Privately Owned, Publicly Valuable: Sustaining Ohio’s Forests Through Voluntary Stewardship Programs

Program Overview

Here in Ohio, over 85% of our remaining forests are privately-owned¹. Across the state, landowners are tasked with making a variety of important decisions about the present-day management, and future plans for their forested lands -- each with their own social, economic, and environmental considerations. In the absence of formal policy structures regulating private forests, and recognizing the impacts of increased forest fragmentation, several strategies and incentive programs have been developed to support long-term preservation of these spaces, and the myriad ecosystem services they provide².

Join this EPN Breakfast, as we examine the networks of stakeholders, resources, and policies that are guiding private forest management in Ohio. Throughout the program, we'll learn from a panel of forest management experts and stewards, who will provide insights on the programs, incentives, and opportunities available to landowners making management decisions, while also discussing the future outlook of Ohio's private forests, considering how factors such as rising demands for development and transfers in land ownership play a role in this dynamic system.

This event (8:00 to 9:30 a.m.) will be held at the WOSU Sandy and Andy Ross Community Studio. Immediately after, consider attending the Ohio Environmental Council’s 2026 Public Interest Environmental Law Conference held nearby at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

References

¹ The Nature Conservancy in Ohio (link here)

²Ohio Forest Action Plan, National Association of State Foresters (link here)

Accessibility

We strive to host events that are inclusive and accessible to everyone. If you have a disability and require accommodations to fully participate in this activity, please reach out to Hallie Stelzle (stelzle.2@osu.edu). Requests made five business days in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access. However, we will make every effort to meet requests made after this time frame. You will be contacted by someone from our staff to discuss your specific needs.