Lake States natural resource managers’ perspectives on forest land parcelization and its implications for public land management

• Public natural resource managers are witnessing an increasing frequency of forest land parcelization.
• Home development, proximity to population centers, and parcel amenity features are the most influential causes of parcelization.
• Private land parcelization increases conflicts on public land, decreases public land access, and increases public land management costs.

Field-based public natural resource managers in the Lake States (MI, MN, WI) were surveyed for their perspectives on various aspects of private forest land parcelization. This includes their perceptions of recent changes in parcelization activity, drivers and impacts, mitigation strategies, and ability to influence parcelization. Their perspectives on the implications private forest land parcelization has on public land management were also sought. Across the Lake States, most public natural resource managers have witnessed an increasing frequency of forest land parcelization. They consider development potential and proximity to population centers to be the most influential driver of parcelization, with decreased timber supply and loss of recreational access on private land the most likely outcomes. The study documented important perceived linkages between private forest land parcelization and public land management, such as increased conflicts on public land, decreased access to public land, and increased demand for and cost of managing public land.