XXVI NWOS Corporate Survey

XXVI. NWOS Corporate Form
Survey of Corporate Forest Owners in the United States
USDA Forest Service
160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003
Email: nwos@fs.fed.us Internet: www.fia.fs.fed.us/nlos
Toll-Free Telephone: (855) 233-3372
Fax: (413) 545-1860
OMB Number: 0596-0078
Approval expiration: xxxxxxx
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person
is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control
number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0596-0078. The time required
to complete this information collection is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including the
time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on
the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual
orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with
disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large
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To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA
is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Version: Corporate 6.0
Instructions
 Please provide answers for all of the forested land that your company owns in the
(see map below).
 The person who is most knowledgeable about the company’s forested land in the
should answer this questionnaire.
 If the company listed on the envelope is a subsidiary of a larger company, please respond for the
larger, parent company.
 If the company listed on the envelope has multiple subsidiaries, please respond for the larger,
parent company and all of its subsidiaries.

[INSERT REGION MAP]

Page 1 of 12

Forested Land Definition
Forested land covers XX% of the .
Forested land includes:
 Timberland, forests, and woodlands
 Land at least 1 acre in size, 120 feet wide, and has at least 10% forest cover
 Land at least 1 acre in size, where trees were harvested and will grow again
Forested land does not include:
 Christmas tree farms, orchards, or nurseries
 Land that is mowed for lawn
General Questions about Your Company’s Forested Land
1. How many acres of forested land does your company own in each state in the ?
(Include a small map). Please list each state and acres by state. Include an additional sheet of
paper if needed.
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

General Questions about Your Company
For the rest of the survey, please consider only the forested land your company currently, as of
January 1, 201X, owns in
2. What is the structure of your company as of January 1, 201X?
__Timber investment management organization (TIMO)
__Publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT)
__Privately held real estate investment trust (REIT)
__Traditional forest industry company (vertically integrated – own land and mills)
__Other (please specify): ____________

The History of your Company’s Forested Land
3. In what year did your company first acquire forested land in the ?
________
4. Has your company sold or given away any of its forested land in the in the past 5
years?
__Yes __No

Page 2 of 12

Not Applicable

Not Important

Of little importance

Moderately Important

Important

Very Important

Your Company’s Reasons for Owning Land
5. How important are the following as reasons for why your company currently owns forested land
in the ?

For land investment, where lands
are to be sold and will likely remain
in timber
For land investment, where lands
are to be sold and likely converted
to non-timber uses, such as home
lots or other highest and best uses
(HBU)
For timber production
For oil or gas extraction
For extraction of other mineral
products, such as sand or gravel
Other
(Please specify):

Labor/Workforce
6. How does your company employ logging crews?
Check all that apply.
__Employ directly
__Contract or subcontract
__Both, employ directly and contract/subcontract
7. How does your company secure logging, tree planting, road construction, and general
maintenance contracts for its forested land in ?
Check all that apply.
__Your company secures these contracts
__A second party, such as foresters or land managers under contract by your company, secures
these agreements

Page 3 of 12

8. Does your company, either directly or through a second party, utilize long-term logging
agreements?
__ Yes __ No
If no, skip to question 11.
If yes, please answer a.
a. If yes, what is the average length of these contracts?
_____months
9. Does your company have people and equipment that are used for wildfire suppression in the
?
__ Yes __No
10. Does your company have researchers that conduct studies on tree improvement or other forest
management issues?
__ Yes __No

Uses and Management of your Company’s Forested Land
11. Who manages your forested land in the ?
Check all that apply
__Company (in house)
__Local/regional consultants or forestry professionals
__National consultants or forestry professionals
__Other (please specify):___________________
If company (in house) only, skip to question 12.
If local/regional or national consultants, please answer a.
a. What is the average length of these agreements?
________months
12. A management or stewardship plan may be written in order to help the landowner meet their
goals for their forested land. Does your company have a written management or stewardship
plan for any of its forested land in ?
__Yes __No

Page 4 of 12

Not Applicable

Not Important

Of little importance

Moderately Important

Important

Very Important

14. How important are the following reasons for why your company currently manages its forested
land in the ?

To protect beauty or scenery
To protect nature or biological
diversity
To protect water resources
To protect or improve wildlife
habitat
For land investment
For firewood
For timber products, such as logs or
pulpwood
For nontimber forest products,
such as berries or mushrooms
For hunting
For recreation, other than hunting
For oil or gas extraction
For extraction of other mineral
products, such as sand or gravel
For carbon capture/sequestration
Other
(Please specify):

15. What types of forest products have ever been cut or removed from any of your company’s
forested land in the ?
Check all that apply.
__Firewood
__Logs
__Wood chips or pulpwood
__Other (please specify):_____________

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16. On average, how many acres were harvested each year on your company’s forested land in the
?
_________acres per year

17. Which of the following have occurred on your company’s forested land in the in the
past 5 years?
Check all that apply.
__Cut and/or removed trees for sale
__Cut and/or removed trees for personal use
__Collected nontimber forest products, such as berries or mushrooms
__Reduced fire hazard
__Controlled burn/prescribed fire
__Eliminated or reduced invasive plants
__Eliminated or reduced unwanted insects or disease
__Road construction or maintenance
__Trail construction or maintenance
__Improved wildlife habitat
__Livestock grazing
__Used herbicides
__Used pesticides
__Used fertilizers
__Other (please specify):_______________________
__None of the above

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18. Which of the following will likely occur on your company’s forested land in the in the
next 5 years?
Check all that apply.
__Cut and/or removed trees for sale
__Cut and/or removed trees for personal use
__Collected nontimber forest products, such as berries or mushrooms
__Reduced fire hazard
__Controlled burn/prescribed fire
__Eliminated or reduced invasive plants
__Eliminated or reduced unwanted insects or disease
__Road construction or maintenance
__Trail construction or maintenance
__Improved wildlife habitat
__Livestock grazing
__Used herbicides
__Used pesticides
__Used fertilizers
__Other (please specify):__________
_None of the above
_I don’t know

19. Which of the following silvicultural practices have occurred on your company’s forested land in
the in the past 5 years?
Check all that apply.
__Clearcut with planting
__Clearcut with natural regeneration
__Seed tree cuts
__Shelterwood cuts
__Single tree selection
__Group selection
__Other (please specify):_______________

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20. Does your company have even-age stands on its forested land in the ?
__Yes __No
If yes, please answer a.
If no, skip to question 21.
a. What is the average rotation length of your even-aged stands?
___________years
21. Does your company have uneven-aged stands on its forested land in the ?
__Yes __No
If yes, please answer a.
If no, skip to question 22.
a. What is the average frequency of cutting, commercial or non- commercial, in your
company’s uneven-aged stands?
___________years per stand
22. Has your company thinned any of its forested land in the in the past 5 years?
__Yes __No
If yes, please answer a and b.
If no, skip to question 23.
a. What is the typical number of thinnings performed on a stand in this region?
_____
b. How many acres, on average, are thinned each year in the ?
_____acres
23. Has your company planted seedlings on any of its forested land in the in the past 5
years?
__Yes __No
If yes, please answer a, b, c, d, and e.
If no, skip to question 24.
a. How many acres, on average, have been planted each year in the ?
________acres per year
b. How are the seedlings planted?
__Machine
__Hand planted
__ Both machine and hand planted
c. What are the planting densities your company typically uses for the most common species
that it plants?
Species
Tree per acre
_________________ ___________
_________________ ___________
_________________ ___________
d. What types of seedlings were planted?
__Genetically modified seedlings
__Non-genetically modified seedlings
Page 8 of 12

24. To encourage good woodland management, groups have created green certification programs
to recognize landowners who comply with groups’ standards. Examples include Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).
a. Is any of your company’s forested land in the currently green certified?
__Yes __No
If yes, answer questions b and c.
If no, skip to question 25.
b. Which certification processes does your company use for its forested land in the ?
__Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
__Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
__Other (please specify):____________
c. What percentage of your company’s forested land in the is certified under one or
more of these systems?
_______%
25. Some state and local governments have programs that defer, reduce, or eliminate property
taxes for forested land. Is any of your company’s forested land in the currently
enrolled in one of these programs?
__Yes __No
26. Development rights for land can be sold or voluntarily given away. This is usually in the form of a
conservation easement.
a. Have development rights been sold or voluntarily given away on any of your company’s
forested land in the by your company or a previous owner?
__Yes __No
b. How likely is your company to do so in the next 5 years?
Extremely
Likely
__

Likely
__

Undecided
__

Unlikely
__

Extremely
Not
Unlikely Applicable
__
__

27. Has your company ever collected money for allowing people to use its forested land or leased its
forested land in the (other than from logging)?
__Yes __No

Page 9 of 12

If yes, please answer questions a.
If no, skip to question 28.
a. What leasing activities did they use it for?
Check all that apply.
__Hunting
__Recreation (other than hunting)
__To graze/pasture livestock
__Public water supply protection
__Wildlife habitat/biodiversity
__Other (please specify)_____________

28. a. Who, with your company’s permission, has hunted, hiked, or otherwise recreated on your
company’s forested land in the in the past 5 years?
Check all that apply.
__Company employees
__Neighbors
__The general public for free
__The general public for a fee
__Other (please specify):_________
__Nobody -> If nobody, skip to question 30
b. How did they recreate?
Check all that apply.
__Hunting
__Fishing
__Hiking/walking
__Bicycling
__Camping
__Horseback riding
__Skiing or snowshoeing
__Off-road vehicles, such as ATVs or snowmobiles
__Other (please specify):________

Page 10 of 12

Not Applicable

No concern

Of little concern

Moderate concern

Concern

Great concern

Concerns
29. Please indicate your level of concern about each of the following topics for your company’s
forested land in the .

Air pollution
Climate change
Damage from animals
Development of nearby lands
Drought or lack of water
Damage or noise from off-road vehicles
High property taxes
Government regulation
Invasive plants
Keeping land intact for future generations
Misuse of forested land, such as vandalism or dumping
Trespassing or poaching
Unwanted insects or diseases
Water pollution
Wildfire
Wind or ice storms
Changes in national or state tax laws and structure
Changes in state and local ordinances in road
use/weight limits
Changes in state and local ordinances in land use or
timber management regulations
Regulations limiting the use of chemicals in timber
management
Changes in the forest products industry
Changes in timber markets
Long-term fiber supply agreements
Securing logging contractors
Liability issues with hunting and recreation leases
Securing seedling planting stock
Changes in investors’ preferences
Meeting and maintaining timber green certification
standards
Other
(please specify):
Page 11 of 12

Community Relations
30. Does your company engage in any of the following activities with communities in the
?
Check all that apply.
__Landowner outreach and education
__Landowner technical assistance, such as writing forest management plans
__Charitable contributions
__Other (Please specify):___________________
__None of the above
Income Generation
31. Approximately, what percentage of your company’s total revenue is derived from your
forestland operations? This includes receipts from timber sales, sale of forestland, and other
revenue streams directly from your forested land.
____ %
32. What are the sources of income from your company’s forested land in the ?
Check all that apply.
__Timber products, such as logs or pulpwood
__Hunting leases
__Recreational (non-hunting) leases
__Resale (land remains in timber)
__Resale (lands going to non-forest or highest and best use (HBU))
__Conservation easements
__Carbon sequestration agreements
__Other (please specify):______________
33. Does your company have any long-term timber/fiber supply agreements with mills or other
primary wood using facilities for its forested land in the ?
__ Yes __No
If no, skip to questions 33.
If yes, please answer a.
a. What is the typical length of these agreements?
_______years

The Future of your Company’s Forested Land
34. How likely is it that your company will sell any of its forested land in the in the next 5
years?
Extremely
Likely
__

Likely
__

Undecided
__

Unlikely
__

Extremely
Not
Unlikely Applicable
__
__

Page 12 of 12