Foresters' Perceptions of the Frequency, Cost, and Rationale for Seasonal Timber Harvesting Restrictions in Wisconsin

摘要

Seasonal timber harvesting restrictions (STHRs) are applied for a variety of reasons, such as reducing risk of oak wilt and soil disturbance and protecting public resources such as water quality, rare species, and public roads during spring thaw. These restrictions may reduce timber supply during spring and summer. We conducted a survey of 184 private sector foresters and 197 public agency foresters in Wisconsin to estimate the frequency of, rationale for, and cost-effectiveness of STHRs. The response rate was 65%. Survey respondents reported that timber sales were most commonly restricted to comply with best management practices (64% of sales), reduce soil disturbance (56%), prevent oak wilt (39%), and address access concerns (34%). The most common motivations for STHRs were professional judgment of foresters and landowner objectives. Foresters reported that most restrictions were effective in achieving their goals and that landowners supported the restrictions. However, respondents perceived that STHRs reduced stumpage prices by 5 to 12%. We estimated that STHRs cost landowners $ 22.2 million annually statewide ($ 3.15 ton(-1)) of restricted timber based on perceived reductions in stumpage prices. Public agency foresters perceived that most categories of restrictions were cost-effective, whereas forest industry foresters believed a smaller subset of restrictions were cost-effective.