance is available (McColly 1996). This article presents the