Files
Abstract
The aim of this dissertation was to identify variables that were important to different stakeholders in forest management, including urban residents, municipal governments, and the private family forest owners with large landholdings. The research introduced a basis for thinking about policies that affect changes in forest land use. Three studies were conducted addressing policy factors at the household level, the municipal level, and the forest landowner level. The first study examined the opinions and attitudes of urban residents and how much they supported the increase of urban forests as part of a climate change strategy. Results showed that respondents were willing to support and pay for increasing and maintaining additional urban forests for climate change mitigation. The second study examined how U.S. mayors prioritized the issues of climate change and urban forest management in their respective cities. Climate change adaptation was the top ranked method to address climate change and the increase of urban forests ranked highest from a list of environmental priorities. The third study focused on private family forest landowners with large landholdings in the U.S. South and their land management objectives. Results showed that noneconomic benefits, extent of family ownership, and size of landholdings affect decisions made by landowners in this segment.