Private Forest Owners’ Involvement in Forest Management: The Hidden Side of the Presumed “Inactive” Forest Owners in Southwestern France
Résumé
In line with the objective of the European commission to increase the share of renewable energy, the French National Forest Program (2016–2025) aims to increase wood harvesting. To reach this objective, we need to understand private forest owners’ real intentions to harvest more wood as private forest owners (PFOs) are often accused of inertia and not always interested in participating in wood mobilization programmes. Our paper deals with the alleged forest owners’ inactivity by refining the diversity of practices and attitudes hidden behind “inactive” forest owners’ categorization. The survey was carried out in an “under-utilized forest” located near the “Landes de Gascogne” Region (France). Besides common variables generally used in PFOs typologies (objectives, values, stated intentions), variables related to actual management practices were added to bring the objectives and the practices face-to-face. A first step of variable clustering gives an understanding of the forest management through six clusters related to the objectives, the management practices, the difficulties and the expectations of PFOs. Then, the typology highlights a diversity of engagement in forest management and shows how PFOs position themselves with respect to economic and environmental aspects. Finally, we show that the so-called “inactive” PFOs do not necessarily lose interest in their forest. Some of them are even asking for technical references and services allowing them to reconcile biodiversity and wood-energy and thus to participate more actively in forest policy programmes, be they wood harvesting or biodiversity conservation oriented