Exploring woodlot owner managing and marketing decisions: Implications for Nova Scotia forest policy

Abstract

Since 1995, the government of Nova Scotia has had to develop woodlot owner management programs that encourage timber production without depending on cost-shared Federal-Provincial agreements. These new programs must be as cost-effective as possible. A possible policy tool to overcome these new challenges would be the development of a method of identifying those woodlot owners who would be most willing to participate in management programs. Using data from a province-wide woodlot owner survey, two logit models, based on the woodlot owner's characteristics, determine the likelihood that management and marketing activity will be undertaken. The management logit model identified those owners who had received advice, who sold wood products from their woodlots in the past five years, or owned larger than average-sized woodlots as most likely to engage in management activity. The marketing logit model identified those woodlot owners who were aware of existing programs, who managed, sold Christmas trees, logging contractors, members of group ventures, or owned larger than average-sized woodlots as more likely to sell forest products.