Evaluating Community Knowledge, Beliefs, Attitudes, and Preferences Concerning Fire and Fuels Management in Southwestern Forest, Woodland, and Grassland Ecosystems

A Survey on

Wildfire Management Issues Related

to Homeowners and National Forest Lands

Integrated Resource Solutions, LLC

1109 Four Mile Canyon Drive

Boulder, Colorado 80302

CIRCLE THE NUMBER THAT BEST FITS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT EACH OF THE STATEMENTS:

A) Forest Treatment Options Related to Wildfire

The use of active fire management tools on National Forests includes prescribed fires, mechanical removal (thinning and logging), and others.

1. How effective is prescribed or managed fire at reducing the risks of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

2. How effective is managing naturally ignited wildfires at reducing the risks of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

3. How effective is selectively thinning small diameter trees (less that 16 inches in diameter) at reducing the risks of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

4. How effective is selectively logging large diameter trees (over 16 inches in diameter) at reducing the risks of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

5. How effective is prescribed fire and thinning small trees in combination at reducing the risks of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

6. How effective is prescribed fire and logging large trees in combination at reducing the risks of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

7. How effective is using goats to reduce the amount of brush and vegetation at reducing the risks of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

CIRCLE THE NUMBER THAT BEST FITS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT EACH OF THE STATEMENTS:

8. How effective is salvage logging (removing burned trees after a wildfire) at reducing the risks of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

9. How effective is thinning and logging infested or diseased trees (removing dead or dying trees) at reducing the risks of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

10. How effective is no active fire management (“let nature take its course”) at reducing wildfire risks?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

11. Of the treatment options listed in questions 1-10, please list the three treatment options that you prefer to see land managers use to reduce the risks of wildfire.

1.

2.

3.

Please rate the following forest treatment statements:

1. Forest treatment options to reduce the risks of wildfire should be focused around communities.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

strongly strongly

disagree agree

2. Forest treatments to reduce the risks of wildfire should be implemented across the entire national forests (for example, in the backcountry and around communities).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

strongly strongly

disagree agree

3. Prescribed fire should only be used once the usable wood material is removed through commercial logging.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

strongly strongly

disagree agree

CIRCLE THE NUMBER THAT BEST FITS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT EACH OF THE STATEMENTS:

4. Prescribed fire should only be used once the usable wood material is removed through thinning (for example, fuel wood gathering, small-scale timber operations).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

strongly strongly

disagree agree

5. If lives and structures are not threatened, the U.S. Forest Service should let wildfires burn as needed.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

strongly strongly

disagree agree

6. Prescribed fire should not be used as a treatment because of the potential health (e.g. respiratory) problems from smoke.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

strongly strongly

disagree agree

B) Effectiveness of the Current U.S. Forest Service at Managing Public Lands for the Risk of Wildfire

1. How effective is the current U.S. Forest Service at managing public lands to reduce the risk of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

2. How effective is the current U.S. Forest Service at implementing mechanical removal programs (for example, commercial logging) on national forest lands?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

3. How effective is the current U.S. Forest Service at implementing thinning projects (for example, for fuel wood and small scale logging operations) on national forest lands?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

4. How effective is the current U.S. Forest Service at implementing prescribed or managed fire programs on national forest lands?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

CIRCLE THE NUMBER THAT BEST FITS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT EACH OF THE STATEMENTS:

C) Wildfires in the Wildland-Urban Interface

1. How vulnerable do you feel about the possibility of a wildfire physically affecting you or your family?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all extremely

vulnerable vulnerable

2. How vulnerable do you feel about the possibility of a wildfire affecting your property and/or possessions?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all extremely

vulnerable vulnerable

3. What is the perceived likelihood of a wildfire happening near your home within the next couple of years?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

No probably 50-50 probably certain

chance will not chance will to

happen happen happen

4. On a scale of 0 to 10, how severe will the impact of a catastrophic wildfire be where you live?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

no harm extremely

at all devastating

D) Responsibility of Various Groups in Safeguarding Lives, Property, and Lands

1. How responsible should homeowners be for protecting themselves and their property from the impact of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

responsible responsible

2. How responsible should homeowners’ associations be for protecting homeowners and private

property from the impact of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

responsible responsible

3. How responsible should local governments (for example, county and city) be for protecting homeowners and private property from the impact of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

responsible responsible

CIRCLE THE NUMBER THAT BEST FITS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT EACH OF THE STATEMENTS:

4. How responsible should the U.S. Forest Service be for protecting homeowners and private property from the impact of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

responsible responsible

E) Residents’ Knowledge and Experience with Wildfire

1. How well informed do you consider yourself to be about wildfire and wildfire risks?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

informed informed

2. To what extent do you find information about wildfires to be personally relevant?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

relevant relevant

3. How motivated are you to learn more about the connection between wildfire risks and undertaking the actions to make your property more defensible against wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

motivated motivated

4. What type of experience have you had with large-scale wildfire(s)? Check all that apply:

_____ My house and/or structures on my property were destroyed (partially or totally)

_____ There have been fires very near my property (less than 5 miles)

_____ There have been fires 5 to 50 miles from my property

____ There have been fires 51 to 100 miles from my property

_____ I\we have been evacuated from my\our house because of the threat of a wildfire

_____ I\we have heard about wildfire experiences through friends, family, or neighbors

_____ No experience

_____ Other— please explain: ____________________________________________________

5. Have you received any information about wildfire risks from the following sources in the last year? Please check each source that has provided you wildfire information. Check all that apply:

_____ U.S. Forest Service (e.g. Firewise Community info, educational brochures)

_____ Other federal land management agencies (BLM, Park Service, etc.)

_____ State Forestry

_____ County/City Fire Department

_____ Local and State Law Enforcement

_____ Media reports (TV, newspaper, radio)

_____ Neighbors and/or friends

_____ Environmental organizations

_____ Other (please specify )

WRITE THE NUMBER THAT BEST FITS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT EACH OF THE STATEMENTS:

For each source checked above, how helpful was the information on a scale from 1=not at all helpful to 7=very helpful? If you do not have any experience with a group, please leave it blank.

6. Information Source How helpful?

U.S. Forest Service (Firewise Community info, educational brochures) ______

Other federal land management agencies (BLM, Park Service, etc.) ______

State Forestry ______

County/City Fire Department ______

Local and State Law Enforcement ______

Media reports (TV, newspaper, radio) ______

Neighbors and/or friends ______

Environmental organizations ______

Other (please specify ) ______

Sections F, G, and H apply only to those homeowners who live or have property close to National Forest lands. Otherwise, you should go directly to Section I of the survey on page 11.

In the next section, we are interested in knowing what types of defensible space actions you and your family have taken on your property. Check the answer that best fits with what you have done on your property.

F) Defensible Space Actions on Private Property

1. What is your likelihood of doing the following actions to your property?

1. Creating a minimum 30-foot defensible space around your home:

_____ Already done

_____ Will do in next month

_____ Will do in next 3-6 months

_____ Will do next year

_____ Probably will not do (Why not? __________________________________________)

2. Planting low-growing, fire resistant plants around your home:

_____ Already done

_____ Will do in next month

_____ Will do in next 3-6 months

_____ Will do next year

_____ Probably will not do (Why not? __________________________________________)

3. Putting a fire resistant roof on your home:

_____ Already done

_____ Will do in next month

_____ Will do in next 3-6 months

_____ Will do next year

_____ Probably will not do (Why not? __________________________________________)

4. Putting fire resistant undersides to any decks and balconies on your home:

_____ Already done

_____ Will do in next month

_____ Will do in next 3-6 months

_____ Will do next year

_____ Probably will not do (Why not? __________________________________________)

CHECK THE CHOICE THAT BEST FITS WHAT YOU HAVE DONE OR INTEND TO DO:

5. Removing any dead branches from your home’s roof and around the chimney:

_____ Already done

_____ Will do in next month

_____ Will do in next 3-6 months

_____ Will do next year

_____ Probably will not do (Why not? __________________________________________)

6. Making sure that your home is easily identifiable and accessible from a main road by emergency vehicles:

_____ Already done

_____ Will do in next month

_____ Will do in next 3-6 months

_____ Will do next year

_____ Probably will not do (Why not? __________________________________________)

7. Making sure that all the trees on your property are planted away from structures:

_____ Already done

_____ Will do in next month

_____ Will do in next 3-6 months

_____ Will do next year

_____ Probably will not do (Why not? __________________________________________)

8. Making sure that all the trees on your property are planted away from overhead utility lines:

_____ Already done

_____ Will do in next month

_____ Will do in next 3-6 months

_____ Will do next year

_____ Probably will not do (Why not? __________________________________________)

9. Working with neighbors to prune and clear common areas with heavy vegetation:

_____ Already done

_____ Will do in next month

_____ Will do in next 3-6 months

_____ Will do next year

_____ Probably will not do (Why not? __________________________________________)

10. Stacking firewood and scrap wood piles at least 30 feet from any structure:

_____ Already done

_____ Will do in next month

_____ Will do in next 3-6 months

_____ Will do next year

_____ Probably will not do (Why not? __________________________________________)

11. Contacting your local fire department to get a personal fire safety inspection of your home and property:

_____ Already done

_____ Will do in next month

_____ Will do in next 3-6 months

_____ Will do next year

_____ Probably will not do (Why not? __________________________________________)

G) Effectiveness of Risk Reduction Actions

How effective are the following actions at reducing the risk of wildfire from impacting your property and lives? Using the scale below, insert an X in the column that best fits with how effective you believe each action is at reducing the risk of wildfire.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Not at all Very

Effective Effective

		1	2	3	4	5	6	7
a.	Creating a 30-foot defensible space around your home:
b.	Planting low-growing, fire resistant plants around your home:
c.	Putting a fire resistant roof on your home:
d.	Putting fire resistant undersides to any decks & balconies on your home:
e.	Removing any dead branches from your home’s roof and around the chimney:
f.	Making sure that your home is easily identifiable and accessible from a main road:
g.	Making sure that all trees on your property are planted away from structures:
h.	Making sure that all the trees on your property are planted away from overhead utility lines:
i.	Working with neighbors to prune and clear heavy vegetation on common areas:
j.	Stacking firewood and scrap wood piles at least 30 feet away from any structure:
k.	Contacting the local fire department to get a fire safety inspection of your home and property:

4. By doing any of the above actions on your property, how effective can you be at preventing wildfires from impacting your personal property and your life?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

effective effective

H) Confidence in Ability to Undertake Defensive Actions

How confident do you feel in your ability to conduct any of these defensible actions on your property in an effort to reduce the risks of wildfire impacting you and your property? Using the scale below, insert an X in the column that best fits with how confident you feel in your ability to undertake each of these actions in an effort to reduce the risk of wildfire.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Not at all Very

Confident Confident

		1	2	3	4	5	6	7
a.	Creating a 30-foot defensible space around your home:
b.	Planting low-growing, fire resistant plants around your home:
c.	Putting a fire resistant roof on your home:
d.	Putting fire resistant undersides to any decks & balconies on your home:
e.	Removing any dead branches from your home’s roof and around the chimney:
f.	Making sure that your home is easily identifiable and accessible from a main road:
g.	Making sure that all trees on your property are planted away from structures:
h.	Making sure that all the trees on your property are planted away from overhead utility lines:
i.	Working with neighbors to prune and clear heavy vegetation on common areas:
j.	Stacking firewood and scrap wood piles at least 30 feet away from any structure:
k.	Contacting the local fire department to get a fire safety inspection of your home and property:

2. How confident do you feel in your ability to protect your property and yourself from the risk of wildfire?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

not at all very

confident confident

3. What would you say is the biggest impediment or constraint to taking some action to protect your property from the impact of wildfire? Please specify:

4. What convinced you to take defensible space action on your property? Please check all that apply.

_____ Major fire event

_____ Suggestions by local government (for example, local fire department)

_____ Suggestions by federal government

_____ Insurance incentive

_____ Aesthetics

_____ Creating a healthy forest

_____ Improving wildlife habitat

_____ Getting rid of dead or dying trees (for example, from bug infestations)

_____ Reducing wildfire risks

_____ Have not taken any action

_____ Other — please explain: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_____________________________________________________

I) For the following questions, please check the appropriate category or fill in the appropriate information.

1. Where is your primary residence? _____________________________________________

(city and state)

2. Please identify your age group:

18-25 ________ 45-54 ________

26-34 ________ 55-64 ________

35-44 ________ 65 and over ___

3. Please identify your gender: _____ Male _____ Female

4. What is your highest level of education completed?

Some high school ______ High school _______

Some college ______ College degree _______

Postgraduate work _____ Graduate degree ______

Other (please specify ______________________________)

5. If you have a home near the forest, how many months per year do you live in your home near the forest? _________ # of months

6. If you have a home near the forest, how close is your home to the closest National Forest or Grassland?

______ less than 1 mile ______ 21 to 50 miles

______ 1 to 10 miles ______ more than 50 miles

______ 11 to 20 miles ______ Other (please specify ___________________)

7. Please check the category which best fits your household income level per year:

Less than $15,000 ______ $35,000 – $49,999 _____

$15,000 – $24,999 ______ $50,000 – $74,999 _____

$25,000 – $34,999 ______ $75,000 – over _____

8. Please identify the zip code for your primary residence: ________________

9. Please identify the zip code for your residence near the forest: ________________

10. With which racial/ethnic group do you most closely identify?

______African American/Black ______Mexican American

______Central American ______Native American/First Nation (Please Specify:

______Chinese American Nation/Tribe/Pueblo________________________)

______Cuban American ______Vietnamese American

______Hispanic American ______White American/Caucasian

______Japanese American ______Other Ethnic/Racial Group (Specify _____________) ______Korean American

10a. Please mark the appropriate statement concerning Hispanic or Latino ethnicity:

______ Hispanic or Latino ______ Not Hispanic or Latino

10. If you were born outside the U.S., how many years have you lived in the U.S.? __________ (# of years)

10. What is the primary language you speak at home?

English ______ Spanish _________ Other (please specify) ______________

10. How many times have you visited National Forests in the past 12 months?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!

If you have any questions or comments about the survey or topics related to what was covered in this survey, you are welcome to put that information in this section. If you would like us to respond to any questions that you may have please include your name and address/contact email so that we can respond.

Name: _____________________________________

Address: _____________________________________

_____________________________________

E

Copyright © Integrated Resource Solutions. September 2006

mail: _____________________________________

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