Assessing landowner preferences for forest management practices to prevent the southern pine beetle: An attribute-based choice experiment approach

Southern pine beetle (SPB) prevention cost-share programs provide a financial incentive to private forest landowners in exchange for undertaking forest management practices that improve stand health. Healthy pine trees in low density stands offer the best defense against the SPB, helping to ensure that timber resources and other benefits of forests are protected against infestations. This study evaluates the preferences of forestland owners for selected forest management treatment practices (e.g., thinning) offered under this program. An attribute-based choice experiment approach was used to achieve the task. Results indicate that replanting is the option most favored by forestland owners, while prescribed burning is observed to produce disutility. Thinning was statistically insignificant, as were spatial interaction terms and a variable representing the relative rate of landowner participation in the choice scenario.