No abstract

State and federal expenditures for Minnesota's private forest management (PFM) program approached $1.9 million in 1987. Nearly 15,000 landowners received PFM assistance in 1986. Seven paired harvests were studied to determine the cost-effectiveness of PFM forester assistance on aspen harvests. PFM forester assistance was found to have little effect on physical harvest conditions (e.g., regeneration and soil impacts) but did result in significantly higher stumpage prices received by landowners. On average, assistance costs exceeded incremental tax returns by $19.70/ac; assisted landowners received a net incremental return of $16.25/ac. Thus, public costs exceeded private landowner returns by $3 45/ac. Increasing the advisory role of PFM foresters while reducing their provision of on-site technical assistance could reduce program costs, as could imposition of larger assistance fees. Cost-effectiveness could be different for other assistance and timber types. North. J. Appl. For. 7(1):31-34, March 1990.

A transactions evidence appraisal system for timber tracts administered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources was developed and tested. A multiple linear regression model was developed from data on timber tracts sold by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at auction in fiscal year 1991. This model was tested on fiscal year 1992 auction sales for which prices were known. Factors related to tract sale price included: (1) volume of different products on the site, (2) tract location, (3) distance from the tract to the nearest mill, (4) stocking level, and (5) seasonal harvesting restrictions. The regression model predicted sale prices nearly as well as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources appraisal system and required substantially less information. North. J. Appl. For. 13(3):129-134.