Forest Research: Open Access
Open Access

Abstract

Characteristics and Motives of Private Forest Owners

Henn Korjus and Priit Pollumae

The institutional environment in which different actors of the forestry sector transact is in constant change. Some of the institutional change can be explained through mental models and ideologies [1]. All these processes have also influenced the management of private forests. Non-industrial private forest owners are often classified to a limited number of forest owner types. Such classifications usually have problems with some owners not belonging to any type identified. Problems may occur also with owners recognized as “a new type of owners” because private forest owners are rather individual and dynamic in their ownership, management objectives and decisions. Despite these drawbacks these kind of classifications could be very useful in understanding them and their behaviour. Private forest owners have quite diverse set of motives and approaches to forest management and this might not be always sufficiently taken into account in designing forest policy tools [2]. Furthermore, any narrow policy approach accompanied with strict rules, and focusing on technical details/issues might lead to a non-compliance with national forestry objectives. For example several management-related problems may arise in forestry, e.g. low efforts of reforestation, lack of interest in stand development or low harvesting rates. This is often the case in post-socialist countries as there is still an imbalance between the state and private sector which leads to lower concern in private activities and to problems of implementing the national policies [3]. All these processes have diversified research approaches to private forestry.