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RMRS-RN-21WWW: Fuels Planning: Science Synthesis and Integration: Social Issues


Fact sheet topics from the Social Science Team include information on developing personal responsibility for fuels reduction, communicating fire hazard, topics for community fire plans, guidelines for community education, and the "golden rule" for communicating fire hazard to people. More information ...

Other fact sheet series: Overview of the Project | Economic Uses | Forest Structure and Fire Hazards | Environmental Consequences


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Download all RMRS-RN-21WWW Fact Sheets in one .zip file (2.4 MB)

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Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 1: developing personal responsibility for fuels reduction: building a successful program to engage property owners. 2004. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-1WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

In the course of work as a land manager, you will no doubt be involved in developing programs to achieve various objectives, including the improvement of fuels management on private lands. This fact sheet describes six steps that will help you plan and conduct a successful program.

RMRS-RN-21-1WWW:Developing Personal Responsibility for Fuels Reduction: Building a Successful Program to Engage Property Owners
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_01.pdf
PDF File Size: 150 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 2: developing personal responsibility for fuels reduction: types of information to encourage proactive behavior. 2004. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-2WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Fuels management responsibilities may include providing local property owners with the information for taking responsibility for reducing fuels on their land. This fact sheet discusses three different types of information that may be useful in programs to engage property owners in fuel reduction activities.

RMRS-RN-21-2WWW: Developing Personal Responsibility for Fuels Reduction: Types of Information to Encourage Proactive Behavior
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_02.pdf
PDF File Size: 150 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 3: developing personal responsibility for fuels reduction: more ways to catch and hold people's attention. 2004. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-3WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Other fact sheets discuss the different types of information that are useful in explaining to property owners the importance of taking personal responsibility for fuels management on their land. However, for some property owners, new information is not enough-they may need more information in order to understand that change is necessary. This fact sheet discusses ways to catch and hold people's attention so that they become (and stay) engaged in fuels reduction activities.

RMRS-RN-21-3WWW: Developing Personal Responsibility for Fuels Reduction: More Ways to Catch and Hold People's Attention
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_03.pdf
PDF File Size: 150 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 4: three critical topics to cover when talking about hazards. 2004. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-4WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

The amount of science applicable to the management of wildfire hazards is increasing daily. In addition, the attitudes of landowners and policymakers about fire and fuels management are changing. This fact sheet discusses three critical keys to communicating about wildfire hazards.

RMRS-RN-21-4WWW: Three Critical Topics to Cover When Talking About Hazards
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_04.pdf
PDF File Size: 150 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 5: the importance of working locally. 2004. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-5WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

People who evaluate their actions in terms of what others think are often said to be guided by community norms. With respect to fuels management, this means that when you are "selling" a property owner on taking steps to reduce fuels, you are not just "selling" to one person, but to a network of people. This fact sheet discusses three tools to help you focus wildfire hazard education and communication on the local area.

RMRS-RN-21-5WWW: The Importance of Working Locally
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_05.pdf
PDF File Size: 150 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 6: important considerations for communicating about hazards. 2004. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-6WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Effective public education and communication campaigns about wildland fire and fuels management should have clear objectives, and use the right techniques to achieve these objectives. This fact sheet lists seven important considerations for planning or implementing a hazard communication effort.

RMRS-RN-21-6WWW: Important Considerations for Communicating About Hazards
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_06.pdf
PDF File Size: 150 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 7: the "laws" of effective public education about fire hazards. 2004. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-7WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Within the past 10 years, breakthrough research has identified factors that are most important for effectively communicating about wildland fire hazards. This fact sheet discusses seven "Laws" of effective public communication that should be considered in any state-of-the-art education campaign.

RMRS-RN-21-7WWW: The "Laws" of Effective Public Education About Fire Hazards
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_07.pdf
PDF File Size: 160 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 8: the "Golden Rule" and other lessons on communicating about hazards. 2004. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-8WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Other fact sheets identified considerations for communicating about hazards, talked about the importance of working locally, and discussed the seven laws of effective hazard communication. This fact sheet introduces the "Golden Rule" of hazard communication and shares some final lessons from hazard educators.

RMRS-RN-21-8WWW: The "Golden Rule" and Other Lessons on Communicating About Hazards
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_08.pdf
PDF File Size: 150 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 9: Benefits of collaboration. Esposito, Christine, ed. 2006. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-9-WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Wildland fire professionals at the Federal, State, and local levels have a long tradition of collaborating across agencies and jurisdictions to achieve goals that they could not achieve independently. This fact sheet discusses the reasons and resources for collaboration.

RMRS-RN-21-9WWW: Benefits of collaboration
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_09.pdf
PDF File Size: 140 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 10: Stages of collaboration. Esposito, Christine, ed. 2006. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-10-WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Collaboration is a powerful tool for improving both the management of wildland fire and the overall health of forests and other elements of fire-dependent ecosystems. This fact sheet discusses seven stages that are typical of most collaborations.

RMRS-RN-21-10WWW: Stages of collaboration
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_10.pdf
PDF File Size: 145 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 11: Challenges to collaboration. Esposito, Christine, ed. 2006. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-11-WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Bringing the right people into a collaborative process can be difficult. Potential collaborators must all feel they have something to gain to justify investing resources, sharing knowledge, and perhaps compromising on goals and actions. This fact sheet discusses some of the common challenges that individuals, communities, and institutions face in collaboration.

RMRS-RN-21-11WWW: Challenges to collaboration
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_11.pdf
PDF File Size: 175 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 12: Keys to successful collaboration. Esposito, Christine, ed. 2006. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-12-WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Collaborating on fire and fuels management with a host of public and private partners may seem like an impossible undertaking, and presents many challenges. This fact sheet reviews tips for what to focus on as you embark on a collaborative fuels management project.

RMRS-RN-21-12WWW: Keys to successful collaboration
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_12.pdf
PDF File Size: 210 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 13: Strategies for managing fuels and visual quality. Esposito, Christine, ed. 2006. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-13-WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

The public's acceptance of forest management practices, including fuels reduction, is heavily based on how forests look. Fuels managers can improve their chances of success by considering aesthetics when making management decisions. This fact sheet reviews a three-part general strategy for managing fuels and visual quality: planning, implementation, and monitoring.

RMRS-RN-21-13WWW: Strategies for managing fuels and visual quality
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_13.pdf
PDF File Size: 170 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 14: Landscape preference in forested ecosystems. Esposito, Christine, ed. 2006. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-14-WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

It is important to understand what types of landscape settings most people prefer to be able to plan fuels treatment and other forest management activities that will be acceptable to the general public. This fact sheet considers the four common elements of visually preferred forest settings: large trees; herbacious, smooth groundcover; open midstory canopy; and vistas with distant views.

RMRS-RN-21-14WWW: Landscape preference in forested ecosystems
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_14.pdf
PDF File Size: 170 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 15: Landscape change and aesthetics. Esposito, Christine, ed. 2006. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-15-WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Fuels management produces changes in the landscape that can impact scenic beauty. If people do not consider a forest to be scenic, they may think that the low scenic quality is a result of poor management or ecological health. This fact sheet looks at the relevency of the effects of natural and human-caused landscape changes, when planning fuels management.

RMRS-RN-21-15WWW: Landscape change and aesthetics
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_15.pdf
PDF File Size: 185 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 16: Prescribed fire and visual quality. Esposito, Christine, ed. 2006. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-16-WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Research shows that, while prescribed burning and other fuels treatments can lower visual quality in some situations, they can also improve it in others. This fact sheet reviews the visual aspects of different levels of prescribed burning.

RMRS-RN-21-16WWW: Prescribed fire and visual quality
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_16.pdf
PDF File Size: 210 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 17: Considering social acceptability of fuels treatments. Esposito, Christine, ed. 2006. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-17-WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

When making decisions about fuels treatments, forest managers need to assess not only the biological impacts of a treatment, but the social impacts as well. Social acceptability is based on value judgments by people-their notions of what is "good" and what is "better." This fact sheet discusses six questions that may be useful for framing initial discussions about how to gather and analyze information related to social acceptability.

RMRS-RN-21-17WWW: Considering social acceptability of fuels treatments
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_17.pdf
PDF File Size: 165 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 18: Issues affecting social acceptability of fuels treatments. Esposito, Christine, ed. 2006. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-18-WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Researchers have tried to understand how information about forest management can influence a person's landscape preferences and aesthetic appreciation. These findings are relevant for fuels management projects, since these projects are often characterized by conflicts between aesthetic and ecological objectives. This fact sheet discusses different aspects and ways of resolving issues affecting social acceptability of fuels treatments.

RMRS-RN-21-18WWW: Issues affecting social acceptability of fuels treatments
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_18.pdf
PDF File Size: 180 K

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration: social issues fact sheet 19: Impacts of wildland fire on communities. 2007. Res. Note RMRS-RN-21-19-WWW. Fort Collins, CO. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Large fires can result in a series of disasters for individuals and communities in the wildland-urban interface. They create significant disruptions to ongoing social processes, result in large financial losses, and lead to expensive restoration activities. By being aware of the impacts of wildland fire on local residents, fire managers can bring added value to them and help smooth agency-community tensions. This fact sheet discusses activities that can have serious impacts on communities and local residents during a wildland fire

RMRS-RN-21-19WWW: Impacts of wildland fire on communities
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn021_19.pdf
PDF File Size: 160 K


Title: RMRS-RN-21WWW: Fuels Planning: Science Synthesis and Integration: Social Issues
Electronic Publish Date: September 28, 2004
Last Update:
September 13, 2007

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