Nonindustrial Private Forests

Of the 23.5 million acres of timberland in the southern Appalachians, most (73 percent) is owned by nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) owners. The area of

private forestland declined slightly between 1982 and 1992. This loss attributable to development, which took place on more than 600,000 acres over the same decade (SAMAB 1996d).

Profile of NIPF owners

More than 75 percent of privately-owned forest land in the southern Appalachians is owned by single households. Corporations, partnerships, clubs and associations own the remaining 25 percent.

The majority of individual private landowners in the southern Appalachians are older white males who have owned their land for more than 10 years. Almost half of these live on their land. Almost 60 percent of tracts in the southern Appalachians are between 20 and 100 acres; only about 7 percent of tracts are larger than 500 acres. Generally, southern Appalachian owners are environmentally oriented. Many (82 percent) agreed with the statement: "The balance of nature is very delicate, so we must try to limit economic growth that exploits nature." However, a significant number of forest owners in this region (49 percent) also agreed that "People must rule over nature. Plants and animals are here for our use (SAMAB 1996d)." These results clearly illustrate that the objectives of NIPF owners are many and not mutually exclusive.  Concerns for habitat loss, wildlife protection, and biodiversity are often as important or more important than purely economic gains. 

Uses of NIPF Lands

Approximately 95 percent of ownerships in the southern Appalachians use their land primarily for agricultural purposes including forest management (Table: Acreage and percentage of nonfederal rural land). Recreation is a popular secondary use; more than 75 percent of private landowners use their land for recreation. While nonindustrial private landowners have many objectives, ranging from tree farming to sites for second homes, they provide a majority of the timber supply throughout the eastern United States. However, their production behavior is difficult to predict. There are fundamental differences in the management of private and public forests. On private land, management is strongly guided by market forces. Prices, therefore, strongly influence both land use and timber management. Private landowners generally bring more timber to market when prices are higher and less when prices are lower (SAMAB 1996d).

Trends in NIPF owners

Nonindustrial private landowners consider many factors when deciding whether and when to harvest their timber in the normal course of sound forest management. Recent changes in the composition of these owners raise a number of questions about future timber supply. The increase in population of the southern Appalachians in the last two decades has brought many new residents to region. Their perspectives about forest uses and their knowledge of local ecological systems may differ from those of former owners. The ultimate result may be a general decrease in the willingness of private landowners to manage forests and harvest timber (SAMAB 1996d).

Increased population density also means increased land development and less acreage for traditional forestry. Timber liquidation, with no intention of reforesting the land for future forest growth, is almost always the initial stage of land clearing for development. For example, about 14 percent of removals from growing stock were associated with the conversion of private forest to other land uses. Development generally progresses from city centers and along valley bottoms in mountainous regions. This progression puts remaining timber inventories on increasingly remote and steep land.