Comments or questions? Please contact us: USDA Forest Service National Woodland Owner Survey 160 Holdsworth Way Amherst, MA 01003 Toll-Free Telephone: (855) 233-3372 Email: [email protected] Fax: (413) 545-1860 Internet: www.fia.fs.fed.us/nwos

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Version: Massachusetts 6.0 USDA Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey

160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst MA 01003 Phone (toll-free): (855) 233-3372 Email: [email protected]

4 Internet: www.fia.fs.fed.us/nwos 4 7 3 1 OMB No. 0596-0078 Approval Expires 11/30/2018 Thank you for participating in this survey! Please return the survey in the postage-paid envelope provided.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information If you would like a copy of the results of this survey, print collection is 0596-0078. The time required to complete this your name and address on the back of the return envelope. information collection is estimated to average 25 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. 4 4 7 3 1 Instructions If there are any additional comments or concerns that you would like to Instructions share, please write them below.  Please provide answers for all of the wooded land that you own in Massachusetts. If you are part of more than one group that owns wooded land, please respond for the group that is listed on the outside of the envelope.

 The owner who makes most of the decisions about your wooded land in Massachusetts should answer this survey.

 If this survey is received by a company or other organization, please have a person knowledgeable about the organization’s wooded land in Massachusetts answer this survey. If the company listed on the envelope is a subsidiary of a larger company, please respond for the larger, parent company. InstructionsGeneral Questions About Your Land 1. How many total acres of land do you currently own in Massachusetts?

Acres of land in Massachusetts 2. Wooded land covers 63% of Massachusetts. Wooded land includes:  Woods, woodlots, timberland, and forests  Land at least 1 acre in size, 120 feet wide, and has at least 10% forest cover  Land at least 1 acre in size, where trees were removed and trees will grow again Wooded land does not include:  Christmas tree farms, orchards, or nurseries  Land that is mowed for lawn

How many acres of wooded land do you currently own in Massachusetts?

Acres of wooded land in Massachusetts

If you own any wooded land in Massachusetts,

4 please complete this survey. 4 7

3 If you do not own wooded land in Massachusetts, please 1 return this survey in the postage-paid envelope provided and write on the cover "No Wooded Land" InstructionsGeneral Questions about Your Ownership GeneralInstructions Questions About You This section asks questions about you to help us understand private 3. Which category below best describes your ownership? forest owners more broadly. As with the rest of the survey, your Check only one. responses are anonymous and will not be used to identify you. If you Individual are responding on behalf of a company or other organization, please skip this section. Joint, with husband or wife Joint, such as with other family members or friends 34. What is your age? Years Family partnership or family LLC or LLP Family trust or estate 35. What is your gender? Corporation or business Male Female Other (please specify): 36. What is the highest degree or level of school you have completed? 4. How many people are a part of this ownership, including you? Less than 12th grade High school/GED Owners Some college Associate degree 5. Do you currently own more than one separate, unconnected Bachelor's degree property with wooded land in Massachusetts? Advanced degree Yes No 37. Are you of Hispanic or Latino origin? 6. Is your home (primary residence) on or within a mile of any of your Yes No wooded land in Massachusetts? Yes No Not Applicable 38. What is your race? Select one or more. 7. Do you own a vacation home or cabin on or within a mile of any of American Indian or Alaska Native your wooded land in Massachusetts? Asian Yes No Not Applicable Black or African-American 8. Do you own any land that is farmed or ranched within a mile of Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander any of your wooded land in Massachusetts? White For the purpose of this survey, a farm or ranch is a place where, in most years, $1,000 or more is earned from the sale of crops (other than forest products) or animals. 39. On average, what percentage of your household’s annual income 4 4

7 comes from the wooded land that you own? 3

1 Yes No Not applicable Percent InstructionsThe Future of Your Wooded Land InstructionsYour Reasons for Owning Wooded Land 31. How likely is it that you will sell or give away any of your 9. How important are the following as reasons for why you currently wooded land in Massachusetts in the next 5 years? own your wooded land in Massachusetts? If you own one property, check one box for each item. Extremely Extremely If you own more than one property in Massachusetts, consider likely Likely Undecided Unlikely unlikely them all and check one or more boxes for each item.

32. Who will likely receive it? Check all that apply. My children Another family member(s) To enjoy beauty or scenery Other individual(s) A business To protect nature or biological diversity A government agency Other (please specify): To protect water resources Don't know To protect or improve wildlife habitat For land investment 33. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following For privacy statements. Check one box for each item. To raise my family To pass land on to my children or other heirs I want my wooded land to For firewood stay wooded For timber products, such as logs or I would sell my land if I was pulpwood offered a reasonable price For nontimber forest products, I know my wooded land such as berries or maple syrup very well For hunting I want to know more about my wooded land For recreation, other than hunting I have a strong emotional attachment to my Other

4 wooded land 4 (Please 7

3 I believe my wooded land 1 specify): provides benefits to my community InstructionsThe History of Your Wooded Land ConcernsInstructions 10. a. How did you get your wooded land in Massachusetts? 30. Please indicate your level of concern about each of the following Check all that apply. topics for your wooded land in Massachusetts. Purchased If you own one property, check one box for each item. Inherited If you own more than one property in Massachusetts, consider Received as gift them all and check one or more boxes for each item. Other (please specify): b. From whom did you get your wooded land? Check all that apply. My parents and/or my husband or wife's parents My husband or wife Air pollution Another family member Other individual(s) Climate change A business Damage from animals A government agency Development of nearby lands Other (please specify): c. In what year did you, personally, first take ownership of your Drought or lack of water wooded land in Massachusetts? Damage or noise from off-road vehicles Year Government regulation 11. a. Have you ever sold or given away any of your wooded land in Massachusetts? High property taxes Yes No If no, skip to question 12. If yes, please answer b, c and d. Invasive plants b. If sold or given away, was your property subdivided or split Keeping land intact for future up into multiple parcels? generations Yes No Don't know Misuse of wooded land, such as c. If sold or given away, who received it? vandalism or dumping Check all that apply. Trespassing or poaching My children Unwanted insects or diseases Another family member Other individual(s) Water pollution A business Wildfire A government agency Wind or ice storms Other (please specify): 4 Other 4 7

3 d. Have you sold or given away any of your wooded land in

1 (Please Massachusetts in the past 5 years? specify): Yes No Uses of Your Wooded Land 27. Which of the following information/advice topics would be helpful Instructions to you? 12. Who makes the management decisions, such as whether or not to Check all that apply. harvest trees, for your wooded land in Massachusetts? Timber management Check all that apply. Me How to transfer land to the next generation My husband or wife Conservation easements My children Wildlife management My parents Invasive plants Another family member Wildfire My business partner Unwanted insects or diseases My land manager or forester Other (please specify): Other (please specify): None of the above 13. A management or stewardship plan may be written in order to help 28. How would you prefer to get information or advice related to your the landowner meet their goals for their wooded land. wooded land? a. How familiar are you with these types of plans? Check all that apply. Extremely Moderately Somewhat Slightly Not at all Talk to a neighbor familiar familiar familiar familiar familiar Talk to an expert b. Do you have a written management or stewardship plan Have someone visit my land for any of your wooded land in Massachusetts? Written materials, such as brochures or other publications Yes No Don't know Internet If no or don't know, skip to question 14. Email/E-newsletter If yes, please answer c and d. Conference or workshop c. Who wrote it? Other (please specify): Check one. I don't want/need information or advice I did 29. Which of the following would be helpful to you? Private consultant forester Check all that apply. Forest industry forester Cost-sharing for woodland management State or local government forester More favorable tax policies Federal government forester

4 Other (please specify):

4 Stronger timber markets 7 3 1 Other (please specify): d. Have you taken actions to implement it? None of the above Yes No 14. a. Have trees ever been cut or removed from any of your SourcesInstructions of Information and Assistance wooded land in Massachusetts since you have owned it? 26. a. Have you talked with anyone or received information/advice Yes No If no, skip to question 15. about the care, management, or protection of your wooded land If yes, please answer b, c, and d. in Massachusetts in the past 5 years? Yes No If no, skip to question 27. b. What types of products were cut or removed? If yes, please answer b, c, and d. Check all that apply b. What was it about? Firewood Check all that apply. Logs Unwanted insects or plant diseases Wood chips or pulpwood Wildlife or wildlife habitat Other (please specify): Timber production

c. Why were the trees cut or removed? Land conservation Check all that apply. Fire safety For sale For personal use Other Invasive plants d. Was a professional forester used to plan, mark, contract, or Other (please specify): oversee any of the cuts? c. How did it happen? Yes No Don't know Not applicable Check all that apply. Talked to someone 15. a. Which, if any, of the following nontimber forest products have Someone visited my land been collected from any of your wooded land in Massachusetts Received a brochure or other written material since you have owned it? Check all that apply. From the Internet Email/E-newsletter Edibles, such as berries or maple syrup Attended a conference or workshop Medicinals, such as ginseng or St. John's wort Other (please specify): Landscaping, such as transplants d. Who was involved? Decorative, such as boughs or birch bark Check all that apply. Other (please specify): State or local government employee None of the above If none of the above, skip to question 16. Extension forester or other university employee Federal government employee b. Why were the nontimber forest products collected from your wooded land in Massachusetts? Private consultant 4

4 Check all that apply.

7 Another landowner 3 1 For sale For personal use Other Family member or friend Other (please specify): RecreationInstructions on Your Wooded Land 16. Which of the following have occurred on your wooded land in 24. a. Who, with your permission, has hunted, hiked, or otherwise Massachusetts in the past 5 years? recreated on your wooded land in Massachusetts in the past 5 Check all that apply. years? Check all that apply. Cut and/or removed trees for sale Me and/or my husband or wife Cut and/or removed trees for own use My children Collected nontimber forest products, such as berries or ginseng Other family members Reduced fire hazard Friends Controlled burn/prescribed fire Neighbors Eliminated or reduced invasive plants The general public for free Eliminated or reduced unwanted insects or diseases The general public for a fee Road construction or maintenance Other (please specify): Trail construction or maintenance Nobody If nobody, skip to question 25. Improved wildlife habitat Livestock grazing b. How did you/they recreate? Other (please specify): Check all that apply. None of the above Hunting Fishing Hiking/walking 17.Which of the following will likely occur on your wooded land in Massachusetts in the next 5 years? Bicycling Check all that apply Camping Horseback riding Cut and/or remove trees for sale Skiing or snowshoeing Cut and/or remove trees for own use Off-road vehicles, such as ATVs or snowmobiles Collect nontimber forest products, such as berries or ginseng Other (please specify): Reduce fire hazard Controlled burn/prescribed fire 25. a. Is any of your wooded land in Massachusetts posted to restrict Eliminate or reduce invasive plants access and/or use by the general public? Eliminate or reduce unwanted insects or diseases Yes No If no, skip to question 26. Road construction or maintenance Trail construction or maintenance If yes, please answer question b. Improve wildlife habitat b. If yes, what is restricted? Livestock grazing Check all that apply Other (please specify): Trespassing

4 None of the above

4 Hunting 7

3 I don't know 1 Motorized vehicles Other (please specify): 21. Cost-share programs provide landowners with money to help them 18. To encourage good woodland management, groups have created establish or otherwise manage their wooded land. Examples include green certification programs to recognize landowners who comply the Conservation Reserve Program, the Environmental Quality with the groups’ standards. Examples include Tree Farm, Forest Incentives Program, the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, and Stewardship Council (FSC), and Sustainable Forestry Initiative various state funded programs. (SFI). a. How familiar are you with cost-share programs? a. How familiar are you with green certification? Extremely Moderately Somewhat Slightly Not at all Extremely Moderately Somewhat Slightly Not at all familiar familiar familiar familiar familiar familiar familiar familiar familiar familiar

b. Is any of your wooded land in Massachusetts currently green b. In the past 5 years, have you used a cost-share program to certified? help you establish or manage your wooded land in Yes No Don't know Massachusetts? 19. Some state and local governments have programs that defer, reduce, Yes No Don't know or eliminate property taxes for wooded land. In Massachusetts, 22. In efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change, public programs there are the Chapter 61 and Chapter 61b programs. and private markets have been created that pay owners of wooded land for capturing or sequestering carbon. a. How familiar are you with these programs? Extremely Moderately Somewhat Slightly Not at all a. How familiar are you with carbon capture programs or markets? familiar familiar familiar familiar familiar Extremely Moderately Somewhat Slightly Not at all familiar familiar familiar familiar familiar b. Is any of your wooded land in Massachusetts currently enrolled in one of these programs or something similar? b. Is any of your wooded land in Massachusetts currently Yes No Don't know enrolled in one of these carbon capture programs or markets? 20. Development rights for land can be sold or voluntarily given Yes No Don't know away. This is usually in the form of a conservation easement. 23. a. Have you ever leased your wooded land in Massachusetts a. How familiar are you with this concept? (other than for logging)? Extremely Moderately Somewhat Slightly Not at all Yes No familiar familiar familiar familiar familiar If no, skip to question 24. If yes, please answer b and c. b. Have development rights been sold or voluntarily given away on b. What leasing activities did they use it for? any of your wooded land in Massachusetts by either you or a Check all that apply. previous owner? Hunting Yes No Don't know Recreation (other than hunting) To graze/pasture livestock c. If No or Don't know, howlikelyare you to do so in the next 5 Other (please specify): years? 4 4

7 Extremely Extremely Not c. Have any of these leasing activities occurred on your land in the 3 1 likely Likely Undecided Unlikely unlikely applicable past 5 years? Yes No