Postfire communications: the influence of site visits on local support.

Abstract

The prevalence of large wildfires has increased in recent years. In many cases, agency personnel have little prior experience to draw from to organize their postfire response to uncharacteristically large events. However, local residents look to resource managers to provide the necessary leadership to work through these difficult decisions. In particular, methods to create meaningful discussion of management priorities with local citizens are essential. This article reports results from a telephone survey of participants in a US Forest Service-led tour after the Booth and Bear Butte Complex Fires in central Oregon. Findings indicate that the tour provided local residents with useful information and contributed to improved understanding of potential actions. Participants also expressed a high level of support for active management to restore forest conditions. The most striking outcome was the substantial goodwill generated by the tour among participants. Responses showed a high level of appreciation for and improved confidence in local US Forest Service personnel.

Citation

Toman, Eric L.; Shindler, Bruce; Absher, Jim; McCaffrey, Sarah. 2008. Postfire communications: the influence of site visits on local support. Journal of Forestry. 106(1): 25-30