Olsen, Christine S.; Mallon, Angela L.; Shindler, Bruce A. 2012. Public Acceptance of Disturbance-Based Forest Management: Factors Influencing Support. International Scholarly Research Network (ISRN Forestry): 10 p.
Growing emphasis on ecosystem and landscape-level forest management across North America has spurred an examination of
alternative management strategies which focus on emulating dynamic natural disturbance processes, particularly those associated
with forest fire regimes. This topic is the cornerstone of research in the Blue River Landscape Study (BRLS) on the Willamette
National Forest in the McKenzie River watershed of western Oregon. As scientists and managers work to unravel the ecological
and economic implications of disturbance-based forest management, they must also consider public acceptance for such an
approach. In this study, citizen opinions from the local attentive public in McKenzie River watershed communities are examined.
Results suggest the attentive public has moderate to low levels of knowledge about landscape-level disturbance processes and
terms. Further, public confidence in agencies and the information they provide appears to be low, though respondents indicated
a somewhat higher level of trust for local agency personnel than agencies as institutions. Overall, respondents display cautious
support of disturbance-based management (DBM), but many are still undecided. Findings also demonstrate support may be
improved through transparent and inclusive decision-making processes that demonstrate the use of sound science in project
planning, frank disclosure of risks and uncertainties, and clear management objectives.