Responses of family forest owners in western Washington to increased development pressures: Implications for forest fragmentation.

摘要

Rural communities in the west have been experiencing dramatic demographic changes over the past decade. Areas with high natural amenity values continue to experience significant in-migrations, as increasing housing costs and high crime rates drive people out of the cities and into the rural areas. Rural communities in Washington State are growing; resulting in an increase in new forest landowners with smaller-sized forest parcels, changing the face of private forest landowners. Many of these landowners are new to forest ownership, and although they may have small individual holdings, collectively they control a substantial amount of resources. The shift in forest landowner demographics, along with the increasing parcelization of private forestlands, underscores the importance of the small-scale forest landowner in Washington State. Private forest lands in Washington State provide a variety of public resources that many enjoy, such as wildlife, timber, non-timber products, recreational opportunities, and clean water. This study looks at the relationship between public goods and private forests, and explores the linkages between forest fragmentation and land-use changes in western Washington with private property rights, environmental regulations, intergenerational land transfer, and place creation.