Steve Grado

• Mississippi State University

Family forests comprise a significant portion of total forest land area in the southern United States and their owners frequently have multiple, competing objectives. This research evaluated the effectiveness of functional zoning based on site index on forest sizes relevant to family forest owners. A total of fifty family forests were randomly sele...

Landowner satisfaction with conservation programs affects their participation decisions and subsequently effectiveness of these programs in improving environmental quality. This study determined the influence of landownership goals, environmental concerns, frequency of contacts with federal agencies, and socioeconomic factors on landowner satisfact...

Distributional specifications of the willingness-to-accept function affect the accuracy of welfare estimates when the contingent valuation model includes unsure responses. By exponentiating the bid variable, we implemented an improved methodological approach to estimate four discrete choice models reflecting treatment of unsure responses. Landowner...

A conservation easement is a market-based instrument for environmental protection. It has achieved rapid growth in the United States over the past few decades. As of 2015, 1.75% of the country's total land was placed under the restriction of conservation easements. In this study, spatial dependence in adopting conservation easements in the United S...

Nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners are a dominant forest landownership group in the south-eastern United States and play a crucial role in regular fuel management for effective landscape-level wildfire hazard reduction. However, little is known about their intentions to implement fuel reduction treatments in the future. This study estim...

Grasslands provide a variety of goods and services that benefit humans, but only a few have a market value. Despite the benefits provided, native grasslands continue to be degraded. Lack of a proper valuation, including a monetary value of grassland nonmarket goods and services, has become one of the factors contributing to the degradation trend. T...

Despite the crucial role nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners play in reducing hazardous fuels across large landscapes, there is lack of information concerning their support and valuation of fuel reduction treatments. This study determined NIPF landowners willingness to pay (WTP) for implementing prescribed burning on their forestland to...

The effectiveness of conservation initiatives on private lands in the southern United States plays an important role in improving provision of ecosystem services and mitigating negative environmental impacts. However, participation in conservation efforts is in part affected by landowner concern about environmental issues. This study used a seeming...

Fuel reduction treatments implemented by nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners affect wildfire hazard potential on both their tracts and surrounding lands. However, it is not clear how concerned they are about wildfire damages and what actions they are willing to take to lower wildfire hazard. This study determined the landowner concern le...

This study estimated quantities of logging residues that can physically be recovered from harvest sites and utilized for electricity production in the US South. Because of a small number of mills utilizing logging residues, this study determined their willingness to utilize additional logging residues to produce electricity as a function of woody r...

The financial viability of bioenergy enterprises is critically dependent on the smooth supply of woody biomass. It is, thus, important to determine whether there will be sufficient woody biomass available to support these enterprises. This study quantified Mississippi’s private landowner willingness to accept (WTA) per acre per year to lease their...

Biomass is the renewable resource with the potential to serve as a substitute for fossil fuels. A form of biomass, woody residues, includes woody byproducts such as mill residues, logging residues, and other wood waste. This study estimated the impact of woody residue processing capacity, mill willingness to utilize additional logging residues for...

To implement effective climate change mitigation and carbon sequestration activities in the southern US, nonindustrial private forest landowner (NIPF) participation is necessary because of the significant area of forest land under their ownership. For policy implementation to involve this major ownership group in climate change mitigation activitie...

Carbon storage utilizing forests is one of the most important strategies for implementing climate change mitigation. Considering the potential of carbon storage in forests owned by nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners, it is imperative to understand their views regarding climate change and carbon sequestration. This study segments NIPF la...

Forest carbon sequestration is considered one of the most efficient strategies for climate change mitigation, and forests provide significant carbon storage in the United States. Non-industrial private forest (NIPF) ownership is the dominant ownership group in the southern US, but little is understood about landowners' willingness to manage forests...

Crayfish harvest as an ecosystem service of moist-soil wetlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) was evaluated using estimates of crayfish yield and operational costs to create enterprise budgets. The average daily yield of crayfish was 2.13 lb/acre (95% CI = 1.19–3.00) and yield did not differ between wetlands dominated with Red Swamp Cray...

Conservation programs such the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP), and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) were introduced in the USA to create financial, educational, and technical incentives to enhance conservation of natural resources. This study examined Miss...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and improve the current methodology of securing and collecting data sources for use in the Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN) model to more accurately use, and be able to support, inputs and outputs from economic impact models, specifically those generated by IMPLAN. Design/methodology/approac...

The presence of metro nature enables daily environmental interactions, and a substantial body of evidence now demonstrates that nature contact generates extensive psychosocial, cognitive, and physical health and well-being benefits. Estimates of the economic values of such benefits have lagged similar valuation efforts for environmental services (s...

We conducted a survey of Mississippi landowners to determine revenues collected and expenditures incurred during 1996-1998 for fee hunting on their properties (inflated to 2011 estimates). Study findings revealed that respondents diversified incomes derived through fee hunting enterprises on their lands. This information has been used to design a s...

Mill residues obtained from wood processing industries are potentially important feedstocks for the wood-based bioenergy industry. Although many mills recognize the value of their residue as an integral fuel for energy production, some recent studies suggest that ample mill residues are available to expand wood-based bioenergy in United States. Thi...

In 2004, Mississippi State University researchers determined the status, needs, and knowledge levels of Mississippi's community leaders and communities relative to urban and community forestry benefits, programs, funding opportunities, and program implementation. As a result, this project's goals were to build on past research and identify trends f...

The southern region of the United States, which includes Mississippi, has abundant forest resources that provide an opportunity to establish a wood-based bioenergy industry in the region. This study estimated the direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts associated with establishment of wood-based bioenergy facilities in Mississippi. Three pot...

This study estimated the economic benefit of recreational fisheries on two trophy crappie Pomoxis spp. fisheries in Mississippi. We accomplished this by estimating economic impacts of angler expenditures and angler willingness‐to‐pay for fishing trips above current expenditures. Anglers spent 91,811 activity days on Sardis Reservoir in 2006 and 46,...

Nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners’ willingness to harvest woody biomass for wood-based bioenergy is important if sustainable feedstock supplies are to be realized in the U.S. However, a significant number of them do not know that unused logging residues could be used to produce wood-based bioenergy. Therefore, this study analyzed lando...

45The industrialization of the United States throughout the 19th century resulted in the exploitation of millions of acres of timberland across the country. Logging during that era was described by critics as “cut out and get out” because the land was usually abandoned after the merchantable timber was exhausted. Concern about future timber supplie...

34We performed a five year integrated research, extension and education project aimed at strengthening global competence of students and faculty through collaboration in forestry. We sought to improve our students' ability to cooperate, increase their understanding of global dynamics of forestry markets and enhance their knowledge of various approa...

Effects of changes on industry sector data for the Mississippi logging industry were examined to determine importance to and economic impact in that state's economy. Quantification, evaluation, and improvements upon current methodology of data and data collection for use in the Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN) software model to more accurately...

Waterfowl are a valued resource in Mississippi and throughout most of the United States. There are few economic impact assessments for waterfowl hunting. In this study, assessments in Mississippi were derived from waterfowl hunter expenditure data collected by a self-administered mail questionnaire for the 2005–2006 hunting season. Hunter expenditu...

New community developments in the wildland-urban interface can be planned to minimize loss of property and life to wildfire through multiple defensive strategies. This research examines three communities impacted by the 1998 Florida wildfires and compares the physical context and development patterns of these communities to three recently designed...

Alternative management regimes of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations were evaluated and compared for joint production of timber and biomass and exclusively for biomass production in Mississippi. The PTAEDA3.1 computerized yield simulator was used to predict growth effects of various site preparation techniques, initial planting densities, and...

We analyzed the financial impacts of intensive loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantation establishment in the southern United States using projected growth data. Optimized management yielded positive net present values (NPVs) at all combinations of management intensity and discount rate except for the most intensive management at the highest discount...

Birdwatching is a recreational activity that has continually been gaining popularity in the United States. The Great River Birding Trail (GRBT) research project being conducted at Mississippi State University will measure current and potential social and economic impacts of birdwatching on private and public sites along the GRBT in Mississippi. Thi...

This paper evaluates and compares alternative management regimes of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations for joint production of timber and biomass and exclusively for biomass production in Mississippi. Alternative management regimes were mimicked via the PTAEDA 3.1 computerized yield simulator utilizing a variety of site preparation techniques,...

Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv.) is an invasive plant species that arrived in the United States early in the last century. It is an aggressive plant species that can dominate a site and greatly inhibit the establishment and growth of native plant species. We evaluate alternative management control regimes and the reduction in soil expec...

The southeastern United States is uniquely positioned to offer its residents and visitors a variety of recreational opportunities year-round. A favorable climate and an abundance of natural and impoundment water acreage provide long seasons for the region's anglers, boaters, campers, and other recreationists. Natural amenities such as water bodies...

This book is a collection of current research work on the economic and social impacts of, and policy responses to, global change mainly in the southern United States. This work primarily represents papers presented at the 2007 Southern Forest Economics Workshop in San Antonio, Texas. Several of these papers have been published in journals and are r...

Managing Mississippi's forest lands to produce both quality wildlife habitat as well as merchantable timber can be a daunting challenge for forest managers and a source of great concern for the public. In some cases, producing both the quantity and quality of habitat needed and the timber desired is all but impossible. In other cases, a delicate ba...

This study examined the economic impacts of woody biomass utilization for bioenergy conversion in Mississippi. Analysis of economic impacts was organized around three groups of events: (1) recovery of logging and thinning residues, (2) electricity generation from cofiring systems, and (3) construction and operation of biofuel facilities. Input–outp...

Multi-spectral imagery and multiple-return light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data were used to assess forest composition and structure for determining habitat suitability for red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis; RCW). Object-oriented classification of the imagery yielded covertype and distinguished between loblolly (Pinus taeda) and longle...

Background/Question/Methods The ability to predict the successful invasion of plant species into newly disturbed habitats has the potential to substantially increase the efficiency of early detection of nascent populations of key invaders. The integration of landscape ecology and predictive habitat modeling is a promising research area that may p...

Wildlife-associated outfitters and their clientele play an important role in local and state economies. Based on survey data of Mississippi wildlife-associated outfitters and their clientele, we simulated economic impacts induced by their direct expenditures at the state level and by species type (white-tailed deer—Odocoileus virginianus, northern...

Determining appropriate topics and target audiences is essential to design effective educational outreach programs. Based on landowner responses to a mail survey, we determined both the importance and the availability of wildlife and forest management information topics to Mississippi landowners. Combining this information clearly identified the ap...

Selling hunting access may supplement household income, yet only a small proportion of nonindustrial private (NIP) landowners in United States lease the right to hunt their land. Based on a survey of Mississippi landowners, the decision to lease hunting rights and factors influencing lease revenue per leased hectare were analyzed. The two issues we...

Private landowners refrain from opening their lands for recreational use in fear of potential liability. This study examined the extent of actual bodily injuries and property damages sustained by hunters and anglers in Mississippi during the hunting and fishing seasons from 2002/03 to 2004/05. The percentage of liability insurance coverage on hunte...

A u t h o r ' s p e r s o n a l c o p y Abstract This study examined the representational validity of computer-visualized forests by comparing them with field-recorded walkthrough videos (field videos) from a timber stand management perspective. Computer-visualized replicas of field conditions at selected locations in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda, L....

Nonmarketed forest outputs need to be quantitatively measured and valued to project monetary gains and losses associated with varying these outputs relative to timber production. Of particular importance to many landowners is the quantity and value of timber production forgone relative to the creation or maintenance of wildlife habitat. We used sce...

This study evaluated and compared alternative forest management regimes of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations for producing both traditional timber commodities and biofuels. Land expectation values (LEV) and mean annual increments (MAI) of total biomass were applied as economic and biological criteria to determine the optimal management activi...

We conducted a five-year study during the 2001–2005 hunting seasons to determine the economic impacts of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) hunting in Mississippi. Activity days for state residents ranged from 2,390,619 to 3,181,957 and for non-residents, 265,103 to 357,253. Total economic impacts ranged from US $761 million to $1.03 billio...

South-central United States forest landowners were surveyed to determine their forestry-related educational needs and appropriate methods for promoting effective programs covering desired topics. The majority of respondents had not participated in past educational programs because they were unaware of their existence. Therefore, forestry profession...

There is a need to determine levels of knowledge about and participation in urban and community forestry programs by local elected officials and other community planners. This project's goals were to identify the past and current involvement and future interest levels among Mississippi's small to large communities for urban forestry programs and as...

As hunting participation decreases in the United States, wildlife agencies may consider increasing license fees or creating additional ones to sustain their programs. We assessed Willingness to Pay (WTP) for fall and spring eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) hunting permits in Mississippi using the Contingent Valuation Method. Hun...

License revenues are a substantial component of budgets for state natural re-source agencies. Therefore it is important to retain license-paying residents and attract non-residents to maintain a revenue base. We addressed the problem of adjusting hunt-ing and fishing licenses administered by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fish-eries, and P...

As the concern over global warming grows, interest in sequestering carbon in terrestrial ecosystems is expected to intensify. Nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners in the southeastern United States can play a major role in sequestering atmospheric carbon. Sequestering carbon through reforestation/ afforestation incentive programs requires...

Forest resources are important economic assets to the southern United States; however, many landowners do not realize the full benefit of their forestland. It was believed that few landowners were being served by forestry-related educational programs or other relevant activities. Therefore, forest landowners in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and...

Sixteen workshops were conducted in 2003 for underserved forest landowners in the south-central U.S. An underserved landowner was defined as one who has not recently utilized various federal, state, or local resources. Workshop topics included: 1) Landowners Perspective, 2) Ownership Issues, 3) Marketing and Environmental Issues, and 4) Economics o...

Despite the fact that earnings associated with selling hunting leases could significantly contribute to landowners' incomes, only a small minority of them allow access on their lands for a fee. Based on a sample survey of Mississippi state landowners, we analyzed landowners' willingness to participate in supplying leases as well as factors influenc...

Uncertainty about the acceptability of the forest industry and its practices to the citizens of Mississippi provided the impetus for a study of the attitudes and perceptions of eight constituency groups toward the forest industry in the state. This study examines attitudes and perceptions of two of those groups, loggers and two environmentalists/co...

Wildlife outfitters play an important role in rural economies by attracting hunters and other wildlife recreationists into rural areas. Expenditures by outfitters and their clientele represent important monetary inputs for local economies. Understanding the nature and magnitude of these expenditures is essential to fostering rural economic developm...

Passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 prompted states to invest significant resources to develop programs to control nonpoint source (NPS) pollution from forestry and other activities. Forestry-related agencies and organizations have since developed silvicultural best management practice (BMP) guidelines to reduce NPS pollution, maintain str...

Landowners in the coastal and Delta regions of Mississippi were surveyed to determine hunting lease prices in each region. Lease prices in the Delta averaged $2,317 more than lease prices in the coastal region, a 60% difference. Hedonic hunting lease price equations were used to decompose this price difference into differences due to the characteri...

Numerous studies in the United States have shown that, in addition to accomplishing their primary objective of preventing or reducing non-point source (NPS) pollution, silvicultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) provide additional direct and indirect benefits. These benefits are valuable to a host of forestry-related groups because they improve...

Forest resources are important economic assets to Mississippi. Therefore, the forestry community needs to maintain viable relationships with key constituency groups such as teachers. The study’s objectives were to use focus groups and mail questionnaires to determine values, attitudes, and educational needs of Mississippi’s public school teachers t...

Characterization of forest attributes at fine scales is necessary to manage terrestrial resources in a manner that replicates, as closely as possible, natural ecological conditions. In forested ecosystems, management decisions are driven by variables such as forest composition, forest structure (both vertical and horizontal), and other ancillary da...

The primary goal of many non-industrial private forest (NIPF) landowners, forestry consultants, and timber industry professionals is to increase revenues from their forestland. Most often, increased revenues are a result of harvesting timber stands from the site. However, the chances of increased revenues can be greatly reduced if the stands are im...

Hunting activities provide an economic enhancement to rural economies. Traditional economic impact analyses enumerate hunter expenditures and derive their economic impacts. However, hunting outfitters, an integral component of the hunting industry, have largely been ignored in these studies. In addition to their own expenditures, outfitters impact...

In many regions of the United States, agroforestry has become an important land use alternative. In the South, silvopasture, which combines spatial and temporal growth of timber and livestock, is the most common form of agroforestry. An economic analysis was undertaken to demonstrate the monetary and wildlife benefits that can be accrued from a sil...

Various issues related to the fee hunting for the Mississippi landowners are discussed. Fee hunting provides monetary incentives to landowners for afforesting marginal agricultural land and protecting ecologically diverse forests and wetlands. Land-use planning by landowner cooperatives, economic development groups and local communities promotes fe...

Although funds for fisheries research are limited, the cost of sampling fishes has received little attention. Information about fish sampling cost can be used to estimate the cost of research and monitoring efforts, particularly if the number of sampling units needed to detect a difference has been determined in advance. We compared sampling costs...

Silvopasture is reemerging as a land use in the southern US. Alternate land use treatments based on field trials for timber and pasture for beef cattle production were financially evaluated. Multiple-use management aspects of these systems were further illustrated by the addition of fee hunting. Land Expectation Values (LEVs) were lower when silvop...

Hunting outfitters in Mississippi primarily service out-of-state hunters. Expenditures by hunters represent a sizable economic input to the state's economy. Hunting outfitters were surveyed during 2000 to determine their expenditures for the purpose of assessing their economic impact on the state's economy. Outfitters contacted were members of Miss...

Expenditures by waterfowl hunters represent an influx of money to an economy from a natural resource-related activity. Studies have been conducted on expenditures by hunters of waterfowl and migratory birds, but none have collected and analyzed data on regional economic impacts in Mississippi. Consequently, we conducted a survey to collect waterfow...

Hunting and related wildlife management activities represent a relatively untapped source of income to bottomland hardwood landowners. Landowners in four Mississippi Delta counties were surveyed to determine hunting and wildlife management activities and related revenues and expenses permitted on their land. A total of 1,161 questionnaires were mai...

A least cost, dynamic programming solution was derived by an algorithm for ethanol production from woody biomass. Conversion of the feedstock was based on an enzymatic hydrolysis/fermentation process. The final cost of ethanol from this system, prior to any sensitivity analysis, was $0.45 L−1. A sensitivity analysis, using a factorial design, compa...

This study examines the conference and convention trade as a travel activity. The objective of the research is to determine and compare the economic impact of conferences and conventions to the overall travel and tourism activity in a rural region. Expenditures of conference and convention participants and vendors were used. Annual visitor days tot...

An economic impact study of travel and tourism in southwestern Pennsylvania iden tified 25 travel-related activities and associated visitor expenditures. Purchases of antiques appeared to be understated, therefore antiquing was included as a separate recreational activity in the second year of the study. All regional expenditures made by nonresiden...

The financial performance of a biomass-dependent production system was evaluated using an inventory control model. Dynamic programming was employed to examine the constraints and capabilities of producing ethanol from various biomass crops. In particular, the model evaluated the plantation, harvest, and manufacturing components of a woody biomass s...

An inventory control model was developed to determine the least cost approach for supplying biomass to a processing plant. Model applications were made for the plantation, harvest, and manufacturing components of woody biomass to ethanol supply systems to assess efficiency and financial performance. Model solutions determined the optimum inventory...

A production model for short rotation, intensive culture (SRIC) plantations was developed to determine the energy and financial costs of woody biomass. The model was based on hybrid poplars planted on good quality agricultural sites at a density of 2100 cuttings ha−1, with average annual growth forecast at 16 metric tonne, oven dry (Mg(OD)). Energy...

An inventory control model was developed and validated to determine the least cost approach for supplying natural-resource-based feedstocks to a processing facility. Model solutions, using dynamic programming, determined the optimum inventory policy for system applications to assess the efficiency of operations and financial performances. Specific...

Short rotation intensive culture (SRIC) plantations, established in central Pennsylvania, were analyzed to determine their economic optimum rotation age. The general management design for the plantations used fertilized and non-fertilized strategies, a tree spacing of 0·48 m2 and a rotation length of 4 years. A stand-level financial model analyzed...

Short rotation intensive culture (SRIC) plantations were analyzed to determine a least-cost method of supplying feedstock for liquid fuel manufacturing. The plantations were based uponPopulus hybrid, nonfertilized and fertilized strategies and a spacing of 21,000 trees/ha. Financial analyses indicated a 3-y rotation would minimize production costs...

A system of accounting models was developed for short rotation intensive culture (SRIC) Populus plantations to determine the financial and energy costs involved in supplying woody biomass feedstock to a conversion process. The models established the variable and fixed cost structure of alternate strategies proposed for growing, harvesting and stori...

The establishment of short rotation, intensive culture, (SRIC) woody biomass plantations using hybrid poplar was cost analyzed on a financial and energy input basis. Establishment operations were at a commercial scale and met the power requirements of each task in a cost-efficient manner.Total establishment costs amounted to $1249 ha−1 and, on an e...

A series of short-rotation intensive culture (SRIC) Populus plantations involving four management strategies (control, fertilization, irrigation, and fertilization-irrigation) were evaluated in tandem with alternate harvesting and storage strategies to determine the least cost method for supplying biomass to an ethanol conversion facility. The plan...