Public Perceptions of Post-wildfire Landscape Recovery and the Implications for Wildfire Management

Abstract: Wildfires are an important aspect of many rural communities and landscapes in the western U.S. Land managers, community leaders, and other stakeholders are tasked with the challenge of managing social and ecological... [ view full abstract ]

Abstract: Wildfires are an important aspect of many rural communities and landscapes in the western U.S. Land managers, community leaders, and other stakeholders are tasked with the challenge of managing social and ecological implications following a wildfire event. The concept of post-wildfire landscape recovery is a considerable focus among wildfire researchers and describes the trajectory of biophysical and ecological changes after wildfires. The landscape recovery process also has significant social implications and public perceptions of the post-fire landscape changes can affect individual well-being and one’s attitudes towards future forest and wildfire management. Understanding how people perceive landscape change over time following forest disturbances helps researchers, land managers, and community leaders identify important ecological and social characteristics that influence their responses to those disturbances. This presentation discusses two research projects aimed at understanding the factors that affect post-fire landscape recovery and the implications for communication and management strategies. One project used semi-structured interviews in 2014 with residents of a rural Montana town affected by an extreme wildfire event in 2012. Interview questions and data analysis were informed by Social Representations Theory and community archetype frameworks to understand how people’s perceptions of post-fire landscape recovery are formed through social and cognitive processes. One’s sense of place and the degree of understanding the ecological role of wildfire were key factors that affected perceptions of landscape recovery among different resident archetypes. The second study used questionnaires with residents affected by one of 25 different wildfires that occurred in the Pacific Northwest between 2011 and 2012 to statistically explore the factors that influence perceptions of post-fire landscape recovery. Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM) analysis revealed that perceptions of recovery can be explained fairly well and consistently with several key variables across fires and communities. More negative evaluations of recovery were related to negative impacts to people’s attachment to the landscape, negative perceptions of erosion problems, and longer lasting fires. More positive evaluations of recovery were related to more positive beliefs about the beneficial role of fire in terms of landscape health. Key findings from both studies will be discussed along with implications for wildfire management in rural communities and future research needs.

Best of the West - Session no. 127

Moderator: Catrin Edgeley