Minority Forest Landowners in Southeastern Alabama

Abstract

This study investigated the characteristics of minority forest landowners and their forest resources in Macon and Bullock counties in Alabama through a landowner survey. The size of forestland held by these landowners was relatively small, with a mean of 113 ac. Most of their forests were mixed pine and hardwood stands. The top ranked management objectives of these landowners were for timber production and wildlife (hunting). About two-thirds of these landowners have thinned or harvested their forests. However, the forestland has not significantly contributed to the landowners' income. The lack of capital, labor, and knowledge of forest management and marketing impeded the landowners from generating more benefits from their forestland.