Abstract
The ownership and management of forested land by women in the United States has been largely unexamined. It may be inappropriately discounted, especially in regions such as the South, where private land ownership is extensive and forest industry is an important component of the economy. Here several data sources on female forest and woodland owner/operators are examined, focusing on the southern U.S. states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. It is clear that female-operated farms and farmlands are increasing, and that female farm operators employ different land use strategies from their male/other counterparts. Ownership of forest land (including both farm woodlands and private forests) is higher in the South than in other parts of the United States, although recent data are not available for the region. Many integrated research questions are directed toward examination of frequently asserted hypotheses: that women view forested land differently from male/other counterparts; that they have differing goals; and that despite constraints, women can maintain economic and ecological health through their management decisions.
Recommended Citation
Warren, Sarah. 2003. "One Step Further: Women's Access to and Control Over Farm and Forest Resources in the U.S. South." Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 19(2): Article 5. Available at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jrss/vol19/iss2/5
Publication Date
12-31-2003
