<p>Reforestation is considered a natural solution to climate change, but the social feasibility of such initiatives remains unclear. This study surveyed landowners in the southeastern US to assess current level of interest in tree plantation in exchange for financial incentives, and to identify barriers and opportunities in promoting reforestation on rural open lands such as pasture lands and hayfields. Findings suggest only a modest level of interest in tree plantation and that the potential success of tree planting programs may depend on addressing the challenges of high opportunity cost, as well as the incompatibility of trees with the current land use. A multivariate modelling of landowner reforestation intention implied that, in addition to personal behavioral control and social norms, various measures of group efficacy, including collective efficacy, lack of government efficacy, and community reciprocity regarding climate change action, positively influenced landowners’ intentions to plant trees, whereas the incompatibility of trees with existing land use had the opposite effect. Investing in incentives (e.g., tax credit, subsidies, or cost share assistance), capacity building (e.g., tree care and management training), assurance of long-term market for non-timber benefits, flexibility in selection of tree species, harvesting time, and promotion of creative agroforestry practices (e.g., silvo-pasture system with shade trees for cattle, etc.) that are compatible with the current land use system may have higher potential for adoption. Findings from this study shed new light on the viability of reforestation initiatives and provide guidelines for designing effective tree planting or forest re-establishment programs for climate change mitigation.</p>