The Fleischman et al. (2020a) article on US Forest Service (FS) implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) correctly identified a decline in the number of NEPA analyses, but several conclusions were not supported by the data used. After analyzing their and other relevant data, we reached substantially different conclusions. Using FS budget data, we found budgets supporting NEPA

Forest restoration positively affects rural economies by facilitating employment and income generation with logging, wood utilization, and other restoration activities. To investigate economic effects and modeling of forest restoration, a regional contribution analysis of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) in Arizona was conducted. With over 12,000 acres mechanically thinned in 2017, 4FRI

Nonmotorized boating (NMB) is a popular recreation activity in the US National Forest System. Previous studies on NMB were from an individual river or site, which limited aggregating benefit across the system or generalizing to rivers across the country. Further, whether and how site and river characteristics affect the use of rivers for NMB activities are unknown. This study combined trip data collected

May 2021

Members of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) Committee on Accreditation (COA) met September 2, September 16, October 27, October 28, and December 3, 2020 via Zoom video conference to review 32 degree programs at 22 universities and colleges.

Diameter distributions are fundamental characteristics of stand structure. It is widely assumed that unthinned plantation loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) diameter distributions are unimodal and slightly skewed. In this work, the assumption of unimodality is formally tested and confirmed using 413 long-term permanent plots representing three generations of genetics and silviculture across the native

AbstractThe southeastern United States has been experiencing unexplained sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) mortality for over a decade, representing one of the most severe and widespread Celtis mortality episodes ever reported from North America. Here we describe external symptoms, progression of mortality, and the known geographic extent of the problem. More than half of all trees monitored at one site

This article explores the changing relationships between the USDA Forest Service and 10 small, forest-based communities in the Northwest Forest Plan area in Washington, Oregon, and California. Interviews with 158 community members and agency personnel indicated that community member interviewees were largely dissatisfied with the agency’s current level of community engagement. Interviewees believed

Landscape-scale maps of tree species densities are important tools for managing ecosystems threatened by forest pests. Eastern hemlock dominates riparian forests throughout its range. As a conifer in a deciduous landscape, hemlock plays an ecohydrological role, especially when other species are dormant. The nonnative, hemlock woolly adelgid has caused widespread hemlock decline and mortality. We used

This article was published with an error in the caption for Figure 1. The caption should read as follows:

AbstractHurricanes cause billions of dollars in damage annually in the United States and are projected to increase in intensity in the coming years. By exploring historical patterns of hurricanes and exposure of these hurricane-force winds across the landscape, areas of potentially high threat to future hurricane winds can be revealed. Combining potential threats from hurricane winds with forest data

A survey of businesses that provide a variety of forest management services indicated the importance of H-2B guest workers in performing important tasks which facilitate management and sustainability of forest resources in the United States. Those workers accomplish a wide variety of tasks with tree planting being most common. Although the positions filled by those workers are first made available

Forest disturbances caused by insects, pathogens, and fire continue to increasingly occur within forests across the United States and around the world. Given the dynamic nature of these forest disturbances and the role played by local residents in risk management, it is valuable to explore how the human experience, attitudes, and behaviors associated with these ecological processes may evolve over

This study analyzes changes in timberland ownership from 2003 to 2012 across the northern United States based on Forest Inventory and Analysis data identified according to five ownership categories. A total of 26,940 FIA plots that were remeasured between selected years were used for the analysis. Publicly available corporate ownership data were investigated and used to differentiate industrial and

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) serve as an excellent remote-sensing platform to fulfill an aerial imagery data collection niche previously unattainable in forestry by satellites and manned aircraft. However, for UAS-derived data to be spatially representative, a precise network of ground control points (GCP) is often required, which can be tedious and limit the logistical benefits of UAS rapid deployment

March 2021

Ownership of forestland in the United States has changed in recent decades, including the proliferation of timber investment management organizations (TIMOs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs), with the potential to alter forest management and timber supply. This article quantifies forest ownership transitions among ownership categories between 2007 and 2017 and investigates how and why large

March 2021

The 2020 SAF National Convention was held virtually October 29 – 31, 2020. The convention program, From Metropolis to Wilderness: Foresters Rooted in Conservation explored how we all play a critical role in fostering local and worldwide economies, vibrant communities, and thriving forests, sharing a common role of responsible forest stewardship.

Diameter distribution models are useful tools for forest management planning, in particular for even-aged plantations of important commercial species such as loblolly pine. Using data collected from loblolly pine plantations across East Texas, two diameter distribution model systems were developed, with the first being a conventional, Weibull-form statistical model system and the second being developed

In 1909, the University of Minnesota secured 2,640 acres of tribal forest lands on the Fond du Lac Reservation in northeast Minnesota for a school forest.11 The station’s purpose was “to demonstrate proper methods of forest management and reforestation in the Lake States; and to advance the science of forestry as a whole” (Zon 1912, p. 1; Figure 1).

Over the last four decades, forest management goals have transitioned to multiuse objectives, begging the question of their impact on wildlife habitat. Using USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis data and the WHINGS (Wildlife Habitat Indicator for Native Genera and Species) model, the trends in wildlife habitat were quantified from 1977 to 2018 across Minnesota. Statewide, 35.5% of species

The largest concentration of state-level forest cost-share programs in the United States can be found in the southern states. Since the inception of the first programs in the 1970s, the state-level forest cost-share programs in the US South have acted as models for the rest of the country. Cost-share programs compensate landowners through direct reimbursements to address barriers such as limited owner

Not all urban greenspace is the same. Natural area forests can provision more benefits than designed landscapes, and healthy natural area forests can provide more benefits than degraded and invaded forests. Yet there is little information about the scale of natural areas in cities and their management systems. We used data sets on city parkland from across the United States and surveyed practitioners

This Journal of Forestry quiz is approved for 4.5 continuing forestry education (CFE) hours in Category 1-CF by the Society of American Foresters. Successful completion of the self-assessment, defined as a cumulative score of at least 70%, is required to earn CFE credit. CFE approval is valid for one year from the issue date of publication and participants may submit the quiz at any time during that

Changing environmental and social forestry contexts present new challenges for forestry graduates. In contrast with previous generations, forestry students today must be prepared to handle the impacts of climate change and increasing fire severity and frequency, as well as critical human dimensions, including the need to collaborate with Native American nations. To explore the extent to which social

There has been limited research investigating summer habitat use of bats in managed forests in the northeastern United States. Consequently, there is limited knowledge to inform forest managers seeking to maintain or enhance bat habitat, particularly for several federally threatened, endangered, or candidate species. In summer 2017–2018, we conducted repeated acoustic surveys to determine what forest

Fuel reduction treatments implemented by nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners affect wildfire hazard potential on both their tracts and surrounding lands. However, it is not clear how concerned they are about wildfire damages and what actions they are willing to take to lower wildfire hazard. This study determined the landowner concern level about wildfire damages and identified factors affecting

AbstractIn 2019, the Forest Productivity Cooperative (FPC) celebrated its 50th anniversary. The mission of the FPC is and has been creating innovative solutions to enhance forest productivity and value through the sustainable management of site resources. This industry-government-university partnership has generated seminal research with sweeping implications for increasing productivity throughout

resistance breedingshared stewardshipforest healthtree improvement

AbstractAn estimated 10 million families, individuals, trusts, and estates own 39 percent of the forestland in the United States, excluding interior Alaska. Using segmented regression, the relationships between size of forest holdings and the attitudes and behaviors of these family forest ownerships were tested using data from the 2018 iteration of the USDA Forest Service’s National Woodland Owner

AbstractIn response to the strategic plan required by the Agricultural Act of 2014, the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program is initiating a strategic inventory of the nation’s urban forests. The inventory is designed to provide timely and credible data on urban forests, thereby meeting an expanding need for information on trees located in communities where more than 80%

AbstractThe economic consequence of continuing or increasing the tree improvement efforts for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in the southern United States is immense. For the more than one million acres planted each year with germplasm from the North Carolina State University Cooperative Tree Improvement Program, the present value of continuing current tree breeding efforts and deploying the genetic

AbstractThis article identifies specific social characteristics in two wildland urban interface communities that may have significant impacts on the ability of those communities to adapt to wildfire. Researchers used a mixed-methods approach to triangulate results to identify potential views and motives surrounding three important behaviors and values related to crafting potential strategies to mitigate

AbstractWe estimated annual timber growth, removals, and mortalities under various scenarios of the spread of emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire; EAB) within Texas. Future annual ash EAB-induced mortalities were simulated to follow either a normal or beta distribution over 25, 50, or 75 years, with five percent of the original inventory remaining at the conclusion of each projection.

AbstractWithin forest planning and management, collaboration has becoming increasingly widespread. Many collaborative projects take place over long time periods, and thus personnel turnover is inevitable within these groups. Scholars from the fields of business and organizational science have long studied strategies that organizations can use to prepare for and address turnover successfully. We draw

This Journal of Forestry quiz is approved for 3.5 continuing forestry education (CFE) hours in Category 1-CF by the Society of American Foresters. Successful completion of the self-assessment, defined as a cumulative score of at least 70%, is required to earn CFE credit. CFE approval is valid for one year from the issue date of publication and participants may submit the quiz at any time during that

Butternut is a relatively uncommon hardwood tree native to eastern North America. The species’ abundance has declined over the past 50 years, primarily because of an invasive pathogen (Ophiognomonia clavigignenti-juglandacearum [Oc-j]) and loss of suitable habitat for regeneration. Although genetic diversity of butternut is highest along the southern range edge, genetic diversity rangewide is fairly

Managing northern hardwood forests using high-frequency, low-intensity regimes, such as single-tree selection, favors shade-tolerant species and can reduce tree species diversity. Management decisions among family forest owners (FFO) can collectively affect species and structural diversity within northern hardwood forests at regional scales. We surveyed FFOs in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan

In forest ecosystems, canopy openness affects understory light availability, plant growth, and tree species recruitment, thus shaping future forest composition, structure, and functional diversity. Foresters must correctly and quickly measure canopy openness to meet their management objectives. To help guide the selection of an appropriate method for measuring canopy openness, we compared three common

In response to “Adequacy of Timber Trespass Civil Awards: A Louisiana Case Study” (Journal of Forestry, 2019, Volume 117, Issue 6): The authors of this article cite Louisiana’s statutes regarding timber trespass and theft as “among the toughest in the United States” (p. 533). Other states, such as Washington, have long adopted a treble damages statute for certain unlawful timber cutting (Revised Code

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

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

AbstractCombining 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

AbstractThere 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

Have you noticed that the forest products market has its fair share of international activities? You may live in an area where some of the pine sawlogs get packed in a container and shipped to Asia. Or maybe you are close to a facility that buys your wood chips to make them into a pellet to be shipped to Europe. Did you know that the large tract of timber down the road is owned by foreign investors

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

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

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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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