Who Owns America's Forests?

This report highlights general
ownership patterns and key
information about family forest
owners from the National
Woodland Owner Survey,
which is conducted by the U.S.
Forest Service, to help us better
understand:

Forest Ownership Patterns and
Family Forest Highlights from the
National Woodland Owner Survey

• Who owns the forests of the
United States
• Why they own land
• How they use it now
• How they intend to use it
We focus on family forest owners
because they account for the
92 percent of all private forest
owners.
Unless noted otherwise, figures generally are
for the conterminous (lower 48) United States.

The figure on the top of page 4 is from Richard
Scarry’s Best Picture Book Ever by Richard
Scarry, copyright © 1966, renewed 1994 by
Richard Scarry. Used by permission of Golden
Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s
Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) prohibits discrimination in
all its programs and activities on the
basis of race, color, national origin,
age, disability, and where applicable,
sex, marital status, familial status,
parental status, religion, sexual
orientation, genetic information,
political beliefs, reprisal, or because
all or part of an individual’s income is
derived from any public assistance
program. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs.) Persons with
disabilities who require alternative
means for communication of program
information (Braille, large print,
audiotape, etc.) should contact
USDA’s TARGET Center at (202)
720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a
complaint of discrimination, write to
USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights,
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or
call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202)
720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal
opportunity provider and employer.

United States
Department of Agriculture

Forest
Service

Northern Research Station
NRS-INF-06-08 May 2008

Why Do Forests Matter?
Forests provide and protect most of the Nation’s
fresh water. Forests supply habitats for wildlife and
fish, give us and our kids a place to get in touch with
nature, and help us address the challenges of climate
change. Forested lands offer vital economic products
and abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation,
education, and solitude.
And forests that are privately owned offer special
rewards for their owners—from providing private,
scenic spaces and places to hunt and fish or just enjoy
nature, to being an important asset that can be passed
on to future generations.

Who Owns America’s Forests?
Fifty-six percent of the 751 million
acres of forest land in the United
States is privately owned. Of this
private forest land, 62 percent is
owned by families and individuals
in what we call “family forests.”
The remaining private forest
land is owned by corporations,
conservation organiza­
tions, clubs, Native
American tribes, and
others.
Forty-four percent of
forest land is publicly
owned. The Federal govern­
ment administers 76 percent of the
public forest land. State forestry,
park, and wildlife agencies
account for most of the 21 percent
of public forest land that is state2 Who Owns America’s Forests?

owned. The remaining 3 percent
of the public forest land is owned
by local governments, such as
counties and towns.
America’s 10 million family forest
owners are diverse, dynamic, and
numerous. They are pivotal
for the protection and
sustainable management
of our forests across the
landscape, yet they face
ever-increasing pressures
and challenges. Better
understanding of their
needs and concerns can
help foster better forest policies,
more effective services and
programs, and increased public
awareness of the importance of
family forests.

Conclusions
America’s forests reflect the
remarkable diversity and
complexity of both their
landscapes and their owners. Most
of the forests are private, and most
of those are family forests.
Many attitudes, behaviors, and
concerns are shared by family
forest owners, who commonly
take great satisfaction in the
beauty and privacy that their
forests provide and the family
heritage that they represent. Yet
every family forest owner has a
unique set of circumstances and
faces individual challenges.
If the size of forest holdings
continues to decrease in the
future, as current trends suggest,
there will be changes in how

the land is viewed and how it is
managed. On one hand, more
people owning and living on forest
land can mean increased personal
awareness and appreciation
for forests. On the other hand,
smaller forests may offer fewer
opportunities for certain activities,
such as traditional forestry,
collection of nontimber forest
products, and recreation. Smaller
forests may also become more
vulnerable to weeds, wildfires,
development, and other challenges.
Clearly, forest owners can benefit
from suitable services and
resources that help ensure their
forests and their goals can be
sustained into the future.

For more results from this survey, visit the Forest Service’s National
Woodland Owner Survey website at www.fia.fs.fed.us/nwos or contact:
U.S. Forest Service
National Woodland Owner Survey
160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003
Phone: 413-545-1387
[email protected]
To learn more about the services and resources available to forest
owners in your state, contact your local forestry agency or association.

Who Owns America’s Forests? 7

What Does the Future Hold?
Most family forest owners
plan minimal activity on
their forest land in the next
5 years. However, 1 in 5
acres is owned by people
who plan to sell or transfer
some or all of their forest
land in the next 5 years.
Changes in land owner­ship
and manage­ment are likely
to occur as land is passed
from one generation to
the next. A third of family
forest owners are 65 years
or older.

Forest Ownership in the Coterminous United States, 2006

None/minimal
activity

Harvest firewood

Harvest timber

Transfer to heirs
and/or sell

Buy more forest
land

Collect non-timber
forest products

Owners
Owners
Other

Area
0%
0%

25%
25%

50%
50%

Area

75% 100%
100%
75%

Percentage of family forest land and family forest
owners by plans for the next 5 years. Future plans
vary but most owners plan little to no activity.

35%
Area
Owners

30%

Data sources:
Forest area - USGS National Land Cover
Database 2001
Ownership - CBI Protected Areas Database,
Version 4.0
State and countries - ESRI Data & Maps 2006

Produced by:
US Forest Service, Northern Research Station
Forest Inventory and Analysis, Family Forest
Research Center
Brett J. Butler (17-Oct-07)

More than half the forest land in the United States (423 million acres)—mostly
located in the East—is owned and managed by some 11 million private forest
owners. Of those private forest owners, 92 percent (10 million owners) are classified
as “family forest” owners.

25%
20%
Acreage and Ownership of America’s Family Forests

15%
10%
5%
0%
<45

45-54

55-64

65-74

75+

Owner age (years)
Percentage of family forest land and family forest owners by owner age.
One in 5 acres of family forest land is owned by someone who is at least
75 years of age.
6 Who Owns America’s Forests?

Size of Forest Holdings

Number of Acres

Number of Ownerships

Acres

Thousands

Thousands

1-9

19,158

6,221

10-49

58,585

2,832

50-99

41,562

644

100-999

97,667

508

1,000+

35,003

19

Total

251,974

10,223

Who Owns America’s Forests? 3

woods
forest

Whether you have “just trees” that shelter native plants and animals,
a bit of “woods” behind your house where the kids play and you cut
firewood, or a “tree farm” that earns your family income … if you
have an acre or more of land with trees on at least 10 percent of it, you
have a forest. If you own that forest as an individual, a couple, a family
partnership, or some other grouping of unincorporated individuals, you
are a family forest owner.

Reasons for Owning
Family Forests
1 Beauty and scenery

1 Insects or tree diseases

2 Family heritage
3 Privacy

2 Keeping land intact for future
generations

4 Nature protection

3 Wildfire

5 Connected to home or cabin

4 Trespassing

6 Investment

5 High property taxes

7 Hunting or fishing

6 Vandalism or illegal dumping

8 Part of farm or ranch

7 Wind or ice storms

9 Hiking, snowmobiling, and other 8 Air or water pollution
recreation
9 Undesirable plants and weeds
10 Timber production

Most of the family forest acreage is in holdings of 100 or more acres,
but a lot of family forest owners (some 61 percent) own fewer than 10
acres of forest land. The size of the forest can make a difference in
owner attitudes, behaviors, and intentions.

50-99
10-49
Owners
Area

1-9
0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Owners
Area

1,000+
100-999
50-99
10-49
1-9
0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Percentage of family forest land and family forest owners who rated (A) timber
production, and (B) enjoyment of beauty and scenery as very important or important
reasons for owning their forest land. Some management objectives “such as timber
production” varied widely depending on the size of the forest, but many values, such
as scenic beauty, were shared by owners of forests of all sizes.
4 Who Owns America’s Forests?

Whatever the reasons for owning family forests, adequate planning
and consideration of various management practices can help support
the desired activities over time. Yet we found that only 1 in 5 acres
of family forest land is owned by someone who has a written forest
management plan, and only 2 in 5 acres are owned by people who have
received forest management advice.
(A) Forest management plan
Size of forest holdings (ac)

Size of forest holdings (ac)

100-999

Size of forest holdings (ac)

(B) Beauty and Scenery

1,000+

10 Development of nearby lands

Can Family Forest Owners Achieve Their Goals?

Every Acre Counts

(A) Timber Production

Issues or
Concerns

(B) Forest management advice

1,000+
100-999
50-99
10-49
Owners
Area

1-9
0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Size of forest holdings (ac)

trees

Family Forest Owners’ Top Tens
© 1966 Richard Scarry

Are You a Family Forest Owner?

1,000+
100-999
50-99
10-49
Owners
Area

1-9
0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Percentage of family forest land and family forest owners who have (A) a written
forest management plan, and (B) received forest management advice, by size of
forest holdings.
Who Owns America’s Forests? 5