This dataset records survey data about public land managers who work in Oregon and Washington (Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Oregon Department of Forestry, Washington Department of Natural Resources). Data was collected in 2023 via the online survey platform Qualtrics. Data collection is complete. The dataset includes measures of managers beliefs about 1) variable density thinning of mature growth forests, 2) salvage logging of burned areas, 3) translocation of plant species from hotter and drier seed zones to adapt to climate change. It includes how managers evaluate the usefulness of scientific evidence and the soundness of action prescriptions for each of the three management issues Respondents were randomly assigned to either receive long-term or short-term studies, and positive or negative results. The dataset includes measures of sense of belonging (how much managers believe they belong at their workplace) and measures of public support/public threat (how much they believe the public understands and supports the actions they take on the landscape). The dataset includes respondent agency.
Claire Rapp, Jeremy T. Bruskotter, Michael P. Nelson
The purpose of this study was to assess how manager values impact perceptions of science. The study examines how confirmation bias affects evidence evaluation and how managers evaluate long-term and short-term scientific studies. It also includes variables to evaluate individual-level differences including sense of belonging, public support, and agency membership.