Title: Family Forestland Owners of the Lake States:Timber Harvest Activities and Implications for Sustainable Forest Management

Author: Leatherberry, Earl C.

Year: 2003

Publication: In: Buse, Lisa J.; Perera, Ajith H., comps. Meeting Emerging Ecological, Economic, and Social Challenges in the Great Lakes Region: Popular Summaries. Forest Research Information Paper 155. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada: Ontario Forest Research Institute: 53-55

Abstract: There are an estimated 21.1 million hectares of forestland in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota--the Lake States. These lands provide benefits such as timber products, wildlife habitat, recreation opportunity, and watershed protection. Land managers, particularly managers of public forestlands, often have strategies to ensure that the values provided are not diminished over time. In the Lake States, 41% of the forestland is publicly owned. The other 59% of the forestland area is privately owned and held by three broad owner groups--industrial, timber investment management organizations (TIMOs), and family forestland owners. Industrial and TIMOs own forestland primarily for timber production. Family forestland owners who control almost 90% of all privately owned timberland in the Lake States have an array of reasons for owning land. Family forestland owners are people who have a familial relationship, or who have a relationship based on common interests or goals. Family forestland owner holdings range in size from 4 to 2,025 ha (10 to 5,000 acres). Forestland holdings of less than 4 ha are generally associated with a home site and forestland holdings of more than 2,000 ha are generally corporate or industrial forests. Family forestland owners play a huge role in providing timber and other benefits from forests because they control much of the forest landbase.