I am forwarding this to you from a friend in the Forest Service:
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S U M M A R Y
Results of Nationwide Survey on Forest Management
In a national survey conducted in October 1994, by Frederick/Schneider, Inc.
for American Forests, 1000 randomly selected registered voters were polled to
measure their attitudes toward forest management and forest health issues.
In general, the public has mixed views: they tend to believe that the nation's
forests are in reasonably good condition, and almost half are aware that this
year's fire season has been particularly severe. They tend to favor active
management of forests, including fire salvage and thinning to improve forest
health, rather than letting nature take its course. But they're closely
divided on timber harvest issues, allowing logging in burned-over areas to be
delayed by legal challenges, and use of controlled fire.
Generally, the public has favorable attitudes towards agencies responsible for
forest management. As in other recent surveys, the Forest Service receives
strongly positive ratings, as do state forest agencies, and environmental
organizations (views are more mixed toward timber companies and the BLM). A
significant statement from the pollster states:
"The public strongly trusts federal forest agencies, rather than Congress,
to manage federal forests, and believes agencies like the Forest Service
should have the flexibility to manage forests in response to changing
conditions."
Those who live in the west are more aware of current problems, and are more
favorable toward timber harvesting and human management of forests.
HOW I SUMMARIZED RESPONSES: The following questions have been paraphrased from
the questionnaire, with respective responses collapsed into "favorable" (very
favorable + somewhat favorable) and "unfavorable" (somewhat unfavorable + very
unfavorable) categories. The survey's margin of error is 3.2% overall. The
Inland West and Pacific Northwest subsamples each have a 7.8% margin of error,
but are not displayed herein. Survey demographics are included on the last
page.
1. Impressions of organizations/groups:
STATE FOREST AGENCIES. 47% favorable; 6% unfavorable. 19% recognize
name/can't rate; 29% don't recognize.
TIMBER COMPANIES. 36% favorable; 21% unfavorable. 20% recognize
name/can't rate; 23% don't recognize.
U.S. FOREST SERVICE. 74% favorable; 8% unfavorable. 11% recognize
name/can't rate; 8% don't recognize.
ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS. 64% favorable; 21% unfavorable. 8%
recognize name/can't rate; 6% don't recognize.
U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MGT. 33% favorable; 25% unfavorable. 20%
recognize name/can't rate; 23% don't recognize.
2/3. Rating forest health "in your area" vs. U.S. forests as a whole:
FORESTS IN OWN AREA: U.S. FORESTS AS A WHOLE:
Very Healthy.......25% Very Healthy.......13%
S'what Healthy.....47% S'what Healthy.....45%
S'what Unhealthy...14% S'what Unhealthy...22%
Very Unhealthy......5% Very Unhealthy......5%
DK/refused..........8% DK/refused.........14%
4/5. How much land was burned in wildfires this year compared to average?
Greater than average.... 49% 55% said, "extinguish all fires
Less than average....... 7% to preserve as much forest as
About the same ......... 36% possible." 36% said, "allow
Don't know/refused...... 8% fires to burn themselves out
as part of the natural cycle."
6. Who should manage forests - humans or nature?
Favor human management........52%
let nature take its course....40%
Don't know/refused.............8%
7. Harvesting timber on federal lands (excluding national parks):
Favor........47%
Oppose.......44%
DK/refused....9%
12. Whose recommendations are most persuasive?
Scientists employed by federal forest agencies......16%
Scientists employed by environmental groups.........21%
Scientists employed by timber companies..............7%
Scientists employed by universities.................43%
All equally/none.....................................9%
Don't know/refused...................................3%
13. Which approach should Congress take?
Closely regulate federal land mgt. agencies.......17%
Give federal land mgt. agencies more flexibility..74%
Don't know/refused.................................8%
14. Which view is closer to yours?
A. Favor use of controlled fire by federal authorities to thin the
forests so that wildfires are less damaging.................49%
B. Oppose practice (as stated above) because of the possibility that the
fire will spread, and because smoke from controlled fires causes air
pollution....................................................42%
(9% didn't know or refused to answer.)
DEMOGRAPHICS
Total number of registered voters polled: By gender:
Northeast 206 (21%) Male 497 (50%)
Midwest 250 (25%) Female 503 (50%)
South 344 (34%)
West 200 (20%)
1000 (100%)
Political affiliations: Age cohorts:
Democrat 316 (32%) 18-29 155 (16%)
Republican 297 (30%) 30-39 242 (24%)
Independent 284 (28%) 40-49 198 (20%)
Other/DK/refused 103 (10%) 50-59 150 (15%)
60-64 68 (7%)
65-Up 177 (18%)
Refused 9 (1%)
Area of residence described: Education level by grade/school:
Large city 201 (20%) 0-11 74 (7%)
Small city/town 340 (32%) High 517 (32%)
Suburban area 272 (27%) Business/
Rural 186 (19%) some college 267 (27%)
Don't know 2 (0%) College Grad. 183 (19%)
Grad. Degree 145 (14%)
DK/refused 5 (0%)
Race:
African American 88 ( 9%)
White 815 (82%)
Hispanic 42 ( 4%)
Asian 9 ( 1%)
Native American 11 ( 1%)
Other 28 ( 3%)
Don't know/refused 7 ( 1%)
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