Tiles IUFRO

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U.S. Forest Landowner Cooperatives:What Do Members Expect?What Can Co-ops Offer?: U.S. Forest Landowner Cooperatives: What Do Members Expect? What Can Co-ops Offer? Kris Tiles- University of Wisconsin Extension Mark Rickenbach- UW Forest Ecology & Management Kim Zeuli- UW Applied Agriculture & Economics Emily Sturgess- UW Forest Ecology & Management

Slide2: It sounded like they might be the intermediary so that you wouldn’t have to deal with the stereotypical logger who just wants to rape your land and bug out. …thought at the beginning that [the co-op] would be a way to make a little bit of money without selling my own soul.

Overview: Overview Background Private Forest Landowners (NIPFO) Collective Action Cooperatives Methods Results Conclusions

Wisconsin & Other States W/ Co-ops: Wisconsin & Other States W/ Co-ops

Slide5: Co-ops in Wisconsin Living Forest Washington Island Prairie Ridge Partner’s in Forestry Kickapoo Hiawatha Sustainable Woods

Slide6: Exceedingly Broad Description of NIPF Owners Lots of people who own forest and produce most timber. Aesthetics, wildlife, place to live … and timber Economies of scale work against them. Most are ill-prepared for the marketplace.

Collective Action for Owners: Collective Action for Owners Counter economies of scale. Create knowledge, market and otherwise. Provide voice. Foster optimal investment strategies?

What Is a Cooperative?: What Is a Cooperative? “A cooperative is a user-owned and user-controlled business that distributes benefits on the basis of use.” USDA

Methods: Methods Selected two cooperatives Living Forest Cooperative (LFC) Sustainable Woods Cooperative (SWC) Mail Survey Self-administered 80% (SWC) & 83.6% (LFC) response rates Semi-structured Interviews 26 members 1- 2 hours

Study Subjects: Study Subjects Sustainable Woods Co-op Located in SW WI 1998-2003 150 members 20,000 acres Living Forest Co-op Located in NW WI Est. 2000 81 members 8,000 acres

Study Subjects: Study Subjects Sustainable Woods Co-op Management Services Sawmill Services Owned Kiln and Sort Yard Marketing Services FSC certified sales Education Living Forest Co-op Management Services Processing Services Contracted out Marketing Services FSC/ Smartwood Education

Results:Why Are They Joining?: Results:Why Are They Joining? Services Education/ Information Empowerment

Results:Why Are They Joining?: Results:Why Are They Joining? Services Management planning (beyond timber) Responsible harvesting Other services (marketing & value-added) Education/ Information Empowerment

Slide14: A group [of landowners] I know never really imagined even harvesting, but they joined. They paid their membership … because they wanted a management plan. They wanted some guidance about how they could manage their woods.

Results:Why Are They Joining?: Services Education/ Information Field days Better insight into sustainable forestry Cost-share and tax programs Written materials Empowerment Results:Why Are They Joining?

Slide16: I think the biggest thing I’ve gotten is the materials that they send in terms of learning and understanding…the newsletters were fantastic with information and [graphics].

Results:Why Are They Joining?: Services Education/ Information Empowerment Landowner Network Building Creating Identity Sustainable Forestry Cooperatives Results:Why Are They Joining?

Slide18: I enjoy being with people that have a commitment towards taking care of their woodlands. I enjoy being with people who wanna share information and help each other out and so forth.

Slide19: I like the idea that they are collecting private landowners and preaching the word about sustainable forestry.

Conclusions:Benefits to Landowners: Conclusions: Benefits to Landowners One stop shopping Join Alternative resource Access to certification & Stay

Conclusions:Challenges: Conclusions: Challenges Leaders Members Involvement and commitment of members Variety of landowner organizations

Conclusions:What needs to be in place?: Conclusions: What needs to be in place? Committed members Effective business plan: I mean, in some respects, everybody was just kind of in love with these ideas, but when you get down to brass, you’re running a business. And you have to have these skills… Organized, efficient leader (manager) Representative Board of Directors

Slide23: THANK- YOU. QUESTIONS? Funding University of Wisconsin McIntire-Stennis Program USDA Forest Service North Central Research Station Renewable Resources Extension Act Community Forestry Research Fellowship