What does it take to get family forest owners to enroll in a forest stewardship-type program?

We estimated the probability of enrollment and factors influencing participation in a forest stewardship-type program, Minnesotaʹs Sustainable Forest Incentives Act, using data from a mail survey of over 1000 randomly-selected Minnesota family forest owners. Of the 15 variables tested, only five were significant predictors of a landownerʹs interest in enrolling in the program: compensation amount, intention to obtain a forest management plan, opposition to the programʹs land covenant, prior awareness of the program, and total acres of forest land owned. The estimated median minimum compensation required was approximately $24 per acre per year. One-fourth of the survey respondents were undecided about whether they would participate in the stewardship program, suggesting there may be potential to capture additional interest and participation. Marketing efforts to raise program awareness, increasing annual stewardship payments, and eliminating the land covenant are likely to be effective strategies for increasing program participation.