Wildfires can cause prolonged disruptions to public land access, affecting nearby local economies. As recreationists with varying levels of knowledge of wildfire increasingly visit fire-prone areas, reaching diverse audiences through non-traditional communication channels like local businesses offers novel opportunities for increasing engagement and outreach capacity. Business preparation for wildfire risk is central to develo...

Modifying activities and restricting access through regulation are valuable mechanisms for reducing human-caused wildfire ignitions. Fire stage restriction policies implemented during periods of high fire risk entail three tiers of increasingly restrictive rules intended to prevent ignitions, culminating in forest closures. Stage restrictions are increasingly common on federal, state, and local public lands, yet little social...

Better characterization of the relationship between recreation and human-caused wildfire ignitions is critical to inform prevention efforts as visitation to public land increases. Behaviors and attitudes towards fire prevention remain understudied but can provide key insights into decision-making and resource allocation for land managers. We conducted intercept surveys of 739 public land users across three USDA Forest Service...

Fuels reduction projects are an increasing focus of policy, funding, and management actions aimed at reducing wildfire risk to human populations while improving landscape health. This research used in-depth interviews to explore variable support or opposition to three fuels-reduction projects occurring in the same region of north central Washington State, USA. Results indicate that differential support or opposition to each pr...

Households can experience the same wildfire event differently depending on the kinds of risks posed to them, among other factors. These experiences can influence support or opposition for local forest management. We administered a mixed-mode survey to households across three distinct groups with different sources of risk associated with the 2019 Museum Fire in Flagstaff, Arizona: houses in the wildfire evacuation areas, houses...

We surveyed forestry contractors in three sectors (logging, mastication, and trucking) across the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Our survey sought to gather current demographic and background information on contractors as well as establish how a forest operations training center might address their employee training needs. Most of the businesses surveyed were small, with owner ages tending to be high (over 50) bu...

Combining Q-methodology with focus groups offers a novel opportunity to explore how researchers and managers can collectively address natural resource management issues. We explored the potential utility of this pairing for prioritizing long-term vegetation recovery research needs after wildfire at a two-day workshop. The approach entailed individual Q-sort activities, followed by focus group discussion about differences and s...