Pacific Northwest Research Station

Title: Public acceptance of disturbance-based forest management: a study of the Blue River Landscape Strategy in the Central Cascades Adaptive Management Area.

Author: Shindler, Bruce; Mallon, Angela L.

Date: 2009

Source: Res. Pap. PNW-RP-581. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 42 p.

Station ID: RP-PNW-581

Description: This report examines public perspectives on disturbance-based management conducted in the central Cascade Range in Oregon as part of the Blue River Landscape Strategy. A mail survey to local residents was used to describe the public’s understanding of this form of management, identify perceived associated risks and potential barriers to implementation, and the overall level of support for disturbance-based practices. Findings suggest the public generally supports the disturbance-based concept, particularly ecological benefits, but many individuals are still uncertain about details and are withholding judgment until they see the outcomes of implementation. Support is highly correlated with citizens’ past interaction with local managers. Major concerns involve the amount of timber harvesting necessary to achieve objectives and the possibility that changing national politics may influence the consistency of agency policies toward disturbance-based management.

Keywords: Disturbance-based management, historical range of variability, social acceptability, citizen-agency interactions.

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Citation

Shindler, Bruce; Mallon, Angela L.  2009.  Public acceptance of disturbance-based forest management: a study of the Blue River Landscape Strategy in the Central Cascades Adaptive Management Area..   Res. Pap. PNW-RP-581. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 42 p..