• Morse, Heather Lynn
  University of Maine Graduate School
  

Nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) owners own much of the land in New Hampshire. A survey was written to see if NIPF owners would embrace the idea of ecosystem  management. Two groups of Cheshire County forest landowners were surveyed: (a) landowners involved with the Stewardship Incentive Program and (b) selected forest landowners owning land in Swanzey and Richmond, NH. Results suggest that forest landowners are aware of the landscape level approach implied by ecosystem management but this information is not evident in their plans. Timber sales are not their primary reason for owning their land and they are still wary about government involvement. A management plan was then written for the Starkey Estate, as a case study, encompassing the ideas of ecosystem management and how it might be implemented on NIPF's.