the lead agency in the Department of Agriculture for 
educating private forest landowners. 
A national study by Krygier (1980) concluded 
that people receiving assistance through extension 
woodlands programs believed the programs had 
provided them with income benefits, improved 
forest-management practices, increased timber 
supply, facilitated use of other government and 
State forestry programs, and increased timber har- 
vest. In a separate study in Oregon, Krygier (1986 
unpubl.) queried private landowners regarding their 
management objectives, income and investments, 
and information sources. He found that landowners 
ranked extension forestry as providing the most val- 
ued information, followed closely by the Oregon De- 
partment of Forestry. About 41 percent of the 
landowners in his sample relied on extension 
forestry at some level of intensity. User groups 
found publications and newsletters the most help- 
ful. Personal consultations, field visits, tours, 
demonstrations, meetings, and workshops were 
ranked in a similar, but somewhat lower class. Me- 
dia of various kinds were rated least helpful. 
A pilot landowner assistance program spon- 
sored by the Alabama River Woodlands Company 
in conjunction with the Alabama Cooperative Exten- 
sion Service has been evaluated recently. A survey 
of landowners in the southwest Alabama area near 
the company's mill indicated that the county exten- 
sion chairman or county agent had the highest 
credibility with landowners regarding agricultural or 
forestry matters. Thus Alabama River Woodlands 
Company proposed to provide most of the funds for 
a graduate forester who would work entirely for and 
under the supervision of the Extension Service. The 
forester was to work in the four-county area around 
the company mill to help interest landowners in re- 
generating their land. The program has been very 
successful to date. An economic evaluation of the 
program indicated a benefit-cost ratio of 3.12:1.0, 
and an internal rate of return of 9.9 percent. 
Discussion 
A variety of alternatives may be used to imple- 
ment public policy for forest resources. In the broad- - 
est sense, laissez-faire, government ownership, 
public regulation, or public incentives and 
education may produce socially desirable results. 
The appropriate mix of these programs at any given 
time depends on the goals of society and the cur- 
rent institutional structure. Successful policies must 
be designed to achieve an objective or solve a per- 
ceived problem; however, they cannot do this 
based on economic or political science theory 
alone. Policymakers must also consider all other 
relevant policies that affect forest resources. Exam- 
ining a program in isolation may lead to overlooking 
its side effects on other programs. 
Overall, the recent studies reviewed here pro- 
vide considerable information on the roles of owner 
characteristics, markets, and public policy. All the 
published evaluations have found technical assis- 
tance to be effective and to provide excellent private 
and social returns. It has helped inform unknowl- 
edgeable landowners, encouraged reforestation 
and harvest, and promoted other investments in 
forestry. Differences in environmental effects during 
timber harvests, however, could not be detected in 
the Georgia and Montana studies. Recent forest 
research evaluations have indicated that forest 
products research and technology transfer have 
been very profitable, and that forest management 
assistance has had benefits slightly exceeding 
costs, at low discount rates. Technology transfer 
and education programs are obviously important in 
disseminating research results. 
Public and private research and assistance pro- 
grams seem important in encouraging prudent for- 
est management and improved utilization and mar- 
keting by private forest landowners. In the United 
States, trees of some species will grow with or with- 
out assistance to landowners. But many recent 
studies have shown that assistance is crucial in 
fostering good land management practices and the 
growth of desirable species. Utilization and market- 
ing of any species also is facilitated by education 
and technology transfer programs. Thus, it seems 
likely that a mix of public and private research and 
technical assistance programs will continue to be 
an effective approach to increasing timber supplies 
from tracts owned in the private, nonindustrial sec- 
tor. It will be up to the participants of this conference 
to recommend which programs should be en- 
hanced, reduced, or maintained. 
References Cited 
Bengston, David H. 1984. 
Economic impacts of structural particleboard 
research. Forest Science. 30(3): 685-697. 
69 
