Toward Understanding Toward Understanding the Acceptability of the Acceptability of

Smoke from Prescribed Smoke from Prescribed Forest Burning in the Forest Burning in the Northern Inland WestNorthern Inland West

Matthew S. CarrollMatthew S. CarrollBrad R. WeisshauptBrad R. WeisshauptWilliam D. RobinsonWilliam D. Robinson

Patricia J. CohnPatricia J. Cohn

BackgroundBackground

History and use History and use of fire and fire of fire and fire suppressionsuppression

Fire risk and fuel Fire risk and fuel conditionsconditions

Forest Forest treatmentstreatments

BackgroundBackground

Smoke is a Smoke is a barrier to barrier to prescribed prescribed burningburning

Population Population growth, air growth, air quality quality regulations, regulations, health concernshealth concerns

BackgroundBackground

Growing body of Growing body of research on social research on social acceptability of acceptability of prescribed burningprescribed burning – Many issues regarding Many issues regarding

burningburning– Knowledge of Knowledge of

prescribed burning is prescribed burning is linked to acceptancelinked to acceptance

Research QuestionResearch Question Gauge the extent of tolerance to smoke Gauge the extent of tolerance to smoke

from prescribed broadcast burning in from prescribed broadcast burning in the wildland-urban interface of the the wildland-urban interface of the northern Inland Westnorthern Inland West – Does the origin of smoke make a difference Does the origin of smoke make a difference

in the acceptability of that smoke ?in the acceptability of that smoke ?

Research RationaleResearch Rationale

Yankelovich: Yankelovich: Coming to Public Coming to Public JudgmentJudgment

““Working Through”Working Through”

In…hours of objective and balanced In…hours of objective and balanced discussions, hawks were not discussions, hawks were not transformed to into doves, nor doves transformed to into doves, nor doves into hawks, but many second thoughts into hawks, but many second thoughts in the direction of greater realism in the direction of greater realism were stimulated.” were stimulated.” (Yankelovich 1991: 158).(Yankelovich 1991: 158).

Research RationaleResearch Rationale

Focus groupsFocus groups– Allow for the kind of “working through” Allow for the kind of “working through”

that Yankelovich suggests is necessary that Yankelovich suggests is necessary for successful governancefor successful governance

– Are not a substitute for broader public Are not a substitute for broader public forums, but the dynamics can forums, but the dynamics can approximate what happens in such approximate what happens in such forumsforums

MethodsMethods

Focus groupsFocus groups– Hear alternative Hear alternative

perspectivesperspectives– Work through Work through

issuesissues– Discuss trade-Discuss trade-

offsoffs

MethodsMethods

Five different population sectorsFive different population sectors– UrbanUrban– Anti-smokeAnti-smoke– RuralRural– Native AmericanNative American– Recently experienced a wildfireRecently experienced a wildfire

Conducted October 2003-January Conducted October 2003-January 20042004

MethodsMethods

TopicsTopics– Quality of life in Quality of life in

the areathe area– Forest conditionsForest conditions– Fire riskFire risk– Prescribed Prescribed

burningburning– Acceptability of Acceptability of

smokesmokeForestry Images

ResultsResults

Forest conditions and fuel reduction Forest conditions and fuel reduction strategiesstrategies– Conditions have changedConditions have changed– Harvest, thinning, chippingHarvest, thinning, chipping– Mechanical treatment and burningMechanical treatment and burning

“ “There are very few hillsides now that you can There are very few hillsides now that you can climb up… Now you have logs and dead trees climb up… Now you have logs and dead trees and it’s a mess. If there’s a fire, I guarantee and it’s a mess. If there’s a fire, I guarantee it’s going to be a big one.”it’s going to be a big one.” (Native) (Native)

ResultsResults

Knowledge of Knowledge of prescribed prescribed burningburning– Definition of Definition of

prescribed prescribed broadcast broadcast burningburning

– Types of burningTypes of burning

Forestry Images

ResultsResults

Smoke issuesSmoke issues– We can’t expect to live smoke-freeWe can’t expect to live smoke-free– Wildfire smoke vs. prescribed fire smokeWildfire smoke vs. prescribed fire smoke

““If it is a prescribed burn, there’s the If it is a prescribed burn, there’s the possibility for intelligent smoke possibility for intelligent smoke management…and it is an inexact management…and it is an inexact science, but at least its better than not science, but at least its better than not having any control over it (smoke) when having any control over it (smoke) when it goes off.”it goes off.” (Anti-smoke) (Anti-smoke)

ResultsResults

Smoke sourcesSmoke sources– Agricultural field burning vs. prescribed Agricultural field burning vs. prescribed

forest burningforest burning

““I can’t expect the whole world to I can’t expect the whole world to change just because I have asthma. I change just because I have asthma. I have to adapt to the fact that I live have to adapt to the fact that I live where I live and there’s smoke.”where I live and there’s smoke.” (Rural) (Rural)

ResultsResults

Smoke trade-offs: Smoke trade-offs: ““The question before public land managers The question before public land managers

and citizens is not and citizens is not whetherwhether there will be there will be fire and smoke in their future, but fire and smoke in their future, but howhow they might want their fire and smokethey might want their fire and smoke” ” (Hessburg and Agee 2003: 49).(Hessburg and Agee 2003: 49).

ResultsResults

Similarities across groupsSimilarities across groups– Smoke from prescribed burns is more Smoke from prescribed burns is more

acceptable than that from agricultural acceptable than that from agricultural field burningfield burning

– Prescribed fire is needed in the WUI… Prescribed fire is needed in the WUI… but not necessarily in my immediate but not necessarily in my immediate backyard!backyard!

– More education and informationMore education and information

ResultsResults

Differences Differences across groupsacross groups– Native AmericansNative Americans– Rural non-nativeRural non-native– UrbanUrban– Wildfire Wildfire

experienceexperience– Anti-agricultural Anti-agricultural

smokesmoke

DiscussionDiscussion

Will people Will people tolerate smoke tolerate smoke from prescribed from prescribed broadcast broadcast burning if such burning if such burning would burning would be a beneficial be a beneficial tool for forest tool for forest restoration?restoration?

DiscussionDiscussion

Challenges to Challenges to implementationimplementation– Education about Education about

prescribed prescribed broadcast broadcast burningburning

– Gain public trustGain public trust– Fear of escaped Fear of escaped

fire may be a fire may be a bigger barrier bigger barrier than smokethan smoke

Forestry Images

DiscussionDiscussion Recommendations for public Recommendations for public

involvementinvolvement– Standard terminologyStandard terminology

Better, specific knowledge of prescribed Better, specific knowledge of prescribed broadcast burningbroadcast burning

Use succinct, easily understandable terminologyUse succinct, easily understandable terminology

forest forest (fôr'ist, fär'(fôr'ist, fär'--) ) nn. [ME. < OFr. (Fr. . [ME. < OFr. (Fr. forêtforêt) < ML. () < ML. (silvasilva) ) forestisforestis, as if (wood) unenclosed (< L. , as if (wood) unenclosed (< L. forisforis, out-of-doors), but , out-of-doors), but prob. (wood) under court control (< L. prob. (wood) under court control (< L. forumforum, court, FORUM)] , court, FORUM)] 1. 1. a thick growth of trees and underbrush covering an a thick growth of trees and underbrush covering an extensive tract of land; large woods: often used figuratively extensive tract of land; large woods: often used figuratively 2.2. any of certain tracts of woodland or wasteland, usually the any of certain tracts of woodland or wasteland, usually the property of the sovereign, preserved for gameproperty of the sovereign, preserved for game

DiscussionDiscussion

Recommendations for public Recommendations for public involvementinvolvement– Identify the essence of the conceptIdentify the essence of the concept

What is prescribed burning? What is prescribed burning? What will prescribed burning do?What will prescribed burning do?

DiscussionDiscussion

Develop Develop appropriate appropriate visual materialvisual material– Text and imagesText and images

DiscussionDiscussion

Develop inventory of success Develop inventory of success storiesstories– Examples of benefits to forestExamples of benefits to forest– Examples of successful firesExamples of successful fires

DiscussionDiscussion

Quantitative research on Quantitative research on effective terminology and effective terminology and messagesmessages– Which terms are understandable Which terms are understandable

and resonate with the public?and resonate with the public?– What works for the opposition?What works for the opposition?

ConclusionConclusion

Messages for Messages for managersmanagers– Smoke is tolerableSmoke is tolerable– Tolerance Tolerance

increases with increases with education and education and informationinformation

– Bridge the Bridge the “expert”-public “expert”-public gap on gap on acceptability of acceptability of smokesmoke