Consequences of Corporate Timberland Ownership Change in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

摘要

Corporate forestland ownership in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (UP) has undergone a significant change in recent years. This has raised concerns about the impact on local economies, communities, environments, and potential for accelerated sales into higher valued uses. We address two main objectives: the rate and pattern of timberland ownership change and the potential impacts of the land sales on the UP economy. UP wide spatial databases of corporate forestland ownership were developed at two points in time and ownership change was characterized. We described spatially lands with relatively higher potential for conversion to non-forest uses, and present results from economic change analyses. Ownership change data support the hypothesis that large-tract corporate forestlands are increasingly fragmented. The economic assessment highlights the small role that the UP plays in the overall Michigan economy, but the very important role it plays for Michigan's forest products industries, a key element in the region's prosperity.