Incentives for Biodiversity Conservation Beyond the Best Management Practices: Are Forestland Owners Interested?

Jagannadha R. Matta, Janaki R. R. Alavalapati and D. Evan Mercer

Abstract

With the growing recognition of the role of environmental services rendered by private lands, landowner involvement has become a critical component of landscape-level strategies to conserve biodiversity. In this paper, we examine the willingness of private forest owners to participate in a conservation program that requires adopting management regimes beyond the existing regulations for silvicultural best management practices. Results from a multinomial logit model indicate both program attributes and landowner characteristics significantly influencing participation. While the mean incentive payment necessary to induce participation is $95.54 per ha per year, this amount varied among respondents with different forest ownership objectives. (JEL Q23, Q24)