Implementation and Support for Fuels Treatment

Olivia Sotelo & Shannon Courtney

Meldrum et al. (2024)

• Is the cost-share design equitable?
• Uncouple willingness to pay and willingness to participate
• Participation as an indicator of economic equity

Methods

• WiRe, WRWC, FWSC
• Broaden past study
• Practitioner-selected sites: 95 communities, western CO residential homes with significant WF risk, 2013-2017
• Parcel-level wildfire risk assessment
• Mailed survey

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(Meldrum et al., 2024)

Results

29% useable survey response rate, 24% <50k, 19%>200k

Main results of previous study validated

Willingness to pay independent of WF risk and barriers

College education: more willing to pay and participate

Key finding: Income predicts both willingness to pay and participate

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(Meldrum et al., 2024)

Paveglio and Edgeley (2023)

• Site-specific social characteristics impact support and/or opposition of fuels treatment.
• A melding of the interactional approach within the progress triangle can provide theoretical and temporal insights for resource managers.

Melding of Theoretical Approaches

Interactional approach (Adapted from Paveglio et al. 2012)

Substance

Procedure

Relationships

Progress triangle (Paveglio & Edgeley 2023)

Methods

(Paveglio & Edgeley 2023)

• Theoretical and snowball sampling to determine case study sites.
• Semi-structured interview process with 59 individuals.

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Case Studies

Lost Driveway

• Collaboration between USDA Forest Service and National Forest Foundation (NFF).
• 2,400 ac of forest restoration.
• Treatments included thinning, pruning, hand piling and pile burning.

Virginia Ridge Forest Improvement Timber Sale (FIT Sale)

• Led by Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
• 735 ac
• Involved reducing the number of trees per acre through commercial harvest, with some pile burning and chipped biomass.

Mission Restoration Project

• Proposed by Forest Service with the North Central Washington Forest Health Collaborative.
• 50,000 acre treatment
• Treatment involved mechanical thinning of commercial and precommercial sites.

Results

Use of melded interactional approach with progress triangle for Lost Driveway project (Paveglio & Edgeley 2023)

• Site-specific characteristics and social interactions between residents and local agencies impact receptiveness to treatments.
• Use of the melded interactional approach with progress triangle can aid in understanding interactions.

Toman et al. (2014)

• Resident beliefs and attitudes over time and in different locations
• What factors influence treatment acceptance (Rx and mechanical)?

(CBS, 2024)

Methods

• Longitudinal study - 6 years
• 7 states
• Mailed questionnaire (2 phases)
• Compared results over time and between locations

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Results

High acceptance for both treatments in most locations (more variation in Rx)

Stability in attitudes over time

Key finding: Confidence in managers and perceived effectiveness of treatment strongly influence acceptance

Prior interaction correlated with confidence in agency

(Toman et al., 2014)