Charles C. Harris

Testing a place-based theory for environmental evaluation: an Alaska case study

Abstract Norton and Hannon (Environmental Ethics, 19(3), (1997), 227) proposed a theory of environmental evaluation based on a commitment to place or ‘sense of place’ wherein the intensity of environmental valuation is discounted from the home perspective across both time and space – a form of geographic discounting. This theory leads to a series of specific, testable scientific hypotheses relating the physical distance of an object from the point of residence to the intensity of value-judgements. Using community-based survey data collected as part of the planning process in the Chugach National Forest in Alaska (USA), this paper examines the statistical and spatial relationships between ecosystem values and respondent-selected locations on the regional landscape. The findings indicate that ecosystem values are not uniformly distributed across the landscape (not completely spatially random) and that some spatial relationships exist between selected ecosystem values and point of residence (community). The policy implications of these findings for natural resource planning and management are discussed, highlighting the importance of community-based environmental analysis.

Improving the contingent valuation method: A psychological perspective☆

Abstract Results of research on the social psychology of human decision making that offer direction for improving the contingent valuation method are reviewed. The paper focuses on the findings of that literature related to (1) limitations of human information processing and judgment-making abilities, (2) the influence of elicitation stimuli and expectations, and (3) quality of decision making in the face of too much or too little stress. Within the context of this literature, specific research directions are recommended that can improve the validity and reliability of the results of contingent valuation studies. More multidisciplinary studies are encouraged.

The U.S. forest service: Toward the new resource management paradigm?

Abstract The attitudes and values of U.S. Forest Service employees toward resource management issues are examined by applying general concepts and empirical observations found in the literature on social change and resource sociology. The concept of a resource management paradigm is developed and operationalized in a nationwide study of Forest Service employees. Its results suggest that the attitudes and values of one particular segment of Forest Service employees, the Association of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (AFSEEE), represent an alternative resource management paradigm that differs significantly from the dominant management paradigm held by the majority of Forest Service employees. The emergence of this extraorganizational group of Forest Service employees dedicated to agency reform is unprecedented in the history of federal land management agencies; their characteristics, both sociodemographic and attitudinal, are compared and contrasted with those of non‐AFSEEE Forest Service ...

Gender and community tourism dependence level

Abstract Rural Idaho residents were surveyed to determine their perceptions and attitudes about tourism. The towns represented three levels of tourism dependence: high, moderate, and low. The study goals were to assess if women and men had differing perceptions, and to determine if there were gender differences at different tourism dependence levels. Descriptive statistical analysis of individual items was followed with factor analysis, which showed no differences in gender perceptions. However, items analyzed separately exhibited some differences due to gender. While past research suggests women and men do not benefit equally from tourism, this and other perception studies show few differences. Further exploration could include in-depth interviewing, longitudinal studies, or combined efforts.

The role of time in developing place meanings.

Abstract Person-place models suggest that the bonds between individuals and places are complex and multidimensional. While a number of researchers and writers have argued that length of association is an important variable affecting connections to place, little empirical data exists to confirm this hypothesis, and even less is known about how and why time is involved in forming those connections. This study used a mixed methods approach to investigate time in relation to place meanings of visitors and locals in Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Results indicate that time plays an important role in the processes that connect people with places. The different ways that time influences place meanings are discussed, especially in regards to the expansion of meanings over time. The type of place was also noted as important when assessing place meanings.

Gain, loss and personal responsibility: The role of motivation in resource valuation decision-making

The paper examines the issue of whether willingness to pay (WTP) or willingness to accept (WTA) is the most appropriate indicator of the benefits or costs that people realize from a change in an environmental asset. Specifically, the paper addresses the disparity between estimates obtained in contingent valuation research with these different measures, and it suggests a reason for the disparity that requires an expanded model of valuation. The model focuses on the context in which valuation decisions are made, accounting for the role of change position (gain or loss) and motives like personal responsibility and altruism in influencing resource values. The paper also calls for an expanded inductive approach to researching the issues raised by the model. It reports some initial results from inductive research that suggest that WTP is the most appropriate indicator, but the paper calls for further research that addresses the issues this finding raises.

Community-based social impact assessment: the case of salmon-recovery on the lower Snake River

This paper presents a process for gathering and using data for socio-economic indicators in a community-based impact assessment conducted in 1999 across a three-state area. It assessed community-level impacts of alternative Federal actions to recover salmon runs, ranging from maintaining the existing hydro system to breaching four dams on the lower Snake River. Residents from 27 diverse communities participated in structured, interactive forums that sought to empower them with an understanding of the results of concurrent biological, economic and physical impact studies as the basis for making more informed judgments. This approach raises significant issues for developing and applying socio-economic indicators to a highly controversial effort to sustain endangered species across a large landscape.

Integration of recreation and tourism in Idaho

Abstract During the 1984 Idaho Governors Conference on Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, interactive communication methods were used to generate ideas on perceptions about current relationships between recreation and tourism organizations, their facilities, infrastructures and programs; and on major issues facing the states leisure, recreation and tourism organizations. The nominal group processes and interaction techniques that were used facilitated high levels of communication among participants. A synopsis of the output of the working sessions is presented, summarizing the ideas and concerns of private tourism operators and state and federal recreation professionals. Building upon the data, a framework is discussed for conceptualizing the relationships between outdoor recreation and tourism services and understanding the social organization that delivers them in a predominantly rural, resource-based, and public land-dominated state.

Possible influences on donation behavior: The case of Idaho's Nongame wildlife and endangered species tax checkoff fund

Abstract The research used a model developed by behavioral psychologists as a framework for examining the factors and processes that may influence donation behavior. Attitude toward the checkoff, past experiences with donating, and knowledge about the checkoff were significant in influencing behavior. Neither knowledge about the program nor knowledge about nongame wildlife was related to donation behavior. These findings support the inclusion of past behavior as a major variable in a behavioral model. They also suggest that situational factors play a stronger role in influencing behavior than was previously suggested in the literature on behavioral models.

Results of Community Deliberation About Social Impacts of Ecological Restoration: Comparing Public Input of Self-Selected Versus Actively Engaged Community Members

Participatory processes for obtaining residents’ input about community impacts of proposed environmental management actions have long raised concerns about who participates in public involvement efforts and whose interests they represent. This study explored methods of broad-based involvement and the role of deliberation in social impact assessment. Interactive community forums were conducted in 27 communities to solicit public input on proposed alternatives for recovering wild salmon in the Pacific Northwest US. Individuals identified by fellow residents as most active and involved in community affairs (“AE residents”) were invited to participate in deliberations about likely social impacts of proposed engineering and ecological actions such as dam removal. Judgments of these AE participants about community impacts were compared with the judgments of residents motivated to attend a forum out of personal interest, who were designated as self-selected (“SS”) participants. While the magnitude of impacts rated by SS participants across all communities differed significantly from AE participants’ ratings, in-depth analysis of results from two community case studies found that both AE and SS participants identified a large and diverse set of unique impacts, as well as many of the same kinds of impacts. Thus, inclusion of both kinds of residents resulted in a greater range of impacts for consideration in the environmental impact study. The case study results also found that the extent to which similar kinds of impacts are specified by AE and SS group members can differ by type of community. Study results caution against simplistic conclusions drawn from this approach to community-wide public participation. Nonetheless, the results affirm that deliberative methods for community-based impact assessment involving both AE and SS residents can provide a more complete picture of perceived impacts of proposed restoration activities.