# Presentation: 327969

## Public Experience, Attitudes, & Knowledge Toward Forest Fire, Risk, & Recovery

**J.M. Bowker,  H.K. Cordell, **
**S. Rideout-Hanzak,  C.Y. Johnson**
**USDA Forest Service**
**S-H. Lim,  G.T. Green**
**University of Georgia**
**JFSP PI Workshop Phoenix, AZ 4/8/04**

## Objectives

_**Explore Public’s**_
** ****- ****Experience with forest fire**
** ****- Knowledge of fire & fire ecology**
** ****- Attitudes -Fire Management **
** ****- Attitudes - Fire risk**
** ****- Fire prevention behavior**

## Objectives

_**Assess Explanatory Factors**_
** ****- Gender, Race, Age**** ****	**
** ****-**** ****Income, Education, Employment**
** ****- Region, Immigration**
** ****- Where-raised, Where-living**

## Methods

_**Data**_
** ****- ****National telephone survey ****	****(NSRE)**
** ****- Approx 40 questions**
** ****- Two treatments @ 3000**
**Fall 2002 – Spring 2003**
**Fall 2003 – Spring 2004**
** **
**www.srs.fs.usda.gov/trends/Nsre/nsre2.html**

## Methods

_**Analysis**_
** ****- Frequencies (post sample wts)**
** ****- Logistic regression**
**Binary, Multinomial, Ordered**
** ****- Poisson knowledge score model**
** ****- Excel probability spreadsheets**

## Results  (n=3000+)

_**Experience**_**	****	****	****	**_**Yes**__**(%)**_
** ****- Seen, heard, read 3 mo****	****	****86 **
** ****- Diff wild vs prescribed****	****	****83 **
** ****- Ever witness forest fire ****	****	****40 **
** ****- Seen forest post burn ****	****	****67 **
** ****- Smoke affected travel****	****	****39 **
** ****- Fire altered rec plans****	****	****	****19 **

## Results

_**Risk**_**	****	****	****	****  **_**Very Likely (%)**_
**	****- ****Fire w/i 10 mi home****	****	****26**** **
**	****	****	****	****	****	****   **_**Concerned (%)**_** **
**	****- Home damaged fire****	****	****10 **
**	****- Smoke prescribed fire ****	****34 **
**	****- Wildlife prescribed fire****	****48 **
**	****- Scenery prescribed fire****	****40**** **

## Results

_**Risk Avoidance**_**	****	****	**_**Yes(%)**_
**	****- Clear vegetation from****	****	****35 **
**	****	****buildings**
**	****- Spray herbicide control ****	**** ****	****12 ****	**
**	****	****undergrowth**
**	****- Extra property insurance****	**** ****	****36 **
**	****- Keep firefighting equip****	**** ****	****30 **
**	****- Routinely burn under-****	****   ****	****7 **
**	****	****growth around home**

## Results

_**Knowledge**_**	****	****	****    **_**True(%)**_
** ****- Most wildfires natural****	****	****	****40 **
** ****- Wildfire destructive****	****	****	****52 **
**long-term forest health**
** ****- Wildfire a leading ****	****	****	****47 **
**	****	****environmental problem****	**

## Results

_**Knowledge**_**	****	****	**** **_**True (%)**_
** ****- Prescribed & wildfire****	****	****43 **
**	****	****similar effects**
** ****- Prescribed fire kills too****	****26 **
**	****	****many large trees**
** ****- Prescribed regularly****	****	****21 **
**	****	****out of control**
** ****- Prescribed fire reduces****	****79 **
** ****	****	****wildfire risk**

## Results

_**Knowledge**_**	****	****	**_**True (%)**_
**	****- Fire increases chances****	****23**
**	****	****insect or disease o-b’s**
**	****- Fire useful to control****	****	****64**
**	****	****undesirable weeds**
**	****- Many plants require****	****	****57**
**	****	****fire in life cycle**** **

## Results

_**Attitudes**_**	****	****   ****	****	**_**Agree (%)**_
** ****- Natural recovery****	****	****	****56 **
** ****- Put out all wildfires****	****	****51 **
** ****- Allow remote burns****	****	****38 **
**if humans unthreatened**
** ****- Post fire timber salvage****	****71 **
** ****	****	****makes sense**

## Results

_**Attitudes**_**	****	****   ****	****	****  **_**Agree (%)**_
**	****- People choosing to live****	****     ****	****91**
**	****	****near forests accept risks**
**	****- Homeowners should follow  ****	****80**
**	****	****gov’t guidelines to manage**
**	****	****for wildfire risk**

## Results

_**Attitudes**_**	****	****   ****	****	**_**Agree (%)**_
** ****- ****Public land managers ...**
**	****- Trusted to select best ****	****   66**
**	****	****methods for wildfire****	****	**
**	****- Use mechanical ground****	****   58**
**	****	****veg removal**
**	****- Use chemical treatments****	****   26**
**	****- Use prescribed fire****	****	****   74**

## Results

_**Attitudes**__**	**_**	****	**_**Concerned (%)**_
**	****- ****Public land managers’**
**	****	****ability to manage fire****	****  ****	****36**
**	****	****in forests & rangeland**
**	****- Gov’t not consider tax-****	****  ****	****51 **
**	****	****payer costs...**
**	****- Gov’t not consider long- ****	****  ****	****66 **
**	****	****term ecosystem health ...**

## Results

_**Factors**_**	**** ****	****	****    **_**Significant**_
**	****- Race****	****	****	****	****	****	****Most****	**
**	****- Gender ****	****	****	****	****	****Most**
**	****- Region ****	****	****	****	****	****Most**
**	****- Age****	****	****	****	****	****	****Often**
**	****- Income****	****	****	****	****	****Often**
**	****- Education****	****	****	****	****Often**
**	****	**

##  Some Implications

**Experience**
**15% - Simply not tuned in**
** ****Attitudes**
** ****Buyer beware**
** ****Timber salvage **
** ****Anti-chemical**
** ****Prescribed fire wins**
** ****Ecosystem health**
** ****Pro’s generally trusted ...**