bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Social Learning and Building Trust through a Participatory Design for Natural Resource Planning
Authors: Selin Steve W. , Pierskalla Chad , Smaldone David , Robinson Karen 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Collaborative approaches to the management and planning of forest and natural resource systems have received much attention as managers adjust to an increasingly complex and turbulent society. Empirical studies are needed that evaluate new forms of collaborative management and assess initiative outcomes. Trail planning and management systems on the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia provided a unique opportunity to design and evaluate a participatory design known as a search conference. This article reports on the design, execution, and outcome-based assessment of a trails search conference, examining specifically the impact of the conference on social learning and trust building outcomes. Generally, the search conference was well received and social learning as well as trust building did occur. Resource managers are encouraged to use a search conference format to explore diverse perspectives on a set of management issues or identifying the range of concerns that different people have.
National Forest Visitor Spending Averages and the Influence of Trip-Type and Recreation Activity
Authors: White Eric M. , Stynes Daniel J. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Estimates of national forest recreation visitor spending serve as inputs to regional economic analyses and help to identify the economic linkages between national forest recreation use and local forest communities. When completing recreation-related analyses, managers, planners, and researchers frequently think of visitors in terms of recreation activity. When completing recreation visitor spending analyses we argue that visitors should be segmented based primarily on the type of recreation trip taken. Using survey data collected as part of the US Forest Service National Visitor Use Monitoring program we examine the efficacy of trip-type segmentation relative to one based on recreation activity. We show that spending averages developed for activity groups without regard to trip type provide an incomplete picture of recreation visitor spending. Ultimately, trip type is shown to have a greater role in influencing the level of recreation visitor expenditures than recreation activity. Implications for national forest planning and management are discussed.
An Analysis of the Australian Literature on Prescribed Burning
Authors: Oliveras Imma , Bell Tina 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
A wide range of scientific and technical literature regarding prescribed burning in Australia was collated and analyzed. Literature was classified according to the place of publication (local, state, national, and international) and the broad content of the publication (land management and ecology). Approximately the same number of publications dealing with land management and ecological issues were found. Until the 1990s, most of the documents were of local or state significance, but this trend has changed in the last 20 years and more Australian research is now finding the way into international journals. Most of the technical documents concerning land management were of a regional nature and patterns or outcomes from prescribed burning could not be easily extrapolated to a wider landscape. Consequently, conclusions relating to the effect of controlled burning were relatively conservative. Despite this, Australia remains one of the few countries with major knowledge and experience in the planned use of fire for fuel management and ecological purposes.
Visitor Preferences for Managing Wilderness Recreation after Wildfire
Authors: Brown Ryan N.K. , Rosenberger Randall S. , Kline Jeffrey D. , Hall Troy E. , Needham Mark D. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
The 2003 Bear Butte and Booth (B&B) Fires burned much of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness in the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests, Oregon. A question for managers is how best to manage recreation in fire-affected areas in ways that minimize adverse impacts on visitor experiences and the recovering landscape. To help address this question, we used onsite surveys (n = 221) asking visitors in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness about their past use and postfire changes in use and their preferences for managing recreation after fires. Results indicated that recreation use declined after the fires, but declines were less than those after recent policy and management decisions such as the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program. Visitor preferences for managing postfire recreation were mixed. Some visitors supported little or no management, some preferred access and use restrictions coupled with camping regulations, and some preferred either access and use restrictions or camping regulations alone.
Landscape Modeling for Forest Restoration Planning and Assessment: Lessons from the Southern Appalachian Mountains
Authors: Xi Weimin , Coulson Robert N. , Waldron John D. , Tchakerian Maria D. , Lafon Charles W. , Cairns David M. , Birt Andrew G. , Klepzig Kier D. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Restoration planning, evaluation, and implementation are important in areas where abiotic disturbances (e.g., wildfires, hurricanes, and ice storms), biotic disturbances (e.g., outbreaks of native and exotic invasive pests and diseases), and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., harvesting, planting, and fire exclusion) have altered forest landscapes. However, the effects of restoration practices are difficult to measure, and restoration goals often are unclear. Landscape modeling provides a tool for evaluating outcomes of various management scenarios and restoration strategies. In this article, we provide a framework for using landscape models for forest restoration. Specifically, we present a case study using LANDIS, a landscape simulation model of forest disturbance and succession, to explore the effects of restoration strategies for forests damaged by southern pine beetle in the southern Appalachians. Our research suggests that landscape models are valuable tools in the forest restoration decisionmaking process. Future work on landscape models for forest restoration and other related issues is discussed.
Timber-Sale Systems in the Balkan Region
Authors: Glavonjic Branko , Vlosky Richard 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
As the economies of the Balkan countries evolve, their forestry sectors are also in transition. In some countries, the forest sector transformation is close to meeting government objectives, whereas in other countries, the process has just begun. The process of forest sector transition is fraught with numerous problems; some because of entrenched past practices, while others are the consequences of a lack of knowledge or vision of how to move forward. One significant challenge for all Balkan countries is the implementation of effective wood sales systems. This article presents results from research conducted on wood-sale systems found in the Balkan region and suggests recommendations for improvement. The authors suggest continuation of cooperation between Balkan governments and international organizations and institutions, strengthening mutual cooperation and understanding between governments and industry, accelerating changes in legislation, and promoting timber sale compatibility with European Union countries.
Stone Age Principles for Modern Forest Management
Authors: Gravelle John A. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Forestland managers must deal with the complexity of balancing environmental sustainability with the economic demand for wood and alternate forestland uses. Decisions are not always easy, and looking to human history might provide a framework for dealing with modern forestland management issues. The Stone Age was a period when basic engineering skills were developed, animals were domesticated, and humans began establishing permanent settlements around agricultural crops. It was also a time when great stone structures like Stonehenge were built. By going back to the Stone Age, the roots of modern civilization, we might find some basic underlying principles that guided our ancestors, and they might be useful for modern management. I have called these five basic principles the Stone Age principles: (1) observe and learn from nature, (2) use the resources you have, (3) leverage skills and knowledge, (4) use teamwork, and (5) commit to the task.
Determining Stand Value and Log Product Yields Using Terrestrial Lidar and Optimal Bucking: A Case Study
Authors: Murphy Glen 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Nine plots in three Douglas-fir stands of different tree sizes were scanned using terrestrial lidar systems. Tree locations in each plot and their stem profiles were automatically detected using commercially available software. Actual stem profile measurements were made on all trees after felling. Stems were optimally bucked based on log specifications and prices for two log markets: the western United States and New Zealand. Stand values and log product yields were estimated for the terrestrial lidar-derived data and compared with estimates based on the actual stem profiles. Stand and undergrowth density and tree size affected the accuracy of automated stem detection and stem profile measurements. After manual adjustments for stem quality and height, lidar-derived estimates of average stand value and log product yields were within 7% of actual estimates. Differences were noted between stand types and markets. Suggestions for future research are provided.
Ecosystem Management in the US Forest Service: A Persistent Process but Dying Discourse
Authors: Predmore S. Andrew , Copenheaver Carolyn A. , Mortimer Michael J. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Eleven executives of the US Forest Service were interviewed to explore the current status and meaning of ecosystem management (EM). The main method of inquiry was open-ended questions, but these questions were complemented by a questionnaire, designed to elicit further conversation about ideas often associated with EM. Participants indicated that EM is still practiced by managers but is seldom used in the agency's environmental speech. The idea that EM is of declining importance to the agency's discourse was also supported by the lack of agreement in participant definitions of EM, where the importance of “scale” and “systems thinking” were the only commonly included ideas in participant definitions of EM. Participants commonly noted the ambiguity and controversy surrounding objectives-oriented components of EM, while process-oriented components were widely accepted by our participants. Our analysis suggests that despite the reduced importance of the term ecosystem management, many of EM's component ideas, particularly those addressing management processes, continue to compete in the agency's broader environmental discourse.
How Will the Changing Industrial Forest Landscape Affect Forest Sustainability?
Authors: Gustafson Eric J. , Loehle Craig 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Large-scale divestiture of commercial forestlands is occurring in the United States. Furthermore, increasing demand for cellulose for bioenergy may modify forest management practices widely enough to impact the spatial characteristics of forested landscapes. We used the HARVEST timber harvest simulator to investigate the potential consequences of divestiture and increased harvest from existing stands for bioenergy on landscape indicators of sustainability in a working landscape in upper Michigan. Divestiture tended to reduce the amount of older forests, increased fragmentation, reduced public access, and decreased the volume of wood extracted from the landscape. Increasing bioenergy production also reduced older forests, increased fragmentation of age classes, and reduced fragmentation of forest types, while increasing wood volume extracted. Our results suggest that divestiture and increased harvest for bioenergy will have negative effects on most indicators of ecological sustainability studied, although it is less clear whether these effects are ecologically significant because the slopes of the negative relationships are relatively small at the divestiture rates studied.
Forest Management Policy and Community Well-Being in the Pacific Northwest
Authors: Charnley Susan , Donoghue Ellen M. , Moseley Cassandra 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
This study uses a multiscale, multimethods approach to examine the effects of declining timber harvests on the well-being of forest communities in the Pacific Northwest as a result of the Northwest Forest Plan (the Plan). We found that the effects of declining timber harvests were variable and depended on the importance of the timber sector in a community in the late 1980s, the extent to which federal timber supported that sector, and the degree to which local residents depended on US Forest Service jobs. In addition, we found that other goods, services, and opportunities associated with federal lands declined under the Plan, further affecting communities by curtailing private and public sector business and employment opportunities. Community effects also depended on the unique circumstances of a community. A socioeconomic well-being index we developed indicated that overall, communities within five miles of a federal forest were not doing as well as communities farther away.
Litigants' Characteristics and Outcomes in US Forest Service Land-Management Cases 1989 to 2005
Authors: Gambino Portuese Beth , Malmsheimer Robert W. , Anderson Amanda , Floyd Donald , Keele Denise 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
This research identifies and analyzes all parties involved in 949 US Forest Service land-management court cases initiated between 1989 and 2005. We identified 2,501 parties, the frequency and type of their involvement, and their success rates. Almost 75% of the parties were only involved in one case. All 12 of the most frequent parties opposing the US Forest Service were environmental organizations, whereas the top 12 most frequent US Forest Service supporters included four different types of organizations. Repeat US Forest Service opponents were more successful than nonrepeat opponents. However, only one US Forest Service opponent involved in an average of one or more cases per year won more cases than they lost, and one-half of these opponents settled more often than the average settlement rate. By identifying litigants, policymakers, stakeholders, and the public can understand the prevalence of repeat and one-time litigants and can assess strategies to address these types of parties' propensity to litigate.
Using an Activity and Place-Based Typology to Explain Visitor Motivations
Authors: Morgan Mark , Messenger Brian 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Formulating unbiased policies for outdoor recreation is difficult because managers should weigh the relative contributions of activities and settings. This procedure is complicated by supply and demand factors, agency mandates, political pressure, and revenue shortfalls. Because policymaking is a subjective process, some visitors are affected by management decisions more than others. Motivations play an important role in visitor satisfaction, as does the meanings of activities and places. Sometimes these factors are overlooked by managers. This study combined the activity involvement and place attachment scores of visitors at the Eleven Point National Scenic River in southern Missouri into a 2 × 2 typology. Based on these results, a three-level specialization continuum was developed to explain visitors' motives for recreational participation. These findings suggest that a framework combining activity and place meanings has some advantages over using a traditional activity-based approach.
Wildland-Urban Interface Maps Vary with Purpose and Context
Authors: Stewart Susan I. , Wilmer Bo , Hammer Roger B. , Aplet Gregory H. , Hawbaker Todd J. , Miller Carol , Radeloff Volker C. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Maps of the wildland– urban interface (WUI) are both policy tools and powerful visual images. Although the growing number of WUI maps serve similar purposes, this article indicates that WUI maps derived from the same data sets can differ in important ways related to their original intended application. We discuss the use of ancillary data in modifying census data to improve WUI maps and offer a cautionary note about this practice. A comparison of two WUI mapping approaches suggests that no single map is “best” because users’ needs vary. The analysts who create maps are responsible for ensuring that users understand their purpose, data, and methods; map users are responsible for paying attention to these features and using each map accordingly. These considerations should apply to any analysis but are especially important to analyses of the WUI on which policy decisions will be made.
Wildfire Suppression Cost Forecasts for the US Forest Service
Authors: Abt Karen L. , Prestemon Jeffrey P. , Gebert Krista M. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
The US Forest Service and other land-management agencies seek better tools for anticipating future expenditures for wildfire suppression. We developed regression models for forecasting US Forest Service suppression spending at 1-, 2-, and 3-year lead times. We compared these models to another readily available forecast model, the 10-year moving average model, and found that the regression models do a better job of forecasting the expenditures for all three time horizons. When evaluated against the historical data, our models were particularly better at forecasting the more recent years (2000–2007) than the less sophisticated models. The regression models also allowed us to generate, using simulation methods, forecast statistics such as the means, medians, and confidence intervals of costs. These additional statistics provide policymakers, wildfire managers, and planners more information than a single forecast value.
Tradeoffs among Ecosystem Benefits: An Analysis Framework in the Evaluation of Forest Management Alternatives
Authors: Álvarez Milagros , Field David B. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
This article presents an analysis framework to develop and compare forest management alternatives by quantifying the tradeoffs among several forest ecosystem benefits. First, we present a modeling environment that estimates future outcomes simulated over a period of time given a set of management goals, existing laws and regulations, and the capacity of the forest ecosystem to provide quantified forest ecosystem values. This environment integrates image processing, geographic information systems, growth and yield simulation, and linear programming software. Second, we propose the use of Euclidean distances as a decision support tool that allows an analysis of the social, economic, and environmental values provided within each scenario. We found that the use of Euclidean distances as a decision support tool represents a simple and flexible way to compare management alternatives. The normalization of the different forest ecosystem benefits, estimated in their own units, allows analysts to compare and integrate them together without having to translate these values into a common measurement unit. We tested this analysis framework on 36,000 ac of state-owned land in western Maine.
Perspectives of Woody Biomass for Energy: Survey of State Foresters, State Energy Biomass Contacts, and National Council of Forestry Association Executives
Authors: Aguilar Francisco , Garrett H. E. ‘Gene’ 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
State foresters, state energy biomass contacts, and members of the National Council of Forestry Association Executives were surveyed to gather perceptions on items that should be included in a definition of woody biomass. Participants also rated different renewable energies and the particular opportunities and challenges that the utilization of woody biomass faces to become a sustainable energy feedstock. Ninety-seven responses from 43 different states and the District of Columbia suggest that a definition of biomass should not differentiate between naturally regenerated forest stands and plantations or private and public forestlands. There is a lower level of approval for the inclusion of biomass from old-growth or late successional forests and tree needles/leaves in a woody biomass definition. Participants rated the use of combustion as the woody biomass energy platform with the highest potential to become a sustainable source of energy at the state level. There are regional differences in the stated potential of various renewable energy technologies. Some of the greatest opportunities for the use of woody biomass include the generation of locally produced energy and additional work opportunities for harvesters and loggers. Costs of harvesting and transporting biomass material from the field to an energy facility are the greatest challenges facing the development of woody biomass energy initiatives. Any policy effort aimed at promoting wider woody biomass use should consider regional and local resources and social and economic conditions and foster competition among renewable energy platforms.
Consumer-Grade Global Positioning Systems Performance in an Urban Forest Setting
Authors: Wing Michael G. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Consumer-grade global positioning system (GPS) receivers are available for several hundred dollars or less and can be used for urban forestry measurement applications provided that acceptable accuracies are achieved. Potential applications include locating and mapping trees, arbor facilities, and urban infrastructure. We examined the measurement accuracy and reliability of six identical contemporary consumer-grade GPS receivers that collected data simultaneously at two distinct test courses. One test course was located in an open field and the other test course simulated an urban forest landscape with partial tree canopy cover and several buildings blocking a view of the horizon. We also varied data collection techniques by using 1, 10, and 30 point averages to examine the influence of different point averages on measurement accuracy and precision. Measurement accuracies for all GPS receivers averaged 1.8 m from true position at the open field course and 3.8 m from true position at the urban forest course with variations depending on when the courses were visited. We also found that although six identical receivers were used to collect measurements simultaneously and in close proximity to one another, there were statistically significant differences in the measurement accuracies of the receivers. However, no statistically significant influence of different point averaging (1, 10, and 30) on measurement accuracy was detected.
Afforestation and Local Residents in County Kerry, Ireland
Authors: Carroll Matthew , Ní Dhubháin Áine , Nugent Ciaran 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
A strong case can be made for the global benefits of afforestation, particularly in areas with a history of deforestation. One challenge of afforestation, however, is that the trees have to be put in someone's “backyard.” Local responses to afforestation depend in large part on local context. This study looks at local reactions to the planting of new forests in County Kerry, Ireland. Based on interviews with a cross-section of local residents and local actors we identify a number of social positives and negatives associated with afforestation as seen through the eyes of local people. We recommend even greater attention to the relationship of land use and local community development as forestry moves forward in the present day Ireland.