Studies of forest legacy planning reveal that most forest owners want their children or grandchildren to own their forest properties, but the same surveys show that the majority of US forest owners acquired their land by purchasing it from a non-relative.
Using the Washington State Forestland Database, the authors found that inherited parcels are significantly less likely to remain in the same ownership than those that were purchased. It suggests that stewardship efforts should be tailored for owners who have recently inherited forest lands.