National Landowner Survey Urban First Mailing Survey & C

V. NWOS LONG FORM
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/nlos

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its
programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender,
religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or
family status. (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 USDA, Director, Office of Civil
Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call
(800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal
opportunity provider and employer.

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Version:

Maine 6.0

USDA Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey
160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst MA 01003
Phone (toll-free): (855) 233-3372
Email: [email protected]
Internet: www.fia.fs.fed.us/nlos
OMB No. 0596-0078

Approval Expires xxxxxxx

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 collection is 0596-0078. The time required to complete this
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.

Thank you for participating in this survey!
Please return the survey in the
postage-paid envelope provided.

Draft

If you would like a copy of the results of this survey, print
your name and address on the back of the return envelope.

If there are any additional comments or concerns that you would like to
share, please write them below.

Instructions
Instructions

 Please provide answers for all of the wooded land that you own in

Maine. 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 Maine 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 Maine answer this survey. If the company listed on the envelope
is a subsidiary of a larger company, please respond for the larger,
parent company.

General Questions About Your Land
Instructions
1. How many total acres of land do you currently own in Maine?
Acres of land in Maine
2. Wooded land covers 89% of Maine.
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
Maine?
Acres of wooded land in Maine

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If you own any wooded land in Maine, please
complete this survey.
If you do not own wooded land in Maine, please
return this survey in the postage-paid envelope
provided and write on the cover "No Wooded
Land"

General Questions about Your Ownership
Instructions
3. Which category below best describes your ownership?
Check only one.
Individual

General
Questions About You
Instructions
If you are responding on behalf of a company or other organization, skip
this section.
33. What is your age?

Joint, with husband or wife
Joint, such as with other family members or friends
Family partnership or family LLC or LLP

Years

34. What is your gender?
Male

Female

Family trust or estate
Corporation or business
Other (please specify):
4. How many people are a part of this ownership, including you?
Owners
5. Do you currently own more than one separate, unconnected
property with wooded land in Maine?
Yes

No

6. Is your home (primary residence) on or within a mile of any of your
wooded land in Maine?
Yes

No

Not Applicable

7. Do you have a vacation home or cabin on or within a mile of any of
your wooded land in Maine?
Yes

No

Not Applicable

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8. Do you own any land within a mile of any of your wooded land
in Maine that is farmed or ranched?
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.
Yes

No

Not applicable

35. What is the highest degree or level of school you have completed?
Less than 12th grade
High school/GED
Some college
Associate degree
Bachelor's degree
Advanced degree
36. Are you of Hispanic or Latino origin?
Yes
No
37. What is your race?
Select one or more.
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African-American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
38. On average, what percentage of your household’s annual income
comes from the wooded land that you own?
Percent

The Future of Your Wooded Land
Instructions

Instructions
Your Reasons for Owning Wooded Land

31. How likely is it that you will sell or give away any of your wooded
land in Maine in the next 5 years?

9. How important are the following as reasons for why you currently
own your wooded land in Maine?
If you own one property, check one box for each item.
If you own more than one property in Maine, consider them all
and check one or more boxes for each item.

Extremely
likely

Likely

Undecided

Unlikely

Extremely
unlikely

If likely or extremely likely, answer a.
If undecided, unlikely, or extremely unlikely, skip to question 32.
a. Who will likely receive it?
Check all that apply
My children
Another family member(s)
Other individual(s)
A business
A government agency
Other (please specify):
Don't know
32. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following
statements.
Check one box for each item.

To enjoy beauty or scenery
To protect nature or biological
diversity
To protect water resources
To protect or improve wildlife
habitat
For land investment
For privacy
To raise my family
To pass land on to my children or
other heirs

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I want my wooded land to
stay wooded
I would sell my land if I was
offered a reasonable price
I know my wooded land
very well
I want to know more about
my wooded land
I have a strong emotional
attachment to my wooded land
I believe my wooded land
provides benefits to my
community

For firewood
For timber products, such as logs or
pulpwood
For nontimber forest products,
such as berries or maple syrup
For hunting
For recreation, other than hunting
Other
(Please
specify):

The History of Your Wooded Land
Instructions
10. a. How did you get your wooded land in Maine?
Check all that apply.
Purchased
Inherited
Received as gift
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
Another family member
Other individual(s)
A business
A government agency
Other (please specify):
c. In what year did you, personally, first take ownership of your
wooded land in Maine?
Year
11. a. Have you ever sold or given away any of your wooded land in
Maine?
If no, skip to question 12.
Yes
No
If yes, please answer b, c and d.
b. If sold or given away, was your property subdivided or split up into
multiple parcels?
Yes
No
Don't know
c. If sold or given away, who received it?
Check all that apply.

Draft

My children
Another family member
Other individual(s)
A business
A government agency
Other (please specify):
d. Have you sold or given away any of your wooded land in
Maine in the past 5 years?
Yes
No

Concerns
Instructions
30. Please indicate your level of concern about each of the following
topics for your wooded land in Maine.
If you own one property, check one box for each item.
If you own more than one property in Maine, consider them all
and check one or more boxes for each item.

Air pollution
Climate change
Damage from animals
Development of nearby lands
Drought or lack of water
Damage or noise from
off-road vehicles
Government regulation
High property taxes
Invasive plants
Keeping land intact for future
generations
Misuse of wooded land, such as
vandalism or dumping
Trespassing or poaching
Unwanted insects or diseases
Water pollution
Wildfire
Wind or ice storms
Other
(Please
specify):

27. Which of the following would be helpful to you?
Check all that apply.
Cost-sharing for woodland management
More favorable tax policies
Stronger timber markets
Other (please specify):
None of the above
28. Which of the following information/advice topics would be helpful
` to you?
Check all that apply.
Timber management
How to transfer land to the next generation
Conservation easements
Wildlife management
Invasive plants
Wildfire
Unwanted insects or diseases
Other (please specify):
None of the above
29. How would you prefer to get information or advice related to your
wooded land?
Check all that apply.
Talk to a neighbor
Talk to an expert
Have someone visit my land

12. Who makes the management decisions, such as whether or not to
harvest trees, for your wooded land in Maine?
Check all that apply.
Me
My husband or wife
My children
My parents
Another family member
My business partner
My land manager or forester
Other (please specify):
13. A management or stewardship plan may be written in order to help
the landowner meet their goals for their wooded land.
a. How familiar are you with these types of plans?
Extremely
familiar

Moderately
familiar

Somewhat
familiar

c. Have you taken actions to implement it?
Yes
No
d. Who wrote it?
Check one.

Internet

Private consultant forester

I don't want/need information or advice

Not at all
familiar

If no or don't know, skip to question 14
If yes, please answer c and d

I did

Other (please specify):

Slightly
familiar

b. Do you have a written management or stewardship plan
for any of your wooded land in Maine?
Yes
No
Don't know

Written materials, such as brochures or other publications
Conference or workshop
Draft

Uses
of Your Wooded Land
Instructions

Forest industry forester
State or local government forester
Federal government forester
Other (please specify):

14. Have trees ever been cut or removed from any of your
wooded land in Maine since you have owned it?
. Yes
No
If no, skip to question 15.
If yes, please answer a, b, and c.
a. What types of products were cut or removed?
Check all that apply
Firewood
Logs
Wood chips or pulpwood

26. Have you talked with anyone or received information/advice about
the care, management, or protection of your wooded land in Maine
in the past 5 years?
If no, skip to question 27.
Yes
No
If yes, please answer a, b, and c.
a. What was it about?
Check all that apply.
Unwanted insects or plant diseases
Wildlife or wildlife habitat

Other (please specify):

Timber production

b. Why were the trees cut or removed?
Chek all that apply.
For sale
For personal use
Other

Land conservation

c. Was a professional forester used to plan, mark, contract, or
oversee any of the cuts?
Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable

Other (please specify):

15. Have nontimber forest products, such as berries or maple syrup,
been collected from any of your wooded land in Maine since you
have owned it?
If no, skip to question 16.
Yes
No

Fire safety
Invasive plants
b. How did it happen?
Check all that apply.
Talked to someone
Someone visited my land
Received a brochure or other written material
From the Internet

If yes, please answer a and b.
a. What types of products were collected?
Check all that apply
Edibles, such as berries or maple syrup
Medicinals, such as ginseng or St. John's wort
Landscaping, such as transplants

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Sources
of Information
Instructions

Attended a conference or workshop
Other (please specify):
c. Who was involved?
Check all that apply.
State or local government employee

Decorative, such as boughs or birch bark

Extension forester or other university employee

Other (please specify):

Federal government employee

b. Why were the nontimber forest products collected from your
wooded land in Maine?
Check all that apply.
For sale

For personal use

Other

Private consultant
Another landowner
Family member or friend
Other (please specify):

Recreation
on Your Wooded Land
Instructions
24. a. Who, with your permission, has hunted, hiked, or otherwise
recreated on your wooded land in Maine in the past 5 years?
Check all that apply.
Me and/or my husband or wife
My children
Other family members
Friends
Neighbors
The general public for free
The general public for a fee
Other (please specify):
If nobody, skip to question 25.
Nobody
b. How did you/they recreate?
Check all that apply.
Hunting
Fishing
Hiking/walking
Bicycling
Camping
Horseback riding
Skiing or snowshoeing
Off-road vehicles, such as ATVs or snowmobiles
Other (please specify):

Draft

25. Is any of your wooded land in Maine posted to restrict access
and/or use by the general public?
Yes
No
If no, skip to question 26.
If yes, what is restricted?
Check all that apply
Trespassing
Hunting
Motorized vehicles
Other (please specify):

16. Which of the following have occurred on your wooded land in
Maine in the past 5 years?
Check all that apply.
Cut and/or removed trees for sale
Cut and/or removed trees for own use
Collected nontimber forest products, such as berries or ginseng
Reduced fire hazard
Controlled burn/prescribed fire
Eliminated or reduced invasive plants
Eliminated or reduced unwanted insects or diseases
Road construction or maintenance
Trail construction or maintenance
Improved wildlife habitat
Livestock grazing
Other (please specify):
None of the above
17.Which of the following will likely occur on your wooded land in
Maine in the next 5 years?
Check all that apply
Cut and/or remove trees for sale
Cut and/or remove trees for own use
Collect nontimber forest products, such as berries or ginseng
Reduce fire hazard
Controlled burn/prescribed fire
Eliminate or reduce invasive plants
Eliminate or reduce unwanted insects or diseases
Road construction or maintenance
Trail construction or maintenance
Improve wildlife habitat
Livestock grazing
Other (please specify):
None of the above
I don't know

18. To encourage good woodland management, groups have created
green certification programs to recognize landowners who comply
with the groups’ standards. Examples include Tree Farm, Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC), and Sustainable Forestry Initiative
(SFI).
a. How familiar are you with green certification?
Extremely
familiar

Moderately
familiar

Somewhat
familiar

Slightly
familiar

Not at all
familiar

b. Is any of your wooded land in Maine currently green certified?
Yes
No
Don't know

21. Cost-share programs provide landowners with money to help them
establish or otherwise manage their wooded land. Examples include
the Conservation Reserve Program, the Environmental Quality
Incentives Program, the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, and
various state funded programs.
a. How familiar are you with cost-share programs?
Extremely
familiar

a. How familiar are you with these programs?
Extremely
familiar

Moderately
familiar

Somewhat
familiar

Slightly
familiar

Not at all
familiar

b. Is any of your wooded land in Maine currently enrolled in
one of these programs or a similar one?
Yes

No

Don't know

20. Development rights for land can be sold or voluntarily given
away. This is usually in the form of a conservation easement.
a. How familiar are you with this concept?
Extremely
familiar

Moderately
familiar

Somewhat
familiar

Slightly
familiar

Not at all
familiar

b. Have development rights been sold or voluntarily given away on
any of your wooded land in Maine by either you or a previous
owner?
Yes
No
Don't know

Draft

c. If No or Don't know, how likely are you to do so in the next 5
years?
Extremely
likely

Extremely
Likely Undecided Unlikely unlikely

Not
applicable

Somewhat
familiar

Slightly
familiar

Not at all
familiar

b. In the past 5 years, have you used a cost-share program to
help you establish or manage your wooded land in Maine?
Yes

19. Some state and local governments have programs that defer, reduce,
or eliminate property taxes for wooded land. In Maine, there are the
Tree Growth Tax Law and Open Space Tax Law programs.

Moderately
familiar

No

Don't know

22. Have you ever leased your wooded land in Maine (other than
for logging)?
Yes
No
If no, skip to question 23.
If yes, please answer a and b.
a. What leasing activities did they use it for?
Check all that apply.
Hunting
Recreation (other than hunting)
To graze/pasture livestock
Other (please specify):
b. Have any of these leasing activities occurred on your land in the
past 5 years?
Yes
No
23. In efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change, public programs
and private markets have been created that pay owners of wooded
land for capturing or sequestering carbon.
a. How familiar are you with carbon capture programs or markets?
Extremely
familiar

Moderately
familiar

Somewhat
familiar

Slightly
familiar

Not at all
familiar

b. Is any of your wooded land in Maine currently enrolled in
one of these carbon capture programs or markets?
Yes

No

Don't know