Mae A. Davenport

Community/Agency Trust and Public Involvement in Resource Planning

We hypothesize and test a positive relationship between the extent to which local community members trust a management agency and their willingness to engage in resource-related public discourse and involvement. We employ a multilevel generalized mixed model to analyze data collected from five different samples of residents living near managed resource areas. Counter to our proposed hypotheses, results suggest individuals’ level of dispositional trust, their belief that management shares similar values as them, and their trust in the moral competency of the management agency were all found to be significantly and negatively related to public involvement in resource-related activities. These findings suggest that the central role of building trust among local constituents within many planning frameworks needs to be reconsidered with consideration given to both the needs of individuals who trust an agency and the desires of distrusting individuals who are more likely to become involved in public involvement efforts.

Building Local Community Commitment to Wetlands Restoration: A Case Study of the Cache River Wetlands in Southern Illinois, USA

Natural resource professionals are increasingly faced with the challenges of cultivating community-based support for wetland ecosystem restoration. While extensive research efforts have been directed toward understanding the biophysical dimensions of wetland conservation, the literature provides less guidance on how to successfully integrate community stakeholders into restoration planning. Therefore, this study explores the social construction of wetlands locally, and community members’ perceptions of the wetland restoration project in the Cache River Watershed of southern Illinois, where public and private agencies have partnered together to implement a large-scale wetlands restoration project. Findings illustrate that the wetlands hold diverse and significant meanings to community members and that community members’ criteria for project success may vary from those identified by project managers. The case study provides managers with strategies for building community commitment such as engaging local citizens in project planning, minimizing local burdens, maximizing local benefits, and reducing uncertainty.

Michigan forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: a report from the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework project

Forests in northern Michigan will be affected directly and indirectly by a changing climate during the next 100 years. This assessment evaluates the vulnerability of forest ecosystems in Michigans eastern Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula to a range of future climates. Information on current forest conditions, observed climate trends, projected climate changes, and impacts to forest ecosystems was considered in order to draw conclusions on climate change vulnerability. Upland spruce-fir forests were determined to be the most vulnerable, whereas oak associations and barrens were determined to be less vulnerable to projected changes in climate. Projected changes in climate and the associated ecosystem impacts and vulnerabilities will have important implications for economically valuable timber species, forest-dependent wildlife and plants, recreation, and long-range planning.

Forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis for northern Wisconsin and western Upper Michigan: a report from the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework project

Forest ecosystems across the Northwoods will face direct and indirect impacts from a changing climate over the 21st century. This assessment evaluates the vulnerability of forest ecosystems in the Laurentian Mixed Forest Province of northern Wisconsin and western Upper Michigan under a range of future climates. Information on current forest conditions, observed climate trends, projected climate changes, and impacts to forest ecosystems was considered in order to assess vulnerability to climate change. Upland spruce-fir, lowland conifers, aspen-birch, lowland-riparian hardwoods, and red pine forests were determined to be the most vulnerable ecosystems. White pine and oak forests were perceived as less vulnerable to projected changes in climate. These projected changes in climate and the associated impacts and vulnerabilities will have important implications for economically valuable timber species, forest-dependent wildlife and plants, recreation, and long-term natural resource planning.

Community/Agency Trust: A Measurement Instrument

Many natural resource management agencies invest considerable time and financial resources into building relationships with their constituents. Theoretically, the building of trust produces a relationship that leads to socially acceptable planning and positive management outcomes. Despite the central role trust plays in natural resource management, empirical attempts to measure the construct have been limited. This research note presents the development and validation of a psychometric instrument intended to measure the trust held by local community members living adjacent to managed natural resource areas. The instrument is based in current theory, and exhibits reliable and valid psychometric properties when applied to different study populations. Our intention is to provide an accepted instrument through which knowledge regarding the unique dimensions of community/agency trust, and the entire trust construct as a whole, can be furthered.

Assessing Stakeholder Perceptions: Listening to Avid Hunters of Western Kentucky

Presented are findings of an interpretive investigation of perceptions held by avid Kentucky hunters about white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herd quality and hunting regulations. Three facilitated focus groups with hunters and five follow-up key informant interviews were conducted and analyzed through an iterative qualitative analysis. Three distinct categories of hunter concerns emerged that reflected aspects of quality of experience, trust, and the regulatory environment. The findings suggested the need for wildlife agency personnel to develop methods to disseminate information about regulation-setting in a more consistent and meaningful manner. The article suggests that adoption of a complementary, qualitative-quantitative approach to data collection and analysis can assist in crafting more relevant questions on statewide quantitative surveys, thereby leading to more relevant results.

Acceptability and Conflict Regarding Suburban Deer Management Methods

Natural resource agencies and the public often agree on reasons to manage white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in suburban areas; however, there is frequent disparity regarding which deer management method is most acceptable. We surveyed 660 residents around 22 conservation areas in a suburban Illinois county to evaluate the acceptance and the potential for conflict regarding five deer management methods countywide, in urban and rural areas, and in high (≥11 deer/km2) and low (≤9 deer/km2) deer density areas. Archery hunting was the most acceptable method followed by gun hunting, sharpshooting, and fertility control; conducting no deer management was unacceptable (p < .001). Archery hunting and no deer management had the least conflict among residents; fertility control had the most conflict (.001 ≥ p ≤ .010). We recommend managers conduct surveys that incorporate public conflict regarding deer management methods to gain information that may guide education and resolve management disputes.

Preventing the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species: Boater Concerns, Habits, and Future Behaviors

This article examined the role of value orientations and attitudes toward aquatic invasive species (AIS) on responsible boating behavior to reduce the likelihood of spreading AIS. Mitigation strategies developed to prevent the spread of AIS are most successful when the determinants of boating behaviors are well understood. Data were collected using a self-administered mail survey of a regionally stratified random sample of registered boaters in Illinois. Results provided support for the distinction of attitude into affective and behavioral components. While value orientations were significant predictors of environmental concern and past responsible environmental behavior, these attitude components were good predictors of intentions for future responsible boating behavior. Identifying the most influential predictors of responsible boating behaviors will help resource managers design effective intervention strategies to prevent AIS spread.

Identifying capacity indicators for community-based natural resource management initiatives: focus group results from conservation practitioners across Illinois

The increasing popularity of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) warrants an exploration of the capacity of such initiatives to co-ordinate and implement successful conservation efforts. We used reconstructivist methods – specifically, focus groups with nominal group techniques – to determine 10 key capacity indicators for successful CBNRM. The list comprises motivation, leadership, respect, mutual interest/shared values, outreach/education, marketing, communication, planning, funding and equipment/supplies. Our results can be used by CBNRM groups for capacity-building and self-assessment activities, by bridging organisations to increase the capacity of such initiatives, or by researchers interested in measuring the capacity of community-based groups to achieve their conservation goals.

A Multilevel Community Capacity Model for Sustainable Watershed Management

We present a multilevel community capacity model that responds to the question: What human community conditions, characteristics, and interactions are essential for sustainable watershed management? Specifically, we review relevant literature associated with community responses to ecological change. We examine the concept of community capacity and describe our theoretical model for understanding, assessing, and building community capacity for water resource protection, restoration, and enhancement projects. The multilevel model offers practical insight into individual actions, relationships, organizational structures, and coordinating policies that will enhance watershed planning and have cross-cutting implications for ecological and social system health. We believe this framework will foster resilient, adaptive, and transformative communities that are better equipped to plan for and respond to water resource threats at multiple scales.