Public Benefits from Private Forests and Woodland in England: Investigating the Opportunities for Public Good Enhancement

摘要

Public goods such as environmental conservation, amenity and carbon sequestration are increasinglyudemphasised in forest policy agendas. However, many public benefits in woodlands have occurredudincidentally, rather than on the basis of socio-economic logic and often at locations relativelyudinaccessible to major centres of population. In fact, data reveal a concentration of privately ownedudwoodland in densely populated areas, especially in central and southern England, and that woodland isudoften factored into residential location decisions and lifestyle behaviours. However, the provision ofudpublic goods is likely to be contingent on the value systems of private forest and woodland owners andudtheir flexibility of response to measures promoted under the devolved forest strategies.udA combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed to construct a robustudtypology of private woodland owners with respect to their willingness and ability to deliver public goodudbenefits in three study areas in England: the Lake District, Cornwall and the High Weald AONB.udBuilding on an exploratory scoping study, Q Methodology interviews were conducted with 10 woodlandudowners in each study area, followed by a self-completion survey, administered using Dillman's TotaludDesign Method. Data from 600 woodland owners was subjected to a Factor and Cluster Analysis, withudthe emergent model validated using Discriminant Analysis.udSix discrete private woodland owner types were revealed: Individualists, Multifunctional Owners,udPrivate Consumers, Conservationists, Investors and Amenity Owners. Important distinctions betweenudowner groups are associated with the likely provision of particular benefits and disbenefits, and theudclassification suggests that a move from a production versus consumption/protection framework to oneudthat includes intersecting goals may be more appropriate. Policy implications are discussed to facilitateuduse of the typology in targeting particular woodland owner groups with more nuanced policyudmechanisms, including incentive schemes, market mechanisms and advisory services.