Pilot Interviews of Visitors’ and Nearby Residents’ Perceptions of the Yosemite Fire Management Program

2009 Yosemite National Park Interview Guide
Person Interviewed:
Date and Time:
E-Mail Address:
Hello. My name is [interviewer name]. Thank you for agreeing to participate in this interview.
The information you provide will give Yosemite National Park managers valuable information
about local community members’ thoughts and opinions regarding fire and smoke
management. Just so you know, the Paperwork Reduction Act requires approval of all federal
government surveys by the Office of Management and Budget. This interview has been
approved under this Act. The Office of Management and Budget control number and expiration
date is available at your request. Additional information about this interview and its approval is
available at your request.* The questions I would like to ask will only take about 45 minutes to
complete. All of your answers are voluntary.
[Topic Area 3: Individual Activities and Uses of Park Resources]
Q-1 Relationship to Yosemite National Park. I’d like to begin by asking you to describe
your “connection” to Yosemite National Park (and the Fire Management Program, if possible).
Possible probe: How often do you visit Yosemite for recreation or sight-seeing?
[Topic Area 3: Individual Activities and Uses of Park Resources]
Q-2 Sources of Information for Fire Management Activities and Events. What are your
preferred sources of information for learning about the Fire Management Program activities
and events? Why are these sources preferred?
[Topic Area 7: Individual Opinions on Park Management]
Q-3 Your Understanding of Fire Management’s Decision-Making Process. Could you
please briefly describe your understanding of how Fire Management decisions are arrived at
within Yosemite National Park?
[Topic Area 2: Trip/Visit Characteristics]
Q-4 Impact of Media Releases. If you heard about a smoke event through the media (for
example, via media release), what information would influence your decision to visit Yosemite
National Park or to stay away? Please elaborate.
Possible probe: Has information you received about a smoke event ever influenced your plans
to visit the park?
[Topic Area 7: Individual Opinions on Park Management]
Q-5 Fire and Smoke Management Assessment. When you think about fire and smoke
management as currently practiced within Yosemite National Park what immediately comes to
mind?
Possible probe: What comes to mind as a resident of [name of community]?
Possible probe: What comes to mind as a visitor to Yosemite?
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[Topic Area 7: Individual Opinions on Park Management]
Q-6 Likes and Dislikes of the Effects of the Fire Management Program. Keeping this
idea in the foreground for a moment, what elements do you like or dislike about fire and
smoke management at the park?
Possible probe: What do you like or dislike as a person living near the park?
Possible probe: What do you like or dislike as a person who visits Yosemite?
[Topic Area 7: Individual Opinions on Park Management]
Q-7 Fire’s Impact on the Ecosystem. Could you briefly share your understanding of fire’s
role in the ecosystem in Yosemite National Park? How do you feel fire influences the health of
the forest within Yosemite National Park and the surrounding area?
[Topic Area 1: Individual Characteristics]
Q-8 Health Impacts of Fire Management on Personal Life. During the recent past (say,
within the past 12-18 months), have you been personally impacted (e.g., experienced
discomfort or respiratory ailment, such as asthma) from smoke generated by naturally
occurring and/or prescribed burning fires within Yosemite National Park? If so, when did this
occur and how serious was the impact?
Possible probe: Were you affected while visiting the park, at home, at work, or while traveling
in the area?
[Topic Area 1: Individual Characteristics]
Q-9 Sensitivity to Smoke. (Only asked of interviewees who have been personally affected
by smoke) How long (if at all) were you able to tolerate the smoke before taking action to do
something about it? What did you do?
[Topic area 7: Individual Opinions on Park Management
Q-10 Your Vision of the Future & Proposed Actions. As you reflect upon your responses
to Q-5 through Q-9, do you have any general suggestions, recommendations or strategies
related to fire and smoke management that you feel Yosemite National Park should adopt? If
so, please elaborate.
[Topic Area 7: Individual Opinions on Park Management]
Q-11 Specific Actions. What specific actions would you like to see to move the Fire
Management Program from where it is now to where you would like it to be in the future?
What role do you see the Fire Management Program playing in such actions? Please be as
specific as possible.
[Topic Area 7: Individual Opinions on Park Management]
Q-12 Inaction. What would be your concerns if what you proposed is not acted upon?
Possible probe: What would be your concerns as a local resident?
Possible probe: What would be your concerns as a park visitor?
[Topic Area 1: Individual Characteristics]
Q-13 Personal Commitment and Responsibility. How do you see yourself personally
involved in bringing about your suggested changes?

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[Topic Area 3: Individual Activities and Use of Park Resources]
Q-14 Interest in Public Participation. Would you be interested in participating in
facilitated dialogues with Fire Management Program staff and other interested people
concerning fire and smoke management in Yosemite National Park and the surrounding area?
If so, do you have any suggestions regarding how you would like such dialogues to be
organized and facilitated?
[Topic Area 3: Individual Activities and Use of Park Resources]
Q-15 Interest in Personal Dialogue with Fire Management Program Personnel. Would
you be interested in having someone from the Fire Management Program contact you to discuss
your concerns and ideas?
[Topic Area 7: Individual Opinions on Park Management]
Q-16 Receiving more information. Would you be interested in receiving more detailed
information describing the Park’s current guidelines governing decision-making? If you are
interested, please note that only your name and telephone number (and not your responses to
these questions) will be provided to Fire Management Program personnel.
[Topic Area 7: Individual Opinions on Park Management]
Q-17 Additional Comments. Are there any other comments about fire and smoke
management in Yosemite National Park you’d like to add?
Thank you for responding to these questions! As soon as your responses have been entered
onto the computer, a copy will be sent to you for review and revision.
*Additional Information Provided upon Request.
OMB Approval number:
(Not yet assigned)
Expiration Date:
(Not yet assigned)
Person Collecting and Analyzing Information: Emmett Fiske
Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach
Troy Hall, Room 205
Pullman, WA 99164-4430
[email protected]
16 U.S.C. 1a-7 authorizes collection of this information. This information will be used by park
managers to better serve the public. Response to this request is voluntary. No action may be taken
against you for refusing to supply the information requested. The permanent data will not have your
telephone number or e-mail address recorded and will be anonymous.
You may direct comments on the number of minutes required to respond, or on any other aspect of this
survey to:
Bret Meldrum
Yosemite National Park
5083 Foresta Road
El Portal, CA 95318
209-379-1216
[email protected]

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Introductory Letter to Potential Participants
Dear [Participant Name]:
Your name was suggested by the Yosemite Fire Management Program as someone who
could provide valuable insights about fire and smoke issues in and around Yosemite
National Park. I am working with the National Park Service to conduct interviews that
will help the park better understand people’s views on the Fire Management Program.
I’m contacting you to obtain your perspective on these issues. I’ve found through
previous experience with programs affecting many different groups of people that the
best way to guarantee that everyone’s opinions are considered is to provide people such
as yourself with the opportunity to discuss specific questions about the program. For your
information, the kinds of questions that I will ask in the interview are attached.
I hope you would be willing to participate at a time and place convenient to you. The
interview will require approximately 45 minutes of your time.
Once your interview is completed, I will enter my notes from your responses onto my
computer and return the information to you (via email attachment) for your review and
editing. This ensures that I have accurately recorded your answers. Your interview
responses will be kept anonymous; your name will never be associated with any
response. If you prefer, your responses during the interview will not be audio-recorded.
When I return your responses to you for review and clarification, you will be able to let
me know (via expressed written approval) whether or not you would like to have portions
of your answers included in the compilation of responses attached to my summary report.
If you have any questions, please contact me via email ([email protected]) or telephone
(509.335.6755).
Thanks again!
Sincerely,
[PI contact information]