Presentation 5.3: Interface Entrepreneurs: A New Service Industry for Small Forest Landowners

1. Presentation 5.3: Interface Entrepreneurs: A New Service Industry for Small Forest Landowners

2. Outline • Introduction • Serving Interface Forest Owners • Who are Interface Entrepreneurs? • Challenges and Opportunities • Summary

3. Introduction • Development pressure and forest conversion present many challenges for managing interface forests. • These challenges bring about numerous opportunities for interface entrepreneurs.

4. Interface forest landowners • <10 acres – management for amenities is dominant • 10-20 acres – management for amenities and/or timber • >20 acres – Traditional forest management possible

5. Serving interface forest owners • Motivations are changing • <concern with income generation, >concern with amenity value • Interested in active management but less likely to manage trees for profit • Distrust of natural resource professionals • Question environmental ethics of foresters

6. Who are interface entrepreneurs? • Traditional forestry or logging background • Green industry background

7. Obstacles and opportunities Green industry background Forestry background Opportunities Take on “big picture” landscape-scale approach Possess silvicultural and timber harvesting skills Obstacles Use large equipment that is not suitable for small scale forestry Landowners are not familiar with forestry terminology Need to learn how to manage for amenity values • Opportunities • Possess people skills • Use appropriate terminology • Obstacles • More suitable equipment needed • Lacking technical knowledge about landscape-level management • Limited services offered

8. Interface entrepreneur skills • Diversification of services • Tailoring of services • Minimizing damage to sites • Maximizing and adding value to materials

9. Payment schedules • Approach varies by background • Forestry or logging background • Commission based approach • Green industry professionals • Hourly, daily, or job rates • Payment structure may depend on • type of work being done • value of wood taken from site • management objectives of landowner

10. Challenges and opportunities • Perceptions and markets • Networks • Diversification • Adaptability • Amenity values and environmental ethics • Adding value • Skills and training

11. Perception and markets • Marketing • Consistent terminology • Visibility • Landowners • Lack of knowledge • Unrealistic expectations • Natural resource professionals • Promote education programs in urbanizing areas • Help landowners identify and access resources

12. Networks, diversification, and adaptability • Networking with companies or individuals with complementary services is key • Diverse services • Networks of related services

13. Amenity values and environmental ethics Shift in mindset from focus on timber values to aesthetics and amenity values

14. Adding values Remain creative and innovative to find the highest and best use for timber from small lots • Niche markets • “Green” marketing • Support “do-it-yourself” landowners

15. Skills and training • Business-related training • Technical training • Silviculture, forest health, amenity value • Arborists can learn about optimizing value from harvested trees, cutting and processing trees and logs for maximum value • State cooperative extension training for landowners

16. Summary • Urbanization and forest conversion are dramatically transforming the U.S. forestry industry. • Many smaller forests in the interface could benefit from natural resource management • Interface entrepreneurs must retool and shift their focus to meet the needs of this growing number of interface landowners.

17. Credits • Carl Firley • Larry Korhnak • South Carolina Forestry Association • Michelle Atkins