Family Forest Owner Attitudes Toward Oak Forests and Management in the Central and Eastern US

Upland oak trees are ecologically, economically, and socially important across the central and eastern United States, but they are at risk of decline from myriad threats. Most of the forestland in this region is held by families and individuals (family forest owners, FFOs), so the future of these oak forests largely depends on the decisions they make about their land. We surveyed 20,000 FFOs and received 1,517 responses to better understand their attitudes towards upland oak forests and management practices that can be used to support oak, specifically harvesting, planting, using herbicides, and using prescribed fire. The Transtheoretical Model framework was used to assess the barriers and opportunities for landowners at different stages in relation to each activity. Overall, FFOs agree that upland oak forests provide numerous benefits, and almost half of FFO forest area is held by ownerships who want more oak trees on their land. Only a third of FFOs know that oak is at risk of decline, but those who do are more likely to want more oak on their land. The main barriers to management activities are not having enough information and not seeing a need for the management practice, but the needs and perceived barriers vary depending on stage of change, which should be considered when communicating with owners. Increasing awareness about the importance of and threats to oak trees and their management might encourage more landowners to actively manage for oak, although effective oak management is site-specific and can be intensive.