Forest Landowner Understanding of Water Quality Protection Practices: Case study in the Lake Champlain Basin

Water quality impairment in Lake Champlain requires that land owners and managers throughout the basin take appropriate mitigative action on their land, including forest land owners. The Lake Champlain Basin is approximately 66 percent forested with roughly 80 percent of that land in private ownership. Forested lands are more common in headwater locations that are spatially removed from the lake. This study therefore seeks to understand the level of concern for lake water quality and the engagement of forest landowners in the management practices occurring on their land that might mitigate impairment in downstream water bodies. The study collected 19 landowner interviews during the summer of 2019 and fall of 2020 using a semi-structured interview approach. The interviews were coded and analyzed using NVivo software. Findings suggest that landowners interviewed are not generally aware that while sedimentation from forest management activities is undesirable, coarse woody debris is a beneficial byproduct that can enhance soil and water and habitat. These findings suggest a clear need for landowner education activities that clearly address the difference between these two potential forest management impacts and what forest landowners can do to manage their harvesting activities in ways that benefit forest health without compromising downstream water quality.