Stakeholder Responses to Emerging Natural Resource Management Issues in Mid-Atlantic Region, USA
Restricted (Penn State Only)
- Author:
- Regmi, Arun
- Graduate Program:
- Forest Resources
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- May 24, 2023
- Committee Members:
- Bradley Cardinale, Program Head/Chair
Jesse Kreye, Major Field Member
Daniel Brent, Outside Unit & Field Member
Duane Diefenbach, Major Field Member
Melissa Kreye, Chair & Dissertation Advisor - Keywords:
- Prescribed fire
Mid-Atlantic region
Choice Experiment
Travel Cost Method
Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP)
Hunter Perception
Collective Action Problem
Theory of Planned Behavior
Deer Population Management
Private Forest Landowner
Willingness To Pay - Abstract:
- Resource managers are constantly confronted with a multitude of environmental challenges. This sometimes necessitates recognizing the dual role of humans as both the primary cause of these issues and the potential solution. Humans tend to make choices that prioritize their interests, but they often overlook the collective impacts of their decisions on the environment. These collective impacts give rise to collective action problems that require joint efforts from multiple actors. The research presented here focuses primarily on addressing two collective action problems in the context of public and common pool resource goods that are critically important for managing healthy and sustainable forest ecosystems in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region. The first issue involves the promotion of prescribed burning on private lands to help restore fire-resilient forests and enhance several ecological benefits. The second issue involves managing high-density deer populations which otherwise negatively impact ecological integrity. Both issues require the strategic involvement of the public to obtain sustainable outcomes on greater landscapes. The research in this dissertation integrates economic and psychological theories to explore external and intrinsic factors that may motivate people to participate in collective action on these issues. The research also assesses how changing the choice context (e.g., social, ecological, and economic factors) can encourage the adoption of environmentally and socially responsible behaviors, while still maximizing an individual’s total utility. In the first research (chapter 2), I studied private forest landowner demand for prescribed fire as an ecological management tool in Pennsylvania, which comprises historically fire-dependent ecosystems. In PA, most forests are privately owned, but prescribed burning is rare. A total of 600 forest landowners were surveyed to evaluate their willingness to pay value (demand) for various prescribed fire programs. Likert-scales and choice experiment questions were used in the survey. We received 243 responses at a 44% response rate. Most respondents had low knowledge, low-risk perception, and high trust in prescribed fire implementors. About 66% of respondents accepted at least one of 16 programs. Mixed logistic models estimated a mean WTP of $11 to $19/acre, and this value varied significantly based on program attributes. Forest health and diversity, cost-share, reduced liability, and access to burn bosses were the most favored attributes. Income, age, and involvement in assistance programs also had a significant impact on WTP. This research indicates that demand for prescribed fire can be significant when it helps owners obtain important ecological and cultural benefits. Technical and financial assistance for forest owners will be important for promoting the use of prescribed fire in Pennsylvania. In the second research (chapter 3), I expanded the understanding gained from the PA study to a regional scale, recognizing that prescribed fire is a regional issue and cross-boundary collaboration is necessary to achieve landscape-level fire restoration goals. Four mid-Atlantic states (PA, NY, MD, and VA) were considered (NY, MD, and VA). This region shares similar ecological gradient and private land burning conditions, however, differ in social, economic, and political contexts. This study aims to understand the regional variation of landowner values and perspectives of prescribed fire using economic and spatial analysis. Landowner knowledge, risk perception, and trust level were consistent with the first research. Spatial analysis showed that landowner values and perspectives of prescribed fire varied in a north-south gradient with respondents from the south (VA) having more positive attitudes compared to the north (NY) of the study area. Forest health, habitat management, control of invasive, and access to consultants were the most preferred attributes found in regional research. Support for prescribed fire on private lands is significant in the Mid-Atlantic region. Education, technical support, financial assistance, and access to professionals will be important for helping landowners use prescribed fire to achieve management objectives. In the third research (chapter 4), I used a statewide survey to assess hunter perspectives regarding the purchase of antlerless permits to hunt in special management units in Pennsylvania. I found many hunters intended to hunt in the study area. However, hunters perceived that deer populations were too low and expressed a desire to see them increase in the future. The satisfaction levels among hunters regarding their hunting experience also varied. To quantify this, travel data was utilized to evaluate existing hunter demand for recreational hunting in the area, revealing that the per-person consumer surplus obtained from recreational hunting trips ranged from $34 to $77 per trip. A choice model was employed to evaluate changes in existing willingness to pay based on policy changes, such as having fewer tags available, higher deer densities, and fewer hunters occupying the same hunting area. Education and outreach initiatives will be important for facilitating effective communication between hunters and resource managers concerning deer population management. Both stakeholders studied in this dissertation expressed an overall willingness to participate in collective action behaviors. For example, private forest landowners demonstrated a willingness to utilize prescribed fire, while hunters expressed a willingness to return to areas where they hunted in the previous season. However, both of these collective actions face several barriers in the decision-making process including a lack of knowledge and financial constraints, that are needed to support ecologically sustainable outcomes. By employing a combination of theories, this research offers a deeper understanding of the factors that affect stakeholder decisions to engage in collective actions. Such insights can be utilized to design strategic extension programs and implement positive policy interventions.