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This study investigated the differences between multiple-objective-, timber-, and non-timber-motivated family forest landowner groups in the southeastern states of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Our focus was primarily to develop a classification scheme using easily available location-specific secondary data associated with family forest owners such that we may be able to identify the likely management direction for particular parcels of forestland in the future. Using nonparametric discriminatory analysis procedures we found that the biophysical, socioeconomic, and demographic factors best differentiated the landowner groups. With all the variables used to develop the classification scheme in this study known, a priori—that is, before the landowner on a Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot location is contacted for the National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS)—it may be possible to predict the motivational membership type of a future landowner with known woodlot (FIA) and demographic (Census) attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]