GRASSROOTS FOREST LANDOWNER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION (GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS, NIPF MANAGEMENT, UNITED STATES, LANDOWNERS).

that the most successful groups have received assistance from public agencies, which has facilitated the development of indigenous leaders while providing necessary tangible support, technical expertise, and coordination to allow events to take place with regularity. The critical difference between effective and noneffective landowner-based organizations is the ability of indigenous leaders to control the decision-making structures within the organization. This requires that employees of public agencies