State forest resource planning programs in the Northeast United States

A survey of state forest resource planning programs in the northeast United States was conducted in 2003. Using a mail-back questionnaire, the lead planners of state forestry agencies provided information on the types of planning processes undertaken, organizational capacity for planning, perceptions of planning effectiveness, planner training needs, adequacy of federal support for state planning efforts, and important barriers to more effective planning programs. Survey results indicate that state forest resource planning continues to evolve in response to important organizational and economic changes, as well as important changes to the state's forest resource base. Each state's forest resource planning program is unique and influenced by such factors as statutory authority and direction, available resources, and political support for planning. Opportunities to improve state forest resource planning include designing more effective and useful planning processes, increasing the visibility of planning efforts and resultant benefits among decisionmakers and interest groups, strengthening the professional capacity of planners to effectively carry out planning processes, and integrating state planning efforts with federal planning initiatives and programs.