Availability of Fuelwood on Private Forest Lands in Northern Lower Michigan.

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to determine the availability of fuelwood on private forest ownerships in the northern half of the Michigan Lower Peninsula. Rapid, basic changes in energy economics have increased the use of fuelwood in Michigan and have led to numerous proposals for greater utilization of this energy resource. Because 61 percent of the northern Lower Peninsula's forests are privately owned, significant increases in use will have to depend in large part on the private forest resource. Little is now known about private owner willingness to make fuelwood available. Background review was carried out on wood burning technology, fuelwood characteristics, present and potential use of wood energy in Michigan, and the wood supply in the northern Lower Peninsula. Data on availability was obtained through a random survey using cluster sample techniques of 516 private land owners in the 33 counties of the northern Lower Peninsula. Owners were studied in four-acre size groupings. A confidence level of 95, and a confidence limit of (+OR-) five were used. Response rate was 75 percent. Information was gathered on size of forest ownerships, cover type, owner characteristics, owner objectives, past harvesting decisions, fuelwood use, willingness to sell fuelwood, acceptable price and harvesting techniques, non-price incentives to harvest, and reasons for not being willing to sell. Physical availability of biomass on 3,957,600 acres of private forest l and was found to be between 8.5 and 10.3 million green tons annually. Thirty-five percent of the privately owned forest acres are available for fuelwood at present prices. Another 30 percent are available at higher prices. Sixteen percent of the forest acres are not available now, but will become available later as owner reasons for not selling change over time. Nineteen percent of the forest area will never be available. It was concluded that availability of fuelwood on private holdings was adequate for present and projected fuelwood needs, unless non-fuelwood uses doubled at the same time.