Resources related to landowner outreach

A new NNFP publication:

A Directory of Resources
for Developing Effective Outreach Tools & Engagement Strategies

Compiled by Leslie A. Horner

Draft published January 18, 2010.

Please contact NNFP if you would like to offer comments before the final draft is published mid-Feb.

From the Introduction:

As anyone from the world of commercial advertising would agree—regardless of what kind of product or service is be offered—businesses must take time to develop a good strategy that ensures a message is reaching its intended audience and conveys the unique benefits of the product or service being offered. If the advertisement fails to reach a target audience or to spark the interest of the consumer, the product will not sell.

In the case of organizations and institutions working with private forest landowners, it is not a product but an idea and a change in behavior that is being advertised. The challenge of “selling” an idea or change in landowner behavior can be significant, particularly in a social landscape that includes landowners of diverse backgrounds and levels of awareness and understanding of forest health and management priorities.

Ultimately, the goal of forest landowner outreach is to inform people of the needs and opportunities for forest stewardship, and to encourage landowners to adopt new stewardship practices (e.g. thinning to improve forest health, providing wildlife habitat, avoiding the spread of invasive species).

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