Northern Forest Lands: Resident Attitudes and Resource Use

摘要

Residents of the northern forest lands of New England rely heavily on the natural resources of the region for their economic welfare and outdoor recreation opportunities. For many decades, the relationship between large landholders and the citizens of the region has remained stable. However, recent events portend drastic changes in ownership of large tracts of forest land. For area residents, this change may signal changes in their access to land-based economic and recreational opportunities which they have traditionally enjoyed. A telephone survey of residents in the five-county region of northern Vermont and New Hampshire was conducted to determine resident attitudes and resource use patterns. Respondents were asked to: (1) Assess problems confronting their communities and region and express their attitudes toward local and regional planning; (2) Indicate their frequency of participation in a variety of outdoor recreational activities and their knowledge of ownership of the land they used for recreation; and (3) Indicate their support for or opposition to certain options that might be available to ensure the continuation of the large, single landownership patterns within northern forest lands. Data from the survey were used to develop implications for policy alternatives.