Differences and similarities between the old and new generation of private forest owners in Quebec
Owing primarily to private forest owners’ important role in supplying wood to the forest products industry, various studies have attempted to describe owners’ profiles, objectives and behaviour. However, there have been few detailed examinations of the differences between the new generation of owners and the previous one. To better understand these differences, Marc-André Côté of the Quebec Federation of Forest Owners has conducted a study, in collaboration with AGECO Consultant Group and professor Nancy Gélinas of the Faculté de Foresterie, de Géomatique et de Géographie of Université Laval, using data collected in a previous survey of a representative sample of 1723 of the 134,000 private forest owners in Quebec.
The results reveal differences between the new (<Â 10Â years of ownership) and longstanding forest owners (>Â 20Â years of ownership) responding to the survey as for their profiles, their objectives or their behaviours.
In short, a shift is occurring towards owners who are from the professional class, are more highly educated and live farther away from their forests. The forest is integrated into these new owners’ lifestyles in a different way since it is a leisure-time activity rather than part of their main occupation. The increasing diversity among owners will require a new approach by the agencies and associations offering them services and the government, which wants to encourage owners to harvest wood from their forests.
For more information, see the article.