Attitudes and preferences toward co-operative agreements for management of private forestlands in the North-eastern United States

Forest fragmentation is increasing throughout much of the United States. Co-operative management agreements are a potential solution to this problem and this case study suggests that non-industrial private landowners in the North-eastern United States are as likely to undertake collaborative management programs as they are to undertake the same management programs independently. However, the probability of undertaking any of the management programs examined in this study was low, suggesting that incentives for co-operative management between landowners may be needed. And, regardless of whether management is co-operative or independent, the estimated probability of program adoption is higher when management focuses on amenities, such as wildlife habitat, compared to timber harvests.