Schneider et al.: Financial Incentives and Landowner Interest in Reforestation

In Financial Incentives and Landowner Interest in Reforesting Open Lands in the Southeastern United States, authors Chloe Schneider and Nina Randazzo (both Environmental Defense Fund), Ram Kumar Adhikari (Forestry, Mississippi State University), and Neelam Chandra Poudyal (Natural Resources, University of Tennessee) examine the factors influencing landowners’ willingness to participate in reforestation programs.

Reforestation involves planting trees on formerly forested land in an effort to promote carbon sequestration to address climate change concerns. The Southeastern United States currently holds over 25 million acres of pasture and hayfield land across 8 states which could potentially be reforested. The authors point out that previous studies highlighting the ecological benefits of reforestation often overlook community land use practices and local preferences.

The authors seek to estimate landowner interest, understand the attractiveness of potential financial incentive programs, and identify the key factors that contribute to landowner decision making when considering reforestation projects. Through a survey sent to several thousand landowners owning 10 acres or more, the authors proposed a hypothetical reforestation project that presented differing levels of financial incentives for reforestation. Very few of the respondents expressed willingness to engage in the hypothetical program. Several common barriers emerged: Current land uses especially as grazing for livestock and hay production often served as a large source of income and outweighed interest in reforestation incentives. Another cited barrier was concerns over being tied up in long-term land management contracts and insufficient financial incentives. Older landowners were particularly resistant, citing reluctance to commit to decisions that might restrict future generations.

The study also revealed that, contrary to the suggestions of prior studies, proximity to urban centers was not a contributing factor. The authors recommend further research on how location relative to population centers may shape landowner decisions. Ultimately, this study reveals that although financial incentives may increase interest in reforestation programs, most landowners remain uninterested due to strong social and economic preferences for agricultural production over reforestation.