Forest Management of Suburban Non-industrial Private Forest Owners : The Case of "T" Hamlet in Motegi Town, Tochigi Prefecture

Abstract

This study investigated the current state of forest management by suburban non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners in areas with almost no income from forestry. The results from a questionnaire and interviews conducted in "T" Hamlet in Motegi Town, Tochigi Prefecture are as follows. First, the forest owners seldom harvest timber because the main purpose of forest management is collecting fallen leaves for fertilizer. Second, utilization of forest resources is declining because the household income of the forest owners has been dependent on other occupations since the 1970s. Third, the forest owners conversely believe that their forests should be managed by themselves and are not willing to entrust or relinquish their forests. Fourth, those who manage their forest are mostly aged in their 70s, have a surplus of labor in their family and regard their forest as family property. As the younger generations who will inherit the forests in the hamlet tend to seek jobs other than agriculture and forestry, it seems unlikely that the forest owners will continue to manage their forests directly. However, the results also showed potential for forest owners to contribute indirectly to forest management through community revitalization activities.