A 1992 telephone survey of households in seven mid-South states (the whole of Tennessee, and parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky) provided data for comparing the opinions of nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) owners with those of the general public. Topics explored included traditional forest management practices, governmental regulation of tree cutting to protect environmental values, and trade-offs between environmental protection, private property rights, and economic development. In each of these areas the views of NIPF owners did not differ significantly from those of the general public. A widespread desire for environmental protection tempers views toward forest practices, forest-based economic development, and private property rights. The relationships between NIPF owners' demographic characteristics, ownership activities, and opinions were explored. Study results challenged common assumptions about NIPF owners, questioned the effectiveness of existing forestry education efforts, and argue for a stronger, more explicitly environmental orientation in all forestry activities.