Over seven million acres of non-industrial private forest land are controlled by the forest industry under long-term lease agreements. While many landowners appear to be content with these arrangements, others are dissatisfied. Landowners should be aware of the potential benefits, problems, and costs of the long-term commitments.

Private landowners refrain to open their land for recreational users in the fear of potential liability. This study covered the extent of liability, actual bodily injuries and property damages sustained by hunters and anglers in Mississippi. In order to aid for comparison, the study was divided in two sections. First it examined the risk and liability in fee access recreation through the review of court cases from 1904 to 2005. Second study explored the extent of actual bodily injuries and property damages sustained by hunters and anglers in Mississippi during 2002/03 to 2004/05 using telephone survey. It was found that landowners won 68% of the legal cases even though they charged fees for recreational access. The study revealed that 1% respondents of the total sample had accidents and only 16.8% respondents had the liability insurance coverage.

Cost-share programs to improve sustainable land and water use are offered from federal, state, and non-governmental entities to non-industrial private (NIP) landowners. Despite the broad attention given to the ecological benefits of these programs, far less attention has been focused on their social impacts and benefits. To achieve the desired environmental objectives laid out within these programs, natural resource agencies must work to maintain high levels of satisfaction and participation among private landowners. The purpose of the study was to examine the attitudes and motivations of participants enrolled in one of three cost-share programs in Mississippi and compare those with the views of natural resource professionals throughout the state regarding landowner attitudes and motivations. Overall, landowners had positive views of their program experiences and the views of natural resource professionals coincided largely with those of landowners.

Achieving long-term conservation gains through the framework of conservation incentive programs requires an understanding of both the ecological and social components of these programs. Landowner program experiences and management decisions after program participation are important for long-term conservation, but these aspects of conservation programs are not well understood. To address this research gap related to conservation program participation, this thesis investigates Natural Resources Conservation Service programs that provide private landowners with financial and technical assistance to manage for young forest habitat in the eastern United States. We conducted a telephone survey to investigate private landowner experiences during and after participation in these NRCS conservation programs. Coordinating with biologists monitoring managed properties for birds, we assessed how in-person outreach and mailed monitoring results influenced landowners. Next, we evaluated how landowner motivations, resources, and cognitions were related to post-program young forest management intentions. Finally, we applied a coupled human and natural systems lens to investigate the linkage between wildlife outcomes, landowner perceptions, and continued young forest management. Our results demonstrate how in-person outreach can shape positive conservation experiences and increasing landowner trust in resource agencies. We also demonstrate the importance of both social and environmental factors for influencing landowner decision-making after conservation program participation. We detail the applications of this research for conservation agencies and professionals who work with private landowners. / Master of Science / The decline of young forest habitat and associated wildlife species is a major conservation issue in the eastern United States. Since 2011, Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation programs have provided hundreds of private landowners with financial and technical assistance to create and maintain young forest habitat. Landowner program experiences and management decisions after program participation are important for long-term conservation, but information is limited on these aspects of NRCS young forest programs. In response, we conducted a telephone survey to investigate private landowner experiences during and after participation in these conservation programs. Coordinating with biologists monitoring managed properties for birds, we assessed how in-person outreach and mailed monitoring results influenced landowners. Next, we evaluated how landowner motivations, resources, and cognitions were related to post-program young forest management intentions. Finally, we examined how landowners observed and interpreted wildlife outcomes of young forest management and how these perceptions were related to habitat management after program participation. Our results highlight the importance of in-person outreach for shaping positive conservation experiences and increasing landowner trust in resource agencies. We also demonstrate the importance of both social and environmental factors for influencing landowner decision-making after conservation program participation. We detail the applications of this research for conservation agencies and professionals who work with private landowners.

This is a study of conservation easements of forestland in the Northern forest Region of New York State. Forestland easements are the subset of conservation easements encumbering forestland. As of 1995, there were 79 of these forestland easements within the study area. Of this total of 79 forestland easements, 50 were granted as donations and the remaining 29 were granted in sales. Most forestland easement donors were individuals or related individuals. Forestland easement sellers are split between industrial owners and individuals. Eight forestland easement grantees in the Northern Forest Region were identified. This group of grantees includes one public agency and national, regional, and local land trusts. Deeds to the forestland easements inventoried in this study contain 155 separate variables. These variables reflect the differences in encumbered properties, ownership goals of grantors, and land management goals of grantees. Deed information shows that forestland easements have a broad common purpose of preventing change or directing change in an acceptable manner. The specifics of preventing and directing change will vary with each property. The limits of acceptable change are a large part of working out the agreement between grantor and grantee. Interviews with both donors and sellers reveal that, in retrospect, most are satisfied with their decision to grant the forestland easement. Analysis of forestland easement deed content reveals embedded potential future problems for owners of encumbered properties. Recommendations contained in this report provide guidance for landowners considering the grant of a forestland easement and suggestions for deed content. Most landowners made forestland easement granting decisions that are favorable from their perspective, but less than optimal from outside observation. / Ph. D.

Private lands encompass over half of the continental United States and serve as critical habitat for the majority of federally threatened and endangered species. Despite the importance of private lands for conservation, they remain understudied by conservation scientists. Conservation research programs that study private lands biodiversity not only help to fill this research gap but may also contribute more broadly to private lands conservation by influencing the conservation behaviors of individuals that participate in the program. However, little is known about how conservation behavior outcomes may differ across varying levels of participation in a program and what factors may influence this conservation behavior change. This thesis focuses specifically on conservation behavior outcomes associated with participation in a conservation research program and participants' perceived impact on conservation behaviors. For my first chapter, I interviewed private landowners that had provided property access to the Smithsonian conservation research program, Virginia Working Landscapes (VWL), between 2010 and 2020. We found that landowners perceived their participation in VWL influenced their conservation behaviors across multiple categories; yet, land stewardship behaviors were more commonly positively influenced than social environmentalism or environmental citizenship behaviors. Landowners also reported that various aspects of the program including program events, on-site interactions with staff and citizen scientists, and landowner reports had the strongest influence on their engagement in conservation behaviors, while other aspects such as program newsletters and annual reports influenced their engagement in conservation behaviors to a lesser degree. For my second chapter, I surveyed citizen scientists and non-citizen scientists that were associated with VWL between 2010 and 2020. VWL citizen scientists had significantly higher perceived impacts of the program on their engagement in conservation behaviors compared to non-citizen scientists. The strongest predictors of respondents' perceptions of VWL's impact on their conservation behaviors include participation as a citizen scientist, program-related normative beliefs, attendance at program events, and reading program newsletters, while characteristics of the participants (i.e. demographics, actual behavioral control, personal norms, environmental attitude) were not predictive of perceptions of impact. Findings from this thesis can inform efforts to influence program participants' conservation behaviors. In particular, program managers may increase conservation outcomes through incorporating citizen science opportunities; fostering direct interactions between landowners, citizen scientists, researchers, and peers; training citizen scientists in effective science communication skills; and tailoring program communications to specific target audiences. / Master of Science / Over half of the mainland United States are under private ownership and these private lands are important habitat for federally threatened and endangered species. Even though private lands are important for conservation, the majority of conservation research studies take place on public lands. Conservation research programs that study species on private lands can contribute to conservation by providing insights into questions that are critical to species' management. These programs can also contribute to conservation by influencing the people who participate in the program to engage in conservation behaviors. However, people can participate in conservation research programs in many different ways and it is unclear how participation in a program influences people's conservation behaviors. This thesis explored the different conservation behaviors associated with participation in a conservation research program and participants' perceived impact on conservation behaviors. For my first chapter, I interviewed private landowners that had provided property access to the Smithsonian conservation research program, Virginia Working Landscapes (VWL), between 2010 and 2020. The landowners we interviewed perceived that their participation in VWL influenced them to engage in conservation behaviors across multiple categories, but land stewardship behaviors (e.g. landscape improvements that benefit wildlife or their habitat) were more commonly influenced than social environmentalism (e.g. behaviors that focus on social engagement) or environmental citizenship behaviors (e.g. supporting environmental causes through voting, donations, or civic engagement). Certain aspects of the program such as program events, on-site interactions with staff and citizen scientists, and landowner reports were the most influential on landowners' engagement in conservation behaviors, while other aspects such as program newsletters and annual reports influenced their engagement in conservation behaviors less often. For my second chapter, I surveyed citizen scientists (i.e. volunteer members of the public who gather or analyze data for scientific research) and non-citizen scientists (i.e. individuals subscribed to VWL's newsletter but had never volunteered as citizen scientists) associated with VWL. VWL citizen scientists were positively influenced by the program to engage in conservation behaviors significantly more than non-citizen scientists. Characteristics of the program including participation as a citizen scientist, program-related normative beliefs (i.e. one's perception of whether other individuals will approve or disapprove of a certain behavior), attendance at program events, and program materials were associated with the program's influence on survey respondents' engagement in conservation behaviors. Characteristics of the participants (i.e. demographics, actual behavioral control, personal norms, environmental attitude) were not found to be significant predictors of impact. Results from this thesis may be helpful to programs aiming to increase their influence on participants' conservation behavior engagement. For example, programs may incorporate citizen science; foster direct interactions between landowners, citizen scientists, researchers, and peers; train citizen scientists in science communication skills, and tailor program communications to specific audiences.