Abstract
Logging activities and its associated infrastructure are potential pathways for invasive forest plants, yet little is known about logger activities regarding invasive plants during logging operations. Logging business owners in Minnesota, USA were surveyed about invasive forest plants as a case study to learn about their awareness, interactions with landowners and land managers, actions to control the spread of invasives, perceived business impacts, and information needs. Fifty-one percent of respondents indicated they were either somewhat or very knowledgeable about invasive forest plants in the state, although most were not confident they could correctly identify various plants in the field. Approximately half of the respondents reported voluntarily undertaking activities to prevent the introduction or limit the spread of invasive plants. An association was found between voluntary and contractual invasive plant control activities. While 2% had developed invasive plant treatment expertise as an additional business offering, 51% expressed interest in doing so. Almost 90% were concerned that if additional invasive plant best management practices (BMPs) were to be developed, business impacts would be moderate to large. On their timber sales in the past year, respondents reported that 68% of landowners and 47% of land managers did not discuss invasive plants with them.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 300-318 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Journal of Sustainable Forestry |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We are grateful to all of the logging business owners who participated in this study. Constructive reviews were made on earlier versions of the manuscript by Rob Venette. Any remaining errors are our own. This research was supported by the Minnesota SFI State Implementation Committee, the Minnesota Logger Education Program, Minnesota Forest Industries, the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, the University of Minnesota’s Department of Forest Resources, and the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station under Projects MN 42-057 and MN 42-072. The findings and conclusions in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.
Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Minnesota SFI State Implementation Committee; Minnesota Logger Education Program; Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station [MN 42-057 and MN 42-072]; USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station; University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources; Minnesota Forest Industries. We are grateful to all of the logging business owners who participated in this study. Constructive reviews were made on earlier versions of the manuscript by Rob Venette. Any remaining errors are our own. This research was supported by the Minnesota SFI State Implementation Committee, the Minnesota Logger Education Program, Minnesota Forest Industries, the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, the University of Minnesota?s Department of Forest Resources, and the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station under Projects MN 42-057 and MN 42-072. The findings and conclusions in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Taylor & Francis.
Keywords
- Timber harvesting
- best management practices (BMPs)
- logging equipment
- plant invasion
- timber sale contract
- training
