Do male and female family forest landowners have different training needs? A case study from Georgia, United States

In the southern United States, female forest landowners (FeFLs) are an important stakeholder group as they make up 27% (about 450,000) of family forest landowners and hold 21% (about 30 million acres) of the total forestlands. Despite FeFLs' increasing role in forestry, they are less actively involved in forest management than male forest landowners. This could be attributed to a general lack of understanding about gender-based training needs in sustainable forest management. In this context, we surveyed 246 forest landowners in Georgia, a major forestry state in the United States, to gauge the levels of perceived knowledge and interest in learning about 12 forest management topics. We determined the competency gaps in forest management using the Borich's Needs Assessment Model. Our results indicate that the priority topics of training needs were consistent regardless of the landowners' forest management objective. Gender-based disparities highlighted that FeFLs had a significantly lower perceived knowledge level across 11 out of 12 topics than their male counterparts. Further, FeFLs required training in all 12 topics of forest management. The top five priority topics, in order, were tree disease management, forest insect pest management, timber taxes, nuisance wildlife management, and environmental education. To bolster the competency and capacity of FeFLs in sustainable forest management, we suggest implementing targeted training, encouraging peer-to-peer learning, and elevating female forestry professionals in Georgia and other states in the region.