Thinning is a necessary silvicultural activity for restoring the long-term sustainability of pine forests in much of the southwestern United States. In northern Arizona, a landscape-scale restoration effort, called the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, has been implemented to recover the long-term sustainability of 2.4 million acres on four national forests. Cost-effective and efficient thinning

Forest-based payments for ecosystem services markets have grown considerably in recent years. Besides timber products from harvests, forests offer multiple nontimber and intrinsic benefits, which could be important sources of income for landowners. In summer 2019, we organized four region-specific educational workshops all across North Carolina to educate landowners, Extension agents, and natural resource

September 2020

We developed a case study for estimating carbon stock (stored and annually sequestered) in aboveground and belowground portions of all the live trees located on the main campus of the University of Georgia. We recorded species, diameter at breast height, and height of trees located between East Broad Street and Carlton Street (north–south direction) and East Campus Road and Lumpkin Street (east–west

Abstract In heavily forested rural areas, tax-incentivization programs are commonly employed to encourage timber production and harvesting activities. Because of growing interest in developing woody-biomass-based biofuels in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA, we analyzed property records to determine who the regional actors are along with what role tax-incentivization programs may play.

In 2008, a thinning trial consisting in the removal of competitors around high growth potential stems (crop trees, CTs) was initiated as the first step of a structural conversion to transform even-aged stands into uneven-aged stands. Two intensities of thinning by CT release and thinning from below were tested in white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) plantations and in balsam fir (Abies balsamea

This study aims to evaluate the robustness of parametric and nonparametric procedures using alternative definitions of validation data for loblolly pine. Specifically, four data division strategies were implemented: random selection of one-third of the trees in the data set, selection of the smallest one-third of the trees by diameter at breast height (DBH), selection of the middle third of the trees

Combining Q-methodology with focus groups offers a novel opportunity to explore how researchers and managers can collectively address natural resource management issues. We explored the potential utility of this pairing for prioritizing long-term vegetation recovery research needs after wildfire at a two-day workshop. The approach entailed individual Q-sort activities, followed by focus group discussion

Forestry data are complex—they are collected across long time periods, at different resolutions, and include multiple types and sources. Forestry professionals are increasingly relying on new technologies to make informed decisions using these data. This article describes nine practices that forestry professionals and their organizations can take to improve their everyday forest data analysis. By integrating

Changes in tax codes applicable to timberland investments can affect tax treatment of timber revenues and expenses. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is regarded as the most expansive overhaul of tax codes in the United States since 1986; however, our understanding of its effects on timberland investments for family forest owners has yet to be explored. Using the discounted cash-flow method, we

There is emerging interest in using prescribed fire to manage bottomlands for wildlife habitat, invasive species control, and overall forest function. We evaluated the feasibility of conducting prescribed fires in bottomland hardwood forests in west-central Alabama as part of a broader strategy to control the invasive shrub Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense). We used 22 small-scale plots (0.04 hectares)

Quaking aspen is a common component of postdisturbance landscapes, in part because of its ability to regenerate via asexual suckers. Previously viewed as exceedingly rare in the western United States, sexual seedling establishment is increasingly seen as another important natural regeneration pathway for aspen, because sexual regeneration increases genetic diversity and facilitates long-distance dispersal

July 2020

Studies of woodland owner values, intentions, and actions have advanced understanding of barriers and motivators to active forest management. Social marketing research has likewise offered significant insights into the effective design of persuasive conservation campaigns and importance of factors such as message framing and use of social norms. Yet, evaluation of the attributes of outreach messages

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May 2020

AbstractCommunicating reforestation efforts is a challenge for foresters. There are many types of advice to offer, and it is unclear which type of advice is better suited to promote tree-planting behaviors. This study explored the effectiveness of three different types of advice (narrative, informational, and efficacy) for different groups of landowners. We recruited landowners (N = 317) from the Driftless

Many veterans returning from military deployment experience stress- or trauma-related symptoms that make reintegration with civilian society difficult. Nature exposure and outdoor recreation can be important parts of alternative and complementary approaches to reduce symptoms and build on veterans’ pre-existing strengths. Multiple outdoor programs now exist for veterans; many of these occur on federal

I am not a logger. I am not a park ranger. I am not a forest ranger. Yet, if I walk down the street and ask people what a forester is, these are the answers I get. Ask the same people on the street what a lawyer does, what a doctor does, or what an engineer does. They don’t say a doctor nurses, an attorney surveys, or an engineer builds buildings.

Coordinated mail surveys of logging businesses in the Lake States of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin were conducted in spring 2017 to assess the status and capacity of the sector in 2016. Many similarities among logging businesses were noted across the region. Despite the presence of many small logging businesses, much of the volume (58 percent) is produced by a few large producers (13 percent)

Abstract An unmanned aircraft system was evaluated for its potential to capture imagery for use in plantation loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) regeneration surveys. Five stands located in the Virginia Piedmont were evaluated. Imagery was collected using a recreational grade unmanned aerial vehicle at three flight heights above ground with a camera capable of capturing red–green–blue imagery. Two computer

Abstract Considerable research has explored homeowner wildfire-mitigation efforts identifying many salient factors that help predict acceptance and behaviors. A growing body of literature is unlocking the dynamics of formal associations’ roles in promoting fire adapted communities. This mixed-method study adds to the research by using a planned behavior theoretical lens, to explore homeowner associations’

May 2020

Members of the SAF Committee on Accreditation (COA) met October 15, 2019 via teleconference and on October 29 and 30, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky to review twenty-five degree programs at twenty-one universities and colleges.

March 2020

The 2019 SAF National Convention was held October 30–November 3, 2010, in Louisville, Kentucky. In light of increasing global demands for wood fiber, as well as the ongoing loss of fiber to insects, disease, and wildfire, the role of foresters in managing the nation’s forest resources has never been more important. Simultaneously, multiple social demands for ecosystem services from forested landscapes

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How employees think about and act upon sustainability is important for public natural-resource agencies. We analyzed survey data from 8,875 USDA Forest Service employees to assess their knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and perceived opportunities and constraints for promoting broadly defined sustainability. Most survey respondents considered promoting sustainability important to Forest Service’s work

National forest law enforcement officers regularly encounter “nonrecreational” campers whose tenure exceeds established stay limits (generally 2 weeks). Some long-term occupants are homeless and seek use of the forest as a temporary or long-term residence. Long-term nonrecreational campers present myriad concerns for forest officials, who seek to balance public access and resource conservation. In

silviculturecoproduction of scienceshared stewardshipforest managementresearch collaboration

Surface fires are often prescribed to favor oak (Quercus) regeneration in eastern forests, but there is potential for fire to damage residual overstory timber. This study evaluated the potential economic effects of prescribed fire on sawtimber volume and value across 139 stands, each with a known history of one to six prescribed fires, on the Hoosier, Mark Twain, Wayne, and Daniel Boone National Forests

Silvicultural decisions and forest-management practices in Minnesota represent the collaboration and partnership between forest managers from multiple organizations and forest researchers. To better understand current practices, trends, needs, and opportunities, Minnesota has invested in the collection of quantitative data on the application of silvicultural systems and forest-management activities

The Biltmore Forest School—the very first forestry school in the nation—opened its doors in 1898. Cornell University established a second school a few weeks later and Yale University, with an endowment from the family of Gifford Pinchot, opened a third school in 1900. Founded by Dr. Carl A. Schenck, the school had a profound effect on the establishment of professional forestry in the United States

Diversifying the student body of natural resources (NR) programs by increasing numbers of women and people of color is important. This study explored factors influencing undergraduate interest in NR, including forestry, and decision to enroll in an NR undergraduate program at a large 1862 land-grant institution in the southeastern United States. We looked at how their responses differ between gender

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Forest inventorying is time-consuming and expensive. Recent research involving photogrammetry promises to reduce the cost of inventorying. Existing photogrammetry methods require substantial data-processing time, however. Our aim was to reduce data-acquisition and processing times while obtaining relatively accurate diameter estimates compared to manual and other digital measurements. We developed

Over the past two decades, more than half a million acres of forested land has experienced extensive insect- and disease-caused tree mortality within the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region 2 (R2) of the National Forest System. To plan for timber harvest treatments needed to restore forest health, managers need information on forest product facility capacity and capability to profitably process

The United States Forest Service 2012 Planning Rule prioritizes making lands resilient to climate change. Although researchers have investigated the history of “resilience” and its multiple interpretations, few have examined perceptions or experiences of resource staff tasked with implementing resilience. We interviewed Forest Service staff in the Southwestern Region to evaluate how managers and planners

Forests in the High Allegheny Unglaciated Plateau Subsection of Pennsylvania and New York, including the Allegheny National Forest, have been increasingly impacted by an array of native and introduced forest insects, pathogens, plants, and other disturbances for decades. An unbalanced age-class distribution, changing soil nutrient status, seedling establishment issues, droughts, and storm events also

Northeastern Minnesota forests are vulnerable to declines in boreal tree species at their southern range limits. Temperate tree species may have a competitive advantage in this region as the climate warms. Enhancing the adaptive capacity of northern forests requires a multifaceted approach, one that involves cooperative relations given the region’s complex ownership patterns. In this context, a nongovernment

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In this paper, we summarize Ontario’s Long-term Soil Productivity (LTSP) experience focusing on our efforts to forge lasting research partnerships, highlight the approaches we feel were effective in getting emerging science into forest policy within an adaptive management (AM) framework, and describe the future direction of Ontario’s LTSP program as new policy issues are emerging as part of the continuous

Although many forestry practitioners have a general understanding of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program and the type of data collected, most non-expert users of FIA reports and basic data are unlikely to be familiar with the breadth of information available and the many potential uses of the data. We present case studies from three USDA Forest Service regions to highlight a variety of

Well-designed, robust partnerships are important for addressing forest resource problems that intersect diverse ownerships, management, and research expertise. Here, we describe a case study of a research–management partnership. First, we describe the rationale and design of a large-scale, long-term experiment focused on increasing the sustainability and resilience of managed northern hardwoods. With

In 2012, the US Forest Service promulgated new regulations for land-management planning that emphasize the importance of scientifically credible assessment and monitoring strategies for adaptive forest planning and the maintenance or restoration of ecological integrity. However, in an era of declining budgets, the implementation of robust assessment and monitoring strategies represents a significant

We conducted a small participatory survey to document occupational injuries and illnesses, medical treatment, wage issues, and general working conditions among 150 forest workers in southern Oregon who are mostly Spanish-speaking immigrants from Latin America. We used snowball sampling in administering the survey. Survey results showed a high rate of job-related injury among the workers who responded

Management and Policy ImplicationsThe Forest Inventory and Analysis database (FIADB) and the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) comprise a powerful toolset that can be used for a wide variety of applications. Both are available to the public and cover all forest types and ownerships in the US states and territories. This allows managers and researchers to assess the status and trends of a wide variety