Thomas Straka

Professor Emeritus
Forestry and Environmental Conservation Department

Office:
Phone: 864-986-1144

Email: tstraka@clemson.edu

Educational Background

Ph.D. Forest Resource Management and Economics
Virginia Tech 1981

M.B.A. Business Administration
University of South Carolina 1978

M.S. Forest Resource Management
University of Wisconsin-Madison 1973.

B.S. Forest Science
University of Wisconsin-Madison 1972

Profile

Dr. Straka retired from Clemson University in 2020 after more than 30 years of service. He specialized in forest resource management and economics. Prior to that he spent nearly eight years on the faculty at Mississippi State University and nearly five years as a forester at International Paper Company. He has supervised over fifty graduate students and almost all have a significant publication. His forest industry experience has helped focus his research and professional interests towards practical and business-related areas. Dr. Straka has been active as a consulting forester, taking on special projects and is very active in professional organizations, especially the Society of American Foresters.

Research Interests

Research centers broadly on forest resource management and economics, especially the areas of family forest owners, quantitative forest management, forest valuation, and forest policy and history. He has over 450 publication, with over one-third of those in refereed journals.

Publications

Page, D.H., Jr., S.E. Page, T.J. Straka, and N.D. Thomas. 2015. Charcoal and its role in Utah mining history. Utah Historical Quarterly 83(1):20-37.

Gering, C.H., H.E. Shealy, Jr., and T.J. Straka. 2015. Forest in the city: How the 2100-acre Hitchcock Woods in Aiken, South Carolina became one of the nation’s largest urban forests. Forest Landowner 74(4):16-23.

Straka, T.J. 2015. Editorialsl/letters: Walker and the University. The New York Times (June 9, 2015) 64(56,892):A22..

Straka, T.J. 2015. Opinion [op-ed]: Straka: Pellet mills will result in more S.C. forests, not fewer.. The State [Columbia, South Carolina], June 8, 2015.

Hammond, J.D., T.J. Straka, and T.A. Brown. 2014. Incremental investment value of wild turkey management on the South Carolina Piedmont. Natural Resources 5(12):719-731.

Straka, T.J. 2014. Historic charcoal production in the US and forest depletion: Development of production parameters. Advances in Historical Studies 3(2):104-114.

Simons, J.M., T.J. Straka, L.R. Gering, and R.F. Polomski. 2014. Resistance to integrating management and economics courses across the natural resources and agricultural curricula. NACTA Journal 58(1):46-53.

Londeau, A.C., and T.J. Straka. 2013. Family forest owners’ motivation to control understory vegetation: Implications for consulting forestry. Open Journal of Forestry 3(4):99-103.

Woodham, A.D., III, and T.J. Straka. 2013. Family forest owners’ /perceptions of group forest certification in South Carolina, USA. Journal of Natural and Environmental Sciences 4(1):22-30.

Ward, P.L., and T.J. Straka. 2013. Financial aspects of donated timberland for foundations. Southern Regional Extension Forestry Technology Bulletin, SREF-FM-16. 17 p.

Straka, T.J., R.D. Tew, and T.L. Cushing. 2013. Consanguine philosophies of traditional timber-based and contemporary sustainability-based forest resource management plans. Natural Resources 4(5):387-394.

Hatcher, J.E., Jr., T.J. Straka, and J.L. Greene. 2013. The size of forest holding/parcelization problem in forestry: A literature review. Resources 2(2):39-57.

Straka, T.J. 2013. The déjà vu of today’s application files. The Chronicle of Higher Education Manage Your Career; May 7, 2013.

Pile, L.S., C.M. Watts, and T.J. Straka. 2012. Forest resource management plans—A sustainability approach. Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education 41:79-86.

Feltman, J.A., T.J. Straka, C.L. Post, and S.L. Sperry. 2012. Geospatial analysis application to forecast wildfire occurrences in South Carolina. Forests 3(2):265-282.

Straka, T.J. 2011. Taxonomic review of classical and current literature on the perennial American family Forest problem. Forests 2(3):660-706.

Peterson, K.S., and T.J. Straka. 2011. Specialized discounted cash flow analysis formulas for valuation of benefits and costs of urban trees and forests. Arboriculture and Urban Forestry 37(5):200-206.

Straka, T.J. 2011. Taxonomic review of classical and current literature on the perennial American family forest problem. Forests 2(3):660-706.

Straka, T.J. 2011. Recognition of wildlife amenity values in defining the small forest ownership problem in the United States: A literature review. Wildlife Biology in Practice 7(1):1-22.

Campbell, G.A., T.J. Straka, R.M. Franklin, and E.P. Wiggers. 2011. Ecotourism as a revenue-generating activity in South Carolina Lowcountry plantations. Journal of Ecotourism 10(2):165-174.

Straka, T.J., and R.H. Wynn. 2010. The soreness of the land. Journal of the West 49(1):5-10.

Greene, J.L., S.E. Daniels, M.A. Kilgore, T.J. Straka, and M.G. Jacobson. 2010. Effectiveness of financial incentive programs in promoting sustainable forestry in the West. Western Journal of Applied Forestry 25(4):186-193.

Singleton, C.N., and T.J. Straka. 2010. Harvest scheduling as a timber appraisal tool. Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers 73(1):85-98..

Howle, M.B., T.J. Straka, and M.C. Nespeca. 2010. Family forest owners’ perceptions of chemical methods for invasive species control. Invasive Plant Science and Management 3(3):253-261.

Straka, T.J. 2009. Evolution of sustainability in American forest resource management planning in the context of the American forest management textbook. Sustainability 14):838-854.

Daniels, S.E., M.A. Kilgore, M.G. Jacobson, J.L. Greene, and T.J. Straka. 2010. Examining the compatibility between forestry incentive programs in the US and the practice of sustainable forest management. Forests 1(1):49-64.

Straka, T.J. 2010. Financial breakeven point for competition control in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) reestablishment. New Forests 40(2):165-173.

Straka, T.J. 2010. Public outcry increasingly becoming safeguard of university forests. Planning for Higher Education 38(4):52-60.

Straka, T.J. 2010. “The most extravagant picturesqueness” of Northeastern Nevada. Northeastern Nevada Historical Society Quarterly 2010(3-4):51-52.

Jacobson, M.G., T.J. Straka, J.L. Greene, M.A. Kilgore, and S.E. Daniels. 2009. Financial incentive programs’ influence in promoting sustainable forestry in the Northern Region. Northern Journal of Applied Forestry 26(2):61-67.

Straka, T.J., M.C. Nespeca, M.B. Howell, and H.T. Irwin. 2009. The focus group as a demonstration technique. Journal of Extension 47(6): Article No. 6TOT4.

Straka, T.J. 2009. Appraising damaged timber. Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers 72(1):51-60.

Kilgore, M.A., S.E. Daniels, M.G. Jacobson, J.L. Greene, and T.J. Straka. 2009. Financial incentive programs for non-industrial private forest owners web site. Journal of Extension 47(4): Article No. 4TOT4.

Straka, T.J. 2009. The major professor as BFF. Chronicle of Higher Education, The Chronicle Review 55(35):B24.

Fasano, G.A., and T.J. Straka. 2009. Timberland investing for financial planning clients. Journal of Financial Planning 22(3):56-63.

Straka, T.J. 2008. Ghost of a western logging era. Journal of the West 47(4):3-9.

Van Landingham, N.B., T.J. Straka, and R.M. Franklin. 2008. Economic analysis of conservation forestry practices: A South Carolina Lowcountry example. Natural Areas Journal 28(2):171-179.

Straka, T.J. 2008. Biographical portrait: Edmond P. Schulman (1908-1958). Forest History Today 14(1):46-49.