Planning for small forest landscapes: facilitating the connection between people and nature

Abstract

A significant area of forest land in the United States is held by a diverse group of people known by the US Forest Service as family forest owners. Surveys reveal that family forest owners own forest land for a variety of reasons including scenery, nature protection, recreation, privacy, timber production, family legacy, and investment. Despite this variety of purpose and commitment, most materials and workshops designed to assist small forest landowners focus on timber management and forest health and provide little information about managing for other goals. This suggests that there may be an opportunity to engage family forest owners in a more holistic way to help them improve the health of their forests while also enhancing the scenic, recreational and other cultural amenities of their properties. In order to learn more about how individuals with small forests see their land, what excites them about it and how they interact with it, a focus group was held and personal interviews completed while visiting forest owners on their property. During the visits, forest owners conveyed their experiences and talked about exploring and developing an understanding of their property, relating to nature, and forming an attachment to place. The research findings suggest that a process oriented experience based approach to planning can facilitate a deep connection to the land that remains engaging and open to new experiences over time.