Attitudes Toward the Kansas Forest Service Conservation Tree and Shrub Seedling Program By Brett Zollinger, Ph.D. Docking Institute of Public Affairs

Project Overview  Kansas Forest Service sought a quality assessment of their Conservation Tree and Shrub Seedling Program (CTP).  Populations surveyed : –purchasers –general population of landowners –cooperating agency personnel  KFS also sought to use survey findings in the design of a marketing effort to promote CTP.

Survey of Purchasers Methods  Telephone survey of 418 randomly selected 1996,1997,1998 CTP purchasers using CSR’s 15 station CATI system  Contacts = 434  Response rate = 96%  Using 95% confidence level, margin of error = +/-4.8%  Survey instrument jointly developed by the KFS and Docking Institute

Demographics of CTP Purchasers  Above average household income for Kansas –Modal sample hh income category = $70,000 + –Median hh income for Kansas = $36,700 (1998)  Above average educational levels for Kansas –College graduates in sample = 26% –Kansas population (over age 25) college graduates = 14% (1990)  63% of sample have an agric operation –Mean acres owned = 270 –Median acres owned = 85

Type of CTP Plant Purchased by Quantity Purchased

Demographic Factors Positively Associated with Number of Plants Purchased  Agric operator (all types of plants)  Number of acres in the operation (all)  Number of acres owned (all)  Educational level (for deciduous tree purchases only)  Total family income (for deciduous tree purchases only)

Sources of Information About the CTP

Current Uses of CTP Plants

Plan to Purchase CTP Plants Within the Next Five Years

Reasons for Not Planning to Purchase CTP Plants Within the Next Five Years (N=72)

Perceived Benefits of Windbreaks

Continued…

Perceived Value of CTP Plants

Interest in CTP Labor Assistance (N = 267) “For a charge that depends on the number of trees or shrubs purchased, would you be very interested, somewhat interested, or not at all interested in assistance at preparing the site, planting, weed control, watering, and replanting dead trees and shrubs.”

Information on Internet Would be Helpful

Would be Interested in Placing Orders on the Internet (N=215)

Survey of General Landowner Population Methods  Three wave mail survey of 532 landowners from Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service lists –Deliverable surveys = 1246 –Response rate = 43%  Telephone survey of 205 metro adjacent “Rural Route” residents as listed by telephone directory –Contacts = 297 –Response rate = 69%  698 completions after screening for those who did not own both their home and lot (important for CTP decision-making).  Using 95% confidence level, margin of error = +/-3.7%

Awareness of CTP Within Region of State 90%78%77%

Percentage Purchasing CTP Plants Within Each Region (N=272) 59%36%34%

Demographics of General Landowner Population: Non Purchasers and Purchasers Analyzed Separately  39% of general landowners sample have purchased CTP trees  Household income of purchasers tends to be greater than non purchasers  Level of education tends to be much higher among purchasers than non purchasers  The mean and median sizes of agricultural operations tends to be much higher among purchasers than non purchasers

Plan to Purchase CTP Plants Within the Next Five Years (N=427, non purchasers) Non purchasers were read a brief description of the CTP in order for them to have some basis for answers.

Important Reasons for Planning to Purchase CTP Plants Within the Next Five Years (N=146, non purchasers)

Reasons for Not Planning to Purchase CTP Plants Within the Next Five Years (N=166, non purchasers) Very similar to findings among purchasers, but slightly more concern with maintenance and risk of investment among non purchasers.

Perceived Value of CTP Plants (N= 427, non purchasers) Very similar to purchasers

Interest in CTP Labor Assistance (N=146, non purchasers) Larger percentage with an interest (72%) than among purchasers (54%)

Survey of Agency Personnel Methods  Two wave mail survey of 276 agency personnel  Contacts = 349  Response rate = 79%

“In general, are you satisfied with…?” An open-ended follow up to those expressing dissatisfaction with quality of plants shows that by far the majority of complaints involve poor quality of red cedar right now.

Summary  Purchasers of CTP plants tend to be of higher socioeconomic status than non purchasers surveyed and the population of Kansas in general.  Level of CTP awareness is quite high (80%) among general landowner population; highest rate of awareness is in the Plains.  More than half (61%) of landowners have purchased CTP plants; higher rate of purchasing in the Plains  Satisfaction with the CTP plants and program aspects are quite high.

Summary Continued…  Most (65%) of purchasers expect to purchase again within next five years.  Over a third (37%) of non purchasers would consider purchasing within next five years.  By far the most common reason for not expecting to purchase is lack of need for more plants.  A solid majority feel that people get their money’s worth or more in CTP plants.  About half of all respondents would benefit from CTP information delivered via the web, and about 85% of those would place orders via the web.

Some Actions Taken by KFS  Encourage private contractors to offer planting assistance  Encourage increased governmental cost share  Working with nurseries to solve eastern red cedar problem  Keep prices low  Develop website ordering capabilities  Implement new web address:  capitalize on strengths of program in marketing efforts

The Docking Institute of Public Affairs Center for Survey Research Fort Hays State University 600 Park Street Hays, Kansas