Source: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS submitted to
BUILDING RURAL COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IN CONTEXT OF PROTECTED GRASSLANDS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1008596
Grant No.
2016-68006-24836
Project No.
ILLU-000-619
Proposal No.
2015-07521
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
A1661
Project Start Date
Mar 1, 2016
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2020
Grant Year
2016
Project Director
Stewart, W.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
2001 S. Lincoln Ave.
URBANA,IL 61801
Performing Department
Recreation, Sport & Tourism
Non Technical Summary
The proposed study is directed at understanding changes in social and economic conditions of rural communities, and adapting a framework that builds community resilience, in context of grassland protection. The orientation of this study is to enhance the capacity of rural communities to frame regional development of natural amenities, like grassland protection, as opportunities to strengthen their social and economic well-being. The proposal is aligned with the FY 2015 AFRI RFA program initiative related to Innovation for Rural Entrepreneurs and Communities (Priority Code A1661).
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
60%
Developmental
10%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
6050780301050%
6086099308050%
Knowledge Area
605 - Natural Resource and Environmental Economics; 608 - Community Resource Planning and Development;

Subject Of Investigation
0780 - Grasslands, other; 6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3010 - Economics; 3080 - Sociology;
Goals / Objectives
The objectives are to: (1) conduct a nation-wide assessment of the economic impacts of bison re-introduction in contexts of protected grasslands; (2) engage with community stakeholders at two study sites in rural Illinois and Iowa to assess a regional sense of place and capacity for change using in-depth techniques; (3) determine the tradeoffs residents of the two study sites are willing to make among competing future growth scenarios using stated preference modeling; and (4) foster mutual learning and explore ways that stakeholders of the two study sites can adapt to change in response to the results generated in the proposed study.
Project Methods
Each objective is associated with a distinct method. Objective 1: We will develop county level data on the presence of protected grasslands, the presence of bison, and economic well-being over the past three decades. We will then carry out an analysis of that data to identify whether bison introductions have beneficial effects on the income and unemployment rates in rural communities. We will merge county level Census data on socio-economic factors and conditions with the data on grasslands and bison. This will include variables that capture the economic health outcomes in which we are interested: median household income and unemployment rate. Objective 2: We will hold focus groups with stakeholders in two study sites (Will County, Illinois and Jasper County, Iowa) to make assessments, use growth scenarios to facilitate dialogue on regional sense of place, preferences for growth, and identification of stakeholder decision-making forums. Objective 3: Develop a profile of community resiliency for two study sites, and include regional indicators of social and economic strengths, level of engagement forums for stakeholders, and extent of regional senses of place. Residents of the two study sites will be sampled and surveyed to develop a profile assessing community resiliency. This profile will provide results of residents' preferences for future growth scenarios, agreement level of regional sense of place, and level of engagement in stakeholder forums. A fractional factorial design will be used to accommodate the pairs of future growth scenarios that we will develop for the proposed study. This design will minimize the number of profiles necessary to estimate the study parameters. Because we will be using a mixed-mode survey (mailback and online), our online respondents may respond to an adapted preference model that will more efficiently capture their preferences compared to the 18 choice set of paired comparisons of the mailback questionnaire. The operative question will ask respondents to select the scenario from the paired comparison that they prefer. Objective 4. We will enhance community resiliency for stakeholders of two study sites by supporting planning workshops for mutual learning about social and economic development related to bison re-introduction and associated landscape change. Previous research has shown that land-use planning workshops are a space for civic discovery in which residents become aware of value for places they share with others and recognize potential for growth. The final objective of this proposed project provides a space for reflection of relevant results of the study to the communities of the study sites.

Progress 03/01/16 to 08/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audiences: (a) Jasper County, Iowa stakeholders related to agricultural innovation, conservation, and employment growth; (b) Will County, Illinois stakeholders related to agricultural innovation, conservation, governance, and employment growth; (c) Scientists and government researchers concerned about conservation of grasslands in agricultural regions, bison herds, and community resiliency; and (d) Students at the University of Illinois who desire training in social and economic sciences within agricutlural and natural resources. Changes/Problems:The last six months of the project were part of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Rather than face-to-face meetings with stakeholders and at scholarly conferences, we met online. However the objectives of the project were still achieved, it was just an unexpected mode of doing so. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1. Throughout the lifespan of this project, the activities have provided a training ground for ten undergraduate students, a visiting scholar from a German university, a Fulbright Scholar from Beijing, China, and six graduate students from the University of Illinois.They have learned about IRB protocol, data collection, survey response issues, quality control techniques in data entry, both qualitative and quantitative data analysis, data entry software, manuscript preparation, and professional development tied to presentations. In addition, the bi-weekly project meetings have provided opportunities for all project personnel to understand conceptual and administrative issues for interdisciplinary scientific research. 2. Five graduate students have been employed by this project as research assistants, and one as volunteer.They each have been directed at distinct projects. Across the graduate students, they have learned about new techniques for statistical analysis; conceptual issues related to preferences, place, resilience, and institutional work; manuscript preparation processes as a member of an interdisciplinary research team, paper presentation skills, and issues that arise in working with community-based stakeholders. Three graduate students on the project successfully defended one M.S. thesis and two PhD dissertations based upon the project data, theory and methods. Two of the undergraduates involved with this project have presented their research at the University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Symposium. They each created a poster that depicted their study as a piece of this larger project. A Visiting Fulbright Scholar from China who is an Associate Professor at Beijing Forestry University has been involved with this project in terms of site visits, engagement with the literature, project meetings, and exploration application to rural development in his native country. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Findings have been shared internally at campus seminars, and also externally at the following national conferences: Stewart, W. andvan Riper, C.J. 2017. Search and research for high response rates: A report from the Prairie State. Paper presentation at the WERA-1010 Multi-state Hatch research group annual meeting, Tucson, AZ. Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Evans, N., Stamberger, L. andvan Riper, C. 2018.Heritage narratives for landscapes on the rural-urban fringe in the Midwestern United States, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2018.1492908. Stamberger, L., van Riper, C.J., Stewart, W. andAndo, A. 2018. Assessing Growth Preferences on the Rural-Urban Fringe using a Discrete Choice Analysis. Paper Presentation at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Snowbird, Utah. June, 2018. Evans, N., Stewart, W., van Riper, C., Ando, A., Stamberger, N. andLi, L. 2018. A study of Growth and Change in Jasper County, Iowa. A technical report developed for county and community stakeholders. Evans, N., Stewart, W., van Riper, C., Ando, A., Stamberger, N. andLi, L. 2018. A study of Growth and Change in Will County, Illinois. A technical report developed for county and community stakeholders. Presented at winter meeting of the Advisory Board of The Conservation Foundation, in February, 2019. Foelske, L., van Riper, C.J., Stewart, W., Ando, A., Gobster, P. andHunt, L. 2019. Assessing growth preferences on the rural-urban fringe using a discrete choice analysis. Landscape and Urban Planning, 189, 396-407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.05.016. Li, L. andAndo, A. 2019. The Impact of Bison Reintroduction on the Local Economy.Paper presentation at the Costs and Benefits of Natural Resources on Public and Private Lands Conference, W4133 USDA Multi-state Hatch research group, Santa Fe, NM, February. Li, L. andAndo, A. 2019. The Impact of Bison Reintroduction on the Local Economy. Paper presentation at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, July. Stewart, W. 2019. Place-making for heritage as negotiation of landscape narratives. Invited keynote presentation at Our Heritage, Our Future: Protection and Development of Natural and Cultural Heritage Symposium at Beijing Forestry University, Beijing. May 18-19. Stewart, W. andEvans, N. 2019. Place-making for conservation in mixed-use landscapes: Negotiating narratives of change and stability. Invited keynote presentation at the symposium on Landscapes and Human Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei. September 27-30. Stewart, W. andEvans, N. 2019. Place-making for conservation in mixed-use landscapes: Negotiating narratives of change and stability. Paper presented at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Oshkosh, WI. Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Stamberger, L. Shipley, N., Evans, N., Coon, J.and van Riper, C. 2019. Effects of incentives on survey response rates in two rural counties. Submitted to Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. Evans, N., Stewart, W. andvan Riper, C. 2021. A place-meaning scale for rural communities undergoing landscape change. Submitted to Society and Natural Resources. Foelske, L., andvan Riper, C.J. 2020. Assessing spatial preference heterogeneity in a mixed-use landscape. Applied Geography. 125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2020.102355. Stewart, W. andEvans, N. 2021. Place-making for regional conservation: Negotiating narratives of change and stability in mixed-use landscapes. In C. Raymond, D. Williams, et al. Changing senses of place: Navigating global challenges. London, UK: Cambridge University Press. van Riper, C.J., Coon, J. andStrauser, J. 2020. Survey research updates from the University of Illinois. Paper presentation at the WERA-2020 Multi-state Hatch research group annual meeting, Tucson, AZ. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective (1) Conduct a nation-wide assessment of the economic impacts of bison re-introduction in contexts of protected grasslands: (a) We carried out additional cutting-edge estimates of the impact of bison restoration on local economic activity using synthetical control methodology. (b) Based upon the new analysis methodology, we completed a manuscript of a paper on the impact of bison restoration on local economic activity and presented it at the W-4133 USDA Multi-State Hatch research group, Santa Fe, NM in February, 2019 and at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association meetings in Atlanta, Georgia in July 2019. (c) We revised the manuscript in response to comments from presentations and have submitted to a journal. Objective (2) Engage with community stakeholders at two study sites in rural Illinois and Iowa to assess a regional sense of place and capacity for change using in-depth techniques: 1. We engaged stakeholders from study sites, and in total conducted 16 in-person interviews in Jasper County, Iowaand 15 in Will County, Illinois, along with the two focus groups from Year Oneof the study.At each study site, we identified a local partner to introduce our county-wide residential survey. We kept in close touch with our local partners and keep them abreast of the survey progress. We submitted technical reports that highlights the results of the two county-wide study to our two local partners. This process was critical to engaging a cross-section of stakeholders to understand their collective regional senses of place. Evans, N., Stewart, W., van Riper, C., Ando, A., Stamberger, N. andLi, L. (2018). A study of Growth and Change in Jasper County, Iowa. A technical report developed for county and community stakeholders. Evans, N., Stewart, W., van Riper, C., Ando, A., Stamberger, N. andLi, L. (2018). A study of Growth and Change in Will County, Illinois. A technical report developed for county and community stakeholders. Presented at winter meeting of the Advisory Board of The Conservation Foundation, in February, 2019. A manuscript addressing the stakeholder dialogue process and outcomes has been published: Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Evans, N., Stamberger, L. andvan Riper, C. (2019): Heritage narratives for landscapes on the rural-urban fringe in the Midwestern United States, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2018.1492908. Objective (3): Develop a profile of community resiliency for two study sites, and assess resident responses to regional indicators of social and economic strengths, level of engagement forums for stakeholders, and extent of regional senses of place. The mixed-mode survey (offering mailback and online response options) was completed in April 2018. Two presentations and a manuscript have been presented/developed to assess the effects of incentives on survey response rates. Stewart, W., & van Riper, C.J. (2017). Search and research for high response rates: A report from the Prairie State. Paper presentation at the WERA-1010 Multi-state Hatch research group annual meeting, Tucson, AZ. van Riper, C.J., Coon, J., & Strauser, J. (2020). Survey research updates from the University of Illinois. Paper presentation at the WERA-2020 Multi-state Hatch research group annual meeting, Tucson, AZ. Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Stamberger, L. Shipley, N., Evans, N., Coon, J., and van Riper, C. (in review). Effects of incentives on survey response rates in two rural counties. Submitted to Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. Undergraduate student honor's thesis titled: "Exploration of sampling bias in two rural counties," and presentation at the College Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 2018. Data coding, quality control, cleaning, missing data imputation, and variable transformation (if necessary), was completed by August 2018. Two manuscripts have been published based upon stated choice modeling: Foelske, L., van Riper, C., Stewart, W., Ando, A., Gobster, P. & Hunt, L. (2020). Assessing growth preferences on the rural-urban fringe using discrete choice analysis. Landscape and Urban Planning, 189, 396-407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.05.016 Foelske, L., & van Riper, C.J. (2020). Assessing spatial preference heterogeneity in a mixed-use landscape. Applied Geography. 125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2020.102355 An international conference presentation presented the findings from this objective at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management. Stamberger, L.,van Riper, C.J., Stewart, W., & Ando, A. (2018).Assessing Growth Preferences on the Rural Urban Fringe using a Discrete Choice Analysis.PaperPresentation at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Snowbird, UT. Objective (4). Enhance community resiliency for stakeholders of two study sites by supporting planning workshops for mutual learning about social and economic development related to bison re-introduction and associated landscape change. Whether an effect of our research, or concomitant with it, both counties have embarked on comprehensive land-use planning processes within the past year. Jasper County Board of Commissioners has engaged a planning firm to develop it's first-ever regional land use plan and has held several workshops to engage residents; see https://www.snyder-associates.com/projects/active-public-engagement-promotes-jasper-county-comprehensive-plan/ Likewise, Joliet, IL has contracted a planning firm to develop its first comprehensive plan since 1959; see https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/19/joliet-oks-249-000-for-comprehensive-city-plan/ah3s2it/ Scholarly presentations and papers related to this objective are: Stewart, W. (2019). Place-making for heritage as negotiation of landscape narratives. Invited keynote presentation at Our Heritage, Our Future: Protection and Development of Natural and Cultural Heritage Symposium at Beijing Forestry University, Beijing. May 18-19. Stewart, W. & Evans, N. (2019). Place-making for conservation in mixed-use landscapes: Negotiating narratives of change and stability. Invited keynote presentation at the symposium on Landscapes and Human Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei. September 27-30. Stewart, W. & Evans, N. (2019). Place-making for conservation in mixed-use landscapes: Negotiating narratives of change and stability. Paper presented at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Oshkosh, WI. Stewart, W. & Evans, N. (in press). Place-making for regional conservation: Negotiating narratives of change and stability in mixed-use landscapes. In C. Raymond, D. Williams, et al. Changing senses of place: Navigating global challenges. London, UK: Cambridge University Press. Evans, N., Stewart, W. & van Riper, C. (2020, under review). A place-meaning scale for rural communities undergoing landscape change. Submitted to Society and Natural Resources.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Foelske, L. and van Riper, C. 2020. Assessing spatial preference heterogeneity in a mixed-use landscape. Applied Geography, 125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2020.102355.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2021 Citation: Evans, N., Stewart, W. and van Riper, C. 2021. A place meaning scale for rural communities under-going landscape change. Submitted to Society and Natural Resources.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Stewart, W. 2019. Place-making for heritage as negotiation of landscape narratives. Invited keynote presentation at "Our Heritage, Our Future: Protection and Development of Natural and Cultural Heritage" Symposium at Beijing Forestry University, Beijing. May 18-19.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Stewart, W. and Evans, N. 2019. Place-making for conservation in mixed-use landscapes: Negotiating narratives of change and stability. Invited keynote presentation at the symposium on "Landscapes and Human Health", National Taiwan University, Taipei. September 27-30.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2021 Citation: Liqing, L. and Ando, A. 2021. Impact of Bison reintroduction on local economies. Under Review.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2021 Citation: Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Foelske, L., Shipley, N., Evans, N., Coons, J. and van Riper, C. 2021. Effects of incentives on survey response rates in two rural counties. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. Under Second Review.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Evans, N., Stamberger, L. and van Riper, C. 2019. Heritage narratives for landscapes on the ruralurban fringe in the Midwestern United States, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2018.1492908.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Foelske, L., van Riper, C., Stewart, W., Ando, A., Gobster, P. and Hunt, L. 2020. Assessing growth preferences on the rural-urban fringe using discrete choice analysis. Landscape and Urban Planning, 189, 396-407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.05.016.


Progress 03/01/19 to 02/29/20

Outputs
Target Audience:There were several target audiences for this research project: 1. Stakeholders associated with our two study counties: Jasper County IA and Will County, IL. We engaged in several meetings and workshops to present research findings, and facilitate discussions to foster interest in landscape/regional planning related to conservation of agricultural lands, grasslands, and rural community sense of place. 2. Scientists and professional staff associatedwith the USDA Forest Service Midewin Tallgrass Prairie, and with the USDOI Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. 3. Scientific community associated with several forums: International Symposium for Society and Resource Management, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, The Academy of Leisure Sciences Research Institute, and seminars linked to the University of Illinois. 4. Peer-reviewed outlets related to our manuscript submissions, including: Landscape and Urban Planning, Applied Geography, Land Use Policy, Society and Natural Resources, and Leisure Sciences. Changes/Problems:The request for a no-cost project extension of 6 months was approved by the NIFA program chair. The additional 6 months were important due to each of the study sites under-going transitions in leadership that would be amenable to discussions related to grassland protection to enhance community resiliency. Over the next 6 months, we hope to be on the far side of these transitions and gain traction with our planning workshops and presentations. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1. Four graduate students have been employed by this project as research assistants. Theyeach have been directed at distinct projects. Across the graduate students, they have learned about new techniques for statistical analysis,conceptual issues related to preferences, place, resilience, and institutional work,manuscript preparation processes as a member of an interdisciplinary research team, paper presentation skills, and issues that arise in working with community-based stakeholders. 2. Three of the graduate students' thesis/dissertation research was based on the project theory and methods: Evans, Nicole. (2019).Social-ecological systems resilience in changing rural landscapes of the Midwestern United States. Doctoral dissertation. Stamberger, Lorraine. (2019).Assessing growth preferences on the rural-urban fringe using a discrete choice model and spatial analysis methods. M.S. thesis. Li, Liqing. (2020 expected). The impact of Bison reintroduction program on local economies. Doctoral dissertation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Findings have been shared internally at campus seminars, and also externally at the following national conferences: Li, L. andAndo, A. 2019. "The Impact of Bison Reintroduction on the Local Economy." Paper presentation at the Costs and Benefits of Natural Resources on Public and Private Lands Conference, W4133 USDA Multi-state Hatch research group, Santa Fe, NM, February. Li,L. andAndo, A. 2019. "The Impact of Bison Reintroduction on the Local Economy.". Paper presentation at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, July. Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Stamberger, L. Shipley, N., Evans, N., Coon, J.and van Riper, C. 2019. Two ways of presenting $2 as a survey pre-incentive. Manuscript submitted toLeisure Sciencesfor consideration for publication. van Riper, C.J., Coon, J., andStrauser, J. 2020.Survey research updates from the University of Illinois.Paper presentation at the WERA-2020 Multi-state Hatch research group annual meeting, Tucson, AZ. In addition, this year has been one of re-engaging with numerous stakeholder groups, professionals, and scientists within the two study counties to disseminate the findingsand facilitate discussions about place-based conservation to enhance community resiliency. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The request for a no-cost project extension of 6 months was approved by the NIFA program chair. The additional 6 months were important due to each of the study sites undergoing transitions in leadership that would be amenable to discussions related to grassland protection to enhance community resiliency. Over the next 6 months, we hope to be on the far side of these transitions and gain traction with our planning workshops and presentations.In addition, there are still three manuscripts in review that we are determined to follow through to publication.A final report will be submitted in August 2020.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The following accomplishments for the past yearhave already been identified within the previous responses to questions within this report associated with products, although they are organized here under each of the research objectives: Objective (1) Conduct a nation-wide assessment of the economic impacts of bison re-introduction in contexts of protected grasslands: 1. We carried out additional cutting-edge estimates of the impact of bison restoration on local economic activity using synthetical control methodology. The methodology has taken several renditions and has been vetted across the past two years at conferences. This past year a paper was presented at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association meetings in Atlanta, Georgia in July 2019. 2. We revised the manuscript in response to comments from presentations and are poised to submit it to a journal. Objective (2) Engage with community stakeholders at two study sites in rural Illinois and Iowa to assess a regional sense of place and capacity for change using in-depth techniques. 1. Completed in previous years 1, 2, and 3. Objective (3) Determine the tradeoffs residents of the two study sites are willing to make among competing future growth scenarios using stated preference modeling. 1. Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Foelske, L. Shipley, N., Evans, N., Coon, J., and van Riper, C. (under second review). Two ways of presenting $2 as a survey pre-incentive. Manuscript submitted to Leisure Sciencesfor consideration for publication. 2. Foelske, L., van Riper, C., Stewart, W., Ando, A., Gobster, P. andHunt, L. 2019. Assessing growth preferences on the rural-urban fringe using discrete choice analysis. Landscape and Urban Planning.189, 396-407. 3. Foelske, L., andvan Riper, C.J. (under review). Assessing spatial preference heterogeneity in a mixed-use landscape. Target journal: Applied Geography. 4. Stewart, W. andEvans, N. 2019. Place-making for conservation in mixed-use landscapes: Negotiating narratives of change and stability. Paper presented at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Oshkosh, WI. Objective (4). Enhance community resiliency for stakeholders of two study sites by supporting planning workshops for mutual learning about social and economic development related to bison re-introduction and associated landscape change. The fourth objective is associated with the final year of the project. The basis of activity on this fourth objective is to engage county and community stakeholders with the findings of the research. The outcomes of this objective are to build capacity for a community-based framework to sustain a governance structure directed at community resilience and social and economic well-being. Invited to present study findings and/or submitted technical reports to the following: 1. Presented and held planning workshop at the Board of Directors of The Conservation Foundation, Will County, March 2019. 2. Presented and held planning workshop at Midewin Stakeholder Group Meeting, Chicago, April 2019. 3. Will County "Green Drinks" - a bi-monthly meeting of professionals in Will County working in land management and planning positions - June 2019. 4. Submitted technical report "Growth and Change in Will County" to the Will County Board, July 2019. 5. Will County Center for Economic Development, February 2020. 6. Engaged Jasper County Hometown Pride with results of study, which became integrated with the development of a county land-use planning process, August-September, 2019. 7. Met with Jasper County Conservation Board staff to discuss study findings, November 2019. 8. Jasper County Iowa Regional Planning Committee meeting, November 2019. 9. Submitted study findings to Snyder & Associates, planning firm conducting a regional land-use plan for Jasper County. See: https://www.jaspersbrightfuture.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Present_2019-11-07_Highlights-of-Jasper-County-Study-STEWART.pdf.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2020 Citation: Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Foelske, Shipley, N., Evans, N., Coon, J. and van Riper, C. 2020. Two ways of presenting $2 as a survey pre-incentive. Target journal: Leisure Sciences.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Foelske, L., van Riper, C.J., Stewart, W., Ando, A., Gobster, P. and Hunt, L. 2019. Assessing growth preferences on the rural-urban fringe using a discrete choice analysis. Landscape and Urban Planning, 189, 396-407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.05.016.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2020 Citation: Foelske, L. and van Riper, C.J. 2020. Assessing spatial preference heterogeneity in a mixed-use landscape. Target journal: Applied Geography.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Stewart, W. and Evans, N. 2019. Place-making for conservation in mixed-use landscapes: Negotiating narratives of change and stability. Paper presented at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Oshkosh, WI.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: van Riper, C.J., Coon, J., Strauser, J. and Stewart, W. 2020. Survey research updates from the University of Illinois. Paper presentation at the WERA-2020 Multi-state Hatch research group annual meeting, Tucson, AZ.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Evans, Nicole. 2019. Social-ecological systems resilience in changing rural landscapes of the Midwestern United States. Doctoral dissertation. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Stamberger, Lorraine. 2019. Assessing growth preferences on the rural-urban fringe using a discrete choice model and spatial analysis methods. M.S. thesis. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Stewart, W. and Evans, N. 2019. Place-making for conservation in mixed-use landscapes: Negotiating narratives of change and stability. Accepted for publication in C. Raymond, et al. (Eds) "Changing senses of place: Navigating global challenges." Cambridge University Press.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Li, Liqing and Ando, A. 2019. The impact of Bison reintroduction program on local economies. Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Conference, Atlanta.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Study findings used to engage Snyder & Associates who are conducting a regional land-use plan for Jasper County. Published on their website at: https://www.jaspersbrightfuture.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Present_2019-11-07_Highlights-of-Jasper-County-Study-STEWART.pdf.


Progress 03/01/18 to 02/28/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences reached during this reporting period: (a) Jasper County, Iowa stakeholders related to agriculture, parks and tourism, and conservation, (b) Will County, Illinois stakeholders related to agricultural innovation, parks and conservation, and employment growth; (c) Scientists and government researchers concerned about conservation of grasslands in agricultural regions, bison herds, and community resiliency; and (d) Students at the University of Illinois who desire training in social and economic sciences of conservation within agricultural and worked landscapes. Changes/Problems:The liaison stakeholder in Iowa -- Jasper County Conservation Board -- has disconnected with the project due to political conflicts between conservation in Jasper County and Iowa crop production. The JCCB advisory board views landscape change in the direction of grassland protection as a threat to economic growth and viability of Jasper County. As a consequence, we are building stronger connections with other stakeholders linked to tourism and rural development within Jasper County, Iowa. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1. With the completion of the data entry, coding, and quality control, the project provided a training ground for survey research to a visiting scholar from a German university and eight undergraduate students from the University of Illinois. They learned about IRB protocol, data collection, survey response issues, quality control techniques in data entry, and data entry software. The bi-weekly project meetings provided opportunities to understand conceptual and administrative issues for scientific research. 2. The additional interviews at each study site have been transcribed by an undergraduate student who is supervised by a doctoral student. These efforts work toward a co-authored manuscript related to place-making and community resilience. 3. Four graduate students have been employed by this project as research assistants. They each have been directed at distinct projects. Across the graduate students, they have learned about new techniques for statistical analysis; conceptual issues related to preferences, place, resilience, and institutional work; manuscript preparation processes as a member of an interdisciplinary research team, paper presentation skills, and issues that arise in working with community-based stakeholders. 4. One of the graduate students on the project successfully defended her M.S. thesis that was based upon the project theory and methods. A doctoral student is progressing with the development of her dissertation also based on data from this project. A third doctoral student is also progressing through her dissertation project. 5. A Visiting Fulbright Scholar from China who is an Associate Professor at Beijing Forestry University has been involved with this project in terms of site visits, engagement with the literature, project meetings, and exploration application to rural development in his native country. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Preliminary findings have been shared internally at campus seminars, and also externally at the following national conferences: Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Evans, N., Stamberger, L. and van Riper, C. 2018. Heritage narratives for landscapes on the rural-urban fringe in the Midwestern United States, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2018.1492908. Ando, A. and Li, L. 2019. The impact of bison reintroduction on the local economy. Paper presentation at the Costs and Benefits of Natural Resources on Public and Private Lands Conference, W-4133 USDA Multi-State Hatch research group, Santa Fe, NM, February. Stamberger, L., van Riper, C.J., Stewart, W. and Ando, A. 2018. Assessing growth preferences on the rural-urban fringe using a discrete choice analysis. Paper Presentation at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Snowbird, Utah. June, 2018. Evans, N., Stewart, W., van Riper, C., Ando, A., Stamberger, N. and Li, L. 2018. A study of growth and change in Jasper County, Iowa. A technical report developed for county and community stakeholders. Evans, N., Stewart, W., van Riper, C., Ando, A., Stamberger, N. and Li, L. 2018. A study of growth and change in Will County, Illinois. A technical report developed for county and community stakeholders. Presented at winter meeting of the Advisory Board of The Conservation Foundation, in February, 2019. Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Stamberger, L. Shipley, N., Evans, N., Coon, J. and van Riper, C. 2019. Two ways of presenting $2 as a survey pre-incentive. Manuscript submitted to Society and Natural Resources for consideration for publication. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1. (a) Present the research at a professional conference. (b) Based on feedback from presentation, we will revise and submit to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.(c) Communicate the research results to stakeholders in sites with conservation bison herds and to bison conservation experts in the Department of Interior, The Nature Conservancy, USDA, and Wildlife Conservation Society. Objective 2. (a) Develop a manuscript for submission related to further analysis of the stakeholder interviews and focus group related to place-making and community resiliency. (b) A dissertation from a Ph.D. student on the project will employ these data for a chapter on place, resiliency, and institutional work; and also a chapter devoted to conceptualizing newcomers and long-term residents of rural areas and their relationships to place-meanings. Objective 3. (a) Completion of a M.S. thesis and support for three doctoral students. (b) Manuscripts returned from review will be revised according to comments and re-submitted. (c) Manuscripts will be prepared related to sense of place, scalar issues of place, and spatial analytics, and resiliency. Objective 4. (a) Presentations and workshops that engage stakeholders with the research, and fosters dialogue to build capacity for community resiliency. (b) Data will be collected through recordings and participant observation.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective (1) Conduct a nation-wide assessment of the economic impacts of bison re-introduction in contexts of protected grasslands: (a) We carried out additional cutting-edge estimates of the impact of bison restoration on local economic activity using synthetical control methodology. (b) Based upon the new analysis methodology, we completed a draft manuscript of a paper on the impact of bison restoration on local economic activity and presented it at W-4133 USDA Multi-State Hatch research group, Santa Fe, NM in February, 2019. . Objective (2) Engage with community stakeholders at two study sites in rural Illinois and Iowa to assess a regional sense of place and capacity for change using in-depth techniques: 1. Continued to engage stakeholders from study site to expand representation within each study site, including in-person interviews with six (6) in Jasper County, IA fromIowa State Extension, NRCS - Jasper County, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources; and interviewed six (6) in Will County, Illinoisfrom The Conservation Foundation, NRCS - Will County, and the Joliet Park District. 2. At each study site, we identified a local partner to introduce our county-wide residential survey. We kept in close touch with our local partners and keep them abreast of the survey progress. 3. We submitted technical reports that highlight the results of the two county-wide studies to our two local partners. Receiving feedback on the technical reports from our partners begins the final phase of the research to disseminate findings and facilitate a dialogue to further integrate conservation, tourism and agricultural production. Evans, N., Stewart, W., van Riper, C., Ando, A., Stamberger, N., and Li, L. 2018. A study of growth and change in Jasper County, Iowa. A technical report developed for county and community stakeholders. Evans, N., Stewart, W., van Riper, C., Ando, A., Stamberger, N. and Li, L. 2018. A study of growth and change in Will County, Illinois. A technical report developed for county and community stakeholders. Presented at winter meeting of the Advisory Board of The Conservation Foundation, in February, 2019. 4. A manuscript was prepared and published that framed sense of place as narratives for growth and was based upon data from the study's focus groups. Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Evans, N., Stamberger, L.and van Riper, C. 2018: Heritage narratives for landscapes on the rural-urban fringe in the Midwestern United States, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2018.1492908. Objective (3): Develop a profile of community resiliency for two study sites, and assess resident responses to regional indicators of social and economic strengths, level of engagement forums for stakeholders, and extent of regional senses of place. 1. The mixed-mode survey (offering mailback and online response options) was completed in April 2018. Survey response rates were 37% in Jasper County, and 30% in Will County which are considered acceptable response rates for a general population survey. 2. A manuscript was drafted and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal directed at assessing differential response rates between two different types of survey pre-incentives - use of a $2 bill vs. use of two $1 bills. Although we expected the novelty of a $2 bill to be associated with the higher response rate (if finding any distinction at all), we found that the $2 bill pre-incentive did not perform as well compared to the use of two $1 bills. Reference: Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Stamberger, L. Shipley, N., Evans, N., Coon, J. and van Riper, C. 2019. Two ways of presenting $2 as a survey pre-incentive. Manuscript submitted to Leisure Sciences for consideration for publication. 3. Undergraduate student honor's thesis titled "Exploration of sampling bias in two rural counties" and presentation at the College Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 2018. 4. Data coding, quality control, cleaning, missing data imputation, and variable transformation (if necessary), was completed by August 2018. 5. Data analyses and technical report write-up occurred during Fall, 2018. The two technical reports were completed by December, 2018. Review comments and feedback on technical reports were received in February, 2019 from local sponsor, and in the case of Will County, from the Advisory Board of The Conservation Foundation. 6. Two manuscripts were prepared and submitted for potential publication in the peer-reviewed literature as part of an M.S. thesis project. The focus of both papers was on user preferences for growth and the spatial dynamics of those preferences. These papers' contributions are based upon stated choice modeling to empirically determine the acceptability of growth scenarios for residents living in mixed-use landscapes on the rural-urban fringe. Foelske, L., van Riper, C., Stewart, W., Ando, A., Gobster, P. and Hunt, L. (Request for major revision). Assessing growth preferences on the rural-urban fringe using discrete choice analysis. Landscape and Urban Planning. Foelske, L., and van Riper, C.J. (Request for major revision). Assessing spatial preference heterogeneity in a mixed-use landscape. Land Use Policy. 7. An international conference presentation presented the findings from this objective at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management Stamberger, L.,van Riper, C.J., Stewart, W. and Ando, A. 2018.Assessing Growth Preferences on the Rural Urban Fringe using a Discrete Choice Analysis.PaperPresentation at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Snowbird, UT. Objective (4). Enhance community resiliency for stakeholders of two study sites by supporting planning workshops for mutual learning about social and economic development related to bison re-introduction and associated landscape change. 1. The fourth objective is associated with the final year of the project. The basis of activity on this fourth objective is to engage county and community stakeholders with the findings of the research. The outcomes of this objective are to build capacity for a community-based framework to sustain a governance structure directed at community resilience and social and economic well-being. 2. The implementation of the fourth objective starts with engaging our local partners with the results, and identifying relevant forums in each of the two counties to present the research and reflect on county-wide conservation and development forums for decision-making. Presentation at the Will County Forest Preserve District Headquarters on Growth and Change in Will County, Illinois onFeb 20 of 2019.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Evans, N., Stamberger, L. and van Riper, C. 2018. Heritage narratives for landscapes on the rural⿿urban fringe in the Midwestern United States. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2018.1492908.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2019 Citation: Strauser, J., Stewart, W., Stamberger, L. Shipley, N., Evans, N., Coon, J. and van Riper, C. 2019. Two ways of presenting $2 as a survey pre-incentive. Manuscript submitted to Society and Natural Resources for consideration for publication.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Evans, N., Stewart, W., van Riper, C., Ando, A., Stamberger, N. and Li, L. 2018. A study of growth and change in Will County, Illinois. A technical report developed for county and community stakeholders. Presented at winter meeting of the Advisory Board of The Conservation Foundation in February of 2019.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Evans, N., Stewart, W., van Riper, C., Ando, A., Stamberger, N. and Li, L. 2018. A study of growth and change in Jasper County, Iowa. A technical report developed for county and community stakeholders.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Ando, A. and Li, L. 2019. The impact of bison reintroduction on the local economy. Paper presentation at the Costs and Benefits of Natural Resources on Public and Private Lands Conference, W-4133 USDA Multi-state Hatch research group, Santa Fe, NM, February.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Stamberger, L., van Riper, C.J., Stewart, W. and Ando, A. 2018. Assessing growth preferences on the rural-urban fringe using a discrete choice analysis. Paper presentation at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, Snowbird, Utah. June, 2018.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Grasse, N., Stewart, W. and van Riper, C. 2018. Exploration of sampling bias in two rural counties. College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, April.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2019 Citation: Foelske, L., van Riper, C., Stewart, W., Ando, A., Gobster, P. and Hunt, L. 2019. Assessing growth preferences on the rural-urban fringe using discrete choice analysis. Landscape and Urban Planning (Request for major revision).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2019 Citation: Foelske, L. and van Riper, C.J. 2019. Assessing spatial preference heterogeneity in a mixed-use landscape. Land Use Policy (Request for major revision).


Progress 03/01/17 to 02/28/18

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences: (a) Jasper County, Iowa stakeholders related to agricultural innovation, conservation, and employment growth;(b) Will County, Illinois stakeholders related to agricultural innovation, conservation, governance, and employment growth;(c) Scientists and government researchers concerned about conservation of grasslands in agricultural regions, bison herds, and community resiliency;and (d) Students at the University of Illinois who desire training in social and economic sciences of conservation within agricultural and worked landscapes. Changes/Problems:The implementation of the study design has been going as planned with the exception of survey administration. Rather than conducting the survey from the University of Illinois, we contracted with the Social and Economic Science Research Center at Washingston State University to run the survey logistics. Although the budget changes were less than 10%, this required some shifting of the budget line items. These changes will not alter the scope or objectives of the research. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One visiting scholar from the University of Gottingen (Germany), five graduate students, and eight undergraduate students have been providing assistance on this project.They have learned skills and been trained on IRB protocol, data collection and analysis, statistical techniques linked to stated choice modeling, manuscript preparation, paper presentation, research team professional dynamics, and communication. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Stakeholders from the focus group phase of this study were provided opportunities to comment on the questionnaire development, and were kept apprised of our survey administration. They have indicated their anticipation of learning the results of the project in Year 4. Preliminary findings have been shared internally at campus seminars, and also externally at the following national conferences: National Environment and Recreation Research Conference, April 2017; Association of Environmental and Resource Economics, May 2017; Northeast Agriculture and Resource Economics Association, June 2017; and the Agriculture and Applied Economics Association, August 2017. Representatives from the USDA were present ta the latter three meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1. a) We will submit the paper studying the impact of CRP on employment to a journal. (b) We will add data on non-conservation bison herds to our analysis of the impacts of bison herds on rural communities, complete the analysis of those data, and finalize a manuscript. Objective 2. When the peer-reviewed manuscript is returned, we plan to revise and re-submit. A dissertation from a Ph.D. student on the project will employ these data in relation to social learning and environmental governance. Objective 3. Several action items are expected for next year: (a) Conduct non-response bias check. (b) Develop two technical reports and two executive summaries for distribution to stakeholders in each of the study sites. (c) Completion of a M.S. thesis and support two doctoral students . (d) Manuscripts will be prepared related to sense of place, scalar issues of place, and preferences for future growth.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective (1) Conduct a nation-wide assessment of the economic impacts of bison re-introduction in contexts of protected grasslands: (a) We completed a manuscript that studies the impact of grassland restoration through the CRP on employment in rural counties. (b) We carried out a set of analyses of the impacts of conservation bison herds on rural employment, incomes, and populations and partially drafted a manuscript for that study. Objective (2) Engage with community stakeholders at two study sites in rural Illinois and Iowa to assess a regional sense of place and capacity for change using in-depth techniques: (a) Qualitative data from interviews (n = 20) and focus groups (2 groupswith 8 participants each) were transcribed verbatim, thematically analyzed, and checked for inter-rater reliability by the research team. These data were channeled in two related and complementary directions: (b) Served as a basis for the residential survey of the two study sites:Jasper County, IA and Will County, IL. Sense of place qualities were developed as themesand translated into quantitative measures. (c) Findings characterized sense of place as being a set of narratives of change. A manuscript was developed and presented at the National Environment and Recreation Research Conference, Annapolis, MD in April 2017. The manuscript was submitted for peer review. Objective (3): Develop a profile of community resiliency for two study sitesand assess resident responses to regional indicators of social and economic strengths, level of engagement forums for stakeholders, and extent of regional senses of place: 1. An experimental design was created using Ngene software (http://www.choice-metrics.com/). More specifically, the team developed a fractional factorial orthogonal design to identify the configuration of attribute levels to be included in the paired comparisons of the stated choice model. This design will reduce respondent burden by cutting down on the number of hypothetical scenarios that would be necessary to estimate the study parameters in a full factorial design 2. Pre-testing of questionnaires occurred in June on the University of Illinois campus (n = 10). Verbal protocol assessment techniques were employed to ensure respondents were sensitive to the tradeoffs being made among stated choice attributes. 3. The survey questionnaire was pilot tested in Will Country (n = 55) and Jasper Country (58) from July-August, 2017. These data were used to generate bayesian priors to develop a D efficiency experimental design. 4. A mixed multinomial logit model (with Bayesian priors) was developed to optimize the experimental design, and then a random parameters logit model was evaluated to assess preferences for future growth. Six attributes were measured, which included between three and five levels, including: 1) percent of county in agricultural land-use, 2) bison, 3) access to recreation, 4) unemployment rate, 5) population growth, and 6) amount of grasslands. 5. Sampling bias was assessed comparing the pilot study samples to their respective county socio-demographic profiles from the U.S. Census. The recurrent significant difference was a bias for the samples from the county fairs to hold a higher level of educational attainment compared to their U.S. Census profile. An undergraduate student has submitted this study for presentation at a campus-wide research symposium. 6. The mixed mode survey began in January 2018, and its administration is being conducted by the survey center at Washington State University using mailback and online (via Qualtrics) techniques. The survey administration runs through the end of March, with data coding, quality control, and responding to inquiries on-going. 7. Based on relationships developed in the focus group processes, a local partner organization in each county was identified to introduce the questionnaire to sampled residents as a strategy to increase response rate. 8. A project website was developed for each county to refer prospective respondents and other interested parties to learn about the study at:JasperCountySurvey.org and WillCountySurvey.org. No activities were conducted under Objective 4.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Preliminary findings have been shared internally at campus seminars, and also externally at the following national conferences: Strauser, J., Stewart, W. and Evans, N. 2017. Heritage narratives for a contemporary prairie: A conceptual framework for landscape change. National Environment and Recreation Research Conference, Annapolis, MD. April 2017. Li, L. and Ando, A. 2017. The impact of conservation programs on local employment: The case of the conservation reserve program. Association of Environmental and Resource Economics, May 2017. Revised and presented at the Northeast Agriculture and Resource Economics Association, June 2017. Further revised and presented at Agriculture and Applied Economics Association, August 2017. Representatives of USDA were present at these three meetings.


Progress 03/01/16 to 02/28/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences: (a) Jasper County, Iowa stakeholders related to agricultural innovation, conservation, and employment growth. (b) Will County, Illinois stakeholders related to agricultural innovation, conservation, governance, and employment growth. Efforts: (a) interviews related to sense of place, landscape change, and preferences for future growth, agriculture, governance, and innovation, and (b) separate focus groups with stakeholders in Jasper and Will counties. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Notes from focus groups were distributed to participants which served as shared information about the sense of place and capacity for change of each of the study sites. Stakeholders at both study sites have agreed to assist in the questionnaire development and survey administration in ways that will help response rate, and we anticipate that the results of the survey will be integrated into their planning processes. Building trust and ownership in the results of the survey sets a foundation for evidence-based decision-making in year four of the study. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1: (a) Conduct analysis of influence of grassland protection and bison re-introduction on county socio-economic indicators, (b) Prepare manuscripts for submission to scientific audiences and peer review. Objective 2: (a) Further analyze notes from interviews and transcripts from focus groups, (b) Prepare manuscripts related to interviews and focus groups for submission to scientific audiences and peer review. Objective 3. (a) Develop questionnaire for residential survey of two study sites, (b) Identify procedures for residential survey at two study sites, including securing a sampling frame and partnering with local stakeholders to ensure a high response rate, (c) Implement survey at both study sites.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective (1) Conduct a nation-wide assessment of the economic impacts of bison re-introduction in contexts of protected grasslands: We collected comprehensive data on bison herds in North America including date of establishment, herd size, and spatial range; we collected data on socioeconomic indicators to permit analysis of the impact of bison herds on indicators of community well-being; we developed empirical strategy for the analysis; and we employed a graduate student for 9 months at 50%. Objective (2) Engage with community stakeholders at two study sites in rural Illinois and Iowa to assess a regional sense of place and capacity for change using in-depth techniques: We identified and gained access to county-wide stakeholders at two study sites and secured their willingness to participate in the study in Jasper County, Iowa and Will County, Illinois; we conducted in-depth interviews with 8-10 stakeholders at both of the study sites to understand the history of agricultural innovation, conservation, leadership, and growth; we conducted focus groups with stakeholders at two study sites to assess sense of place and capacity for changing land-use and development patterns; and we analyzed interviews with focus groups to provide the foundation for a forthcoming residential study of the two counties. No activities were conducted under Objectives 3 and 4.

Publications