UN landowners are just that--uninvolved. As a group they are neither financially motivated nor particularly interested in the recreational or aesthetic benefits of owning their land. On the National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS), UN owners were less likely than other segments to rate any reasons for owning woods as important. When they do cite reasons for owning their woods, they typically mention keeping the land intact for heirs (35%), aesthetics (29%), or privacy (24%).

Judging by their attitudes and behaviors, one might conclude that they are accidental or unwilling owners of forest land. In fact, they are the most likely to be farmers or have a farm attached to their forestland. This suggests that UN owners are often farmers who happen to have woods attached to their farm land.

UN landowners constitute 22% of all woodland owners and own 16% of the total land owned by family forest owners who have between 10 and 999 acres.

Demographic Information

• UN owners tend to be somewhat older than the overall family owner population; half are 65 or older. Their education and income levels are not significantly different from family forest owners overall. One-third have a bachelor's degree or higher (34%), but a similar percentage (38%) have never studied beyond high school. Almost half (46%) report annual household incomes under $50,000 and only a small number of households (17%) have incomes of $100,000 or more.
• As with other landowner segments, the vast majority of UN owners are Caucasian men, and more than half (56%) are retired. About one in seven UN owners is a farmer, almost double the number in any other segment.

Plot Size and Ownership Characteristics

• UN owners tend to have smaller parcels of land; the average plot size is 44 acres, and 42% own plots of 10-19 acres. Less than half (43%) own two or more parcels of woodland. Almost half (48%) say their landholding includes a farm, by far the highest incidence among all owner segments. They are somewhat less likely than other owner segments to have a home or a cabin on their woodland(s).
• UN landowners tend to have owned their land for a relatively long period of time, with almost half (47%) having owned their land for 25 years or more. About a third (32%) inherited their woodland, although almost 75% have also purchased some land.

Top Concerns

• True to their segment label, UN owners' level of concern for all 18 items on the survey is lower than the other segments. Their top concerns for their land--keeping the land intact for heirs, high property taxes, insects, fire and trespassing or poaching--roughly mirror the concerns of family landowners overall, but at significantly lower levels.

Harvesting Behavior

• In keeping with the average figures for all landowners, 58% of UN owners have harvested trees, and 44% did so for commercial uses. About a third of UN owners report that they used the services of a professional to help plan and/or execute their most recent harvest.
• The most frequently mentioned reason for harvesting was that the trees were mature (28%), followed by a desire to improve the quality of remaining trees (20%), harvesting for personal use (19%), or salvaging damaged trees (18%).

Proactive Land Management Activities

• Similar to other landowners, a majority of UN owners say they plan none or minimal activity on their woodland over the next five years. About a quarter (26%) say they plan to collect firewood; 14% plan to keep the land intact for their heirs; and 12% plan to harvest for sawlogs. No other activity is mentioned by more than 10% of UN owners.
• While UN owners may not be passionate about their land, they are no more likely than the average family forest owner to have sold some of their land; only 26% report having sold some land at least once. UNs typically sell land to family members or other individuals (rather than to commercial interests).
• Only 6% of UN owners have a management plan, a figure that is equal to Woodland Retreat owners, but less than Supplemental Income and Working the Land owners. Similarly, only 7% participate in cost-share programs. While 15% of UN owners are aware of certification programs, only 1% have enrolled in such a program and just 2% have easements.

Information Seeking: Behaviors and Channels

• Only 18% of UN owners say they have received woodland management advice, a lower percentage than other segments. While the proportion of UN owners that receives advice from any given source is low, this group's sources for forestry information tend to mirror those of other segments. They are most likely to have received advice from their state foresters and forestry departments, followed by loggers, extension staff, other landowners, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
• Similarly, UN owners' preferred channels for receiving forest management information tend to echo the preferences of other segments, although the proportion of UN owners citing each source tends to be lower. Publications, books, or pamphlets are cited most frequently (26%), followed by a forester or other natural resource professional (24%), newsletters, magazines or newspapers (21%), the Internet (16%), and videos (14%).

Learn about how to communicate with UN Owners »

Note: This description is based on data from the National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS, www.fia.fs.fed.us/nwos).