Forest and landed real estate owners; suppliers of rural amenities and agricultural land

Land-use in rural areas may be reallocated between farmland and forest and nature areas. This paper addresses reasons for forest and landed estate owners to own their property and motivations for different activities of forest and real estate owners, including leasing out land to farmers. In 2006 we carried a survey among 171 forest and landed estates owners in the Eastern part of the Netherlands (response rate of 44%). Preserving family property, preserving nature and landscape, and hobby or spending free time are ranked as important reasons for having a forestry enterprise or a landed estate. Most of the owners can be characterised as multifunctional. They often fulfil a combination of wood production, preservation of nature and landscape, providing facilities for tourism and hunting, leasing out of land and agriculture. Based on results of regression analysis we can conclude that not every forest and landed estate owner prefers multifunctionality in a similar way. Leasing out land to farmers is one of activities where income is an important reason.