Source: UNIVERSITY OF MAINE submitted to NRP
SUSTAINABLE HUMAN-FOREST INTERACTIONS IN MAINE
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
MCINTIRE-STENNIS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0225689
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2011
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2016
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
(N/A)
ORONO,ME 04469
Performing Department
School of Forest Resources
Non Technical Summary
Human dimensions of natural resources have become a recognized component of management that is just as necessary as ecological study. As the state of Maine faces emerging issues such as increased development, growing motorized recreation use, and changes in supply and demand for forest resources, this research fills a critical need. The coupled human-forest interactions framework can provide natural resource managers and other stakeholders in Maine better understanding of how humans (e.g., landowners, recreationists, local community members) interact with forest resources, their preferences for and needs from natural resource management, and increased options and directions for management actions. Research to-date has yet to fully incorporate a social psychology and environmental communication focus into human dimensions theory. This proposed project would take that step, and provide Maine's natural resources stakeholders with effective evidence-based tools and communication methods.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
6056010301050%
6086050301050%
Knowledge Area
605 - Natural Resource and Environmental Economics; 608 - Community Resource Planning and Development;

Subject Of Investigation
6010 - Individuals; 6050 - Communities, areas, and regions;

Field Of Science
3010 - Economics;
Goals / Objectives
1. To identify and quantify coupled human-forest interactions associated with natural resource management, with a particular focus on four populations: landowners, recreation users, natural resource managers and the public; 2. To explore differences in environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to coupled human-forest interactions based on study populations; 3. To evaluate the role, effectiveness, and methods to create knowledge to action situations involving human-forest interactions, especially with key stakeholders such as policy makers and landowners; and 4. To better understand the social psychological and communication factors that influence knowledge to action of coupled human-forest interaction models.
Project Methods
The research will consist of a series of case studies conducted throughout Maine using a mixed-method approach of qualitative and quantitative methods.

Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:My target audiences are foresters, family forest landowners, state and federal legislators, conservation non-profit executive directors, rural community leaders, and rural community members. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We held landowner outreach workshops in various parts of central Maine. We also gave numerous presentations to professional foresters through the Society of American Foresters. Graduate students gained training and professional development through their involvement in the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results were disseminated to communities of interests thourgh conferences, field tours, workshops, demonstration sites, and trainings. We also presented results at local, regional, national and international conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This year, we continued ongoing work on the human dimensions of family forest owners, rural community climate change adaptation, conservation behavior adoption, and forest pests. We added a new component on social acceptability of prescribed fire in the oak-pine forests of southern Maine. We examined the social science theories of risk perceptions, social acceptability, outreach preferences, ideology, psychological distance, and cross-boundary cooperation. This research will help managers, policy makers, and rural community leaders with a variety of forest management and rural community development issues ranging from forest pests, climate change, public use, wildland fire, etc.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Stapp, J., Lilieholm, R., Leahy, J., and Upadhaya, S. 2016. Linking attitudes, policy, and forest cover change in buffer zone communities of Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Environmental Management, 57(6): 1292-�1303.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Fischer, A.P., Spies, T., Steelman, T., Moseley, C., Johnson, B., Bailey, J., Ager, A., Bourgeron, P., Charnley, S., Collins, B., Kline, J., Leahy, J., Littell, J., Millington, J., Nielsen?Pincus, M., Olsen, C., Paveglio, T., Roos,C., Steen?Adams, M., Stevens, F., Vukomanovic, J., White, E., and Bowman, D. 2016. Wildfire risk as a socioeconomic pathology. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 14(5): 276-�?284.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Bieluch, K., Bell, K.P., Teisl, M., Lindenfeld, L., Leahy, J., and Silka, L. 2016. Transdisciplinary research partnerships in sustainability science: An examination of stakeholder participation preferences. Sustainability Science, 10.1007/s11625-�?016-�?0360-�?x


Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:My target audiences are legislators, environmental non-profit organization executive directors, foresters, family forest landowners, rural community leaders and rural community residents. Efforts to change these target audience knowledge, actions and conditions included presentations, workshops, and field tours. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Succession planning workshops, offered through the Small Woodland Owner Association of Maine, were provided to family forest landowners. Also, meetings and workshops related to starting and running wood banks were held in Penobscot and Hancock Counties. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated through presentations, one-on-one meetings, technical reports, outreach publications, and journal articles. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to seek funding to expand our research in: 1) beginning family forest landowners, 2) forest certification, 3) landowner behavior prediction, 4) coupled social-ecological systems and 5) conservation behavior adoption (especially related to woody bioenergy residential heating in rural communities).

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This year, we continued ongoing work on the human dimensions of family forest owners, rural community climate change adaptation, conservation behavior adoption, forest pests, wind energy conflicts, and waste management. We examined the social science theories of risk perceptions, social acceptability, outreach preferences, ideology, psychological distance, and cross-boundary cooperation. This research will help managers and policy makers with a variety of forest management and rural community development issues ranging from forest pests, climate change, public use, wind energy, etc.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Huff, ES, JE Leahy, D Hiebeler, AR Weiskittel, CL Noblet. 2015. An Agent-Based Model of Private Woodland Owner Management Behavior Using Social Interactions, Information Flow, and Peer-To-Peer Networks. PloS one 10 (11), e0142453
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Silver, EJ, JE Leahy, CL Noblet, AR Weiskittel. 2015. Maine woodland owner perceptions of long rotation woody biomass harvesting and bioenergy. Biomass and Bioenergy 76:69-78.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Silver, EJ, JE Leahy, DB Kittredge, CL Noblet, AR Weiskittel. 2015. An Evidence-Based Review of Timber Harvesting Behavior among Private Woodland Owners. Journal of Forestry
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Vivian, S, J Leahy. 2015. A Community Guide to Starting & Running a Wood Bank. School of Forest Resources, University of Maine. http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=sfr_studentpub
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: McGreavy, B, L Lindenfeld, KH Bieluch, L Silka, J Leahy, B Zoellick. 2015. Communication and sustainability science teams as complex systems Ecology and Society 20(1): 2.


Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: My target audiences are legislators, environmental non-profit organization directors, foresters, family forest landowners, rural community leaders and rural community residents. Efforts to change these target audience knowledge, actions and conditions included presentations, workshops, and field tours. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The lead PI continues to be involved in the UMaine Faculty Fellows professional development program to increase the use of applied forest research in state-level policy and management decisions. Training was also provided to the PI in bias literacy. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results have been disseminated through presentations, one-on-one meetings, technical reports, outreach publications, and journal articles. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We plan to seek funding to expand our: 1) forest pest research, 2) family forest landowner behavior research, and 3) conservation behavior adoption research, specially related to woody bioenergy residential heating in rural communities.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This year, we completed work on the human dimensions of family forest owners, rural community climate change adaptation, conservation behavior adoption, forest pests, wind energy conflicts, and waste management. We examined the social science theories of risk perceptions, social acceptability, outreach preferences, ideology, psychological distance, and cross-boundary cooperation. This research will help managers and policy makers with a variety of forest management and rural community development issues ranging from forest pests, climate change, public use, wind energy, etc.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Lyons, Patrick W; Leahy, Jessica E; Lindenfeld, Laura; Silka, Linda. 2014. Knowledge to Action: Investigating Implicit Knowledge Production Models Held Among Forest Science Researchers. Society & Natural Resources, 27(5): 459-474.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Straub, Crista L; and Leahy, Jessica E. 2014. Application of a Modified Health Belief Model to the Pro-Environmental Behavior of Private Well Water Testing. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 50(6): 1515-1526.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Marciano, James A; Lilieholm, Robert J; Teisl, Mario F; Leahy, Jessica E; Neupane, Binod. 2014. Factors affecting public support for forest-based biorefineries: A comparison of mill towns and the general public in Maine, USA. Energy Policy, 75: 301-311.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Leahy, Jessica. 2014. Making Silviculture Matter: The Case for an Evolution in Forestry Education. Journal of Forestry, 112(6): 618-619.


Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: My target audiences are foresters, family forest landowners, and rural community members. Efforts to change these target audience knowledge, actions and conditions included presentations, workshops, and field tours. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Agent-based modeling training was taken through a short course offered by Humboldt State University. As well, a graduate seminar was offered in rural communities which featured a component provided by eXtension's Rural Communities group. The lead PI has recently joined the Blue Sky Faculty Fellows professional development program to increase the use of applied forest research in state-level policy and management decisions. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results have been disseminated through presentations, one-on-one meetings, technical reports and journal articles. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We are seeking funding to expand our Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Longhorned Beetle research to include Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. We are also pursuing research related to better understanding family forest landowner timber harvesting behavior.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This year, we completed work on the human dimensions of forest pests. We examined the risk perceptions, social acceptability of forest management, and outreach preferences of landowners in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont toward Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Longhorned Beetle. This research will help managers and policy makers encourage early detection efforts and build socially acceptable community response plans. We also continued work on public access to private land.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Gorczyca, E., Lyons, P., Leahy, J., Johnson, T., Straub, C. 2012. Improving Family Forest Knowledge Transfer through Social Network Analysis. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 11: 157-164.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Smith, J., Leahy, J., Anderson, D., Davenport, M. 2013. Community/Agency Trust and Public Involvement in Resource Planning. Society & Natural Resources, 26(4): 452-471.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Jansujwicz, J., Calhoun, A., Leahy, J.; Lilieholm, R. 2013. Using Mixed Methods to Develop a Frame-Based Private Landowner Typology. Society & Natural Resources, 26(8): 945-961.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Manik, Y., Leahy, J., Halog, A. 2013. Social Life Cycle Assessment of Palm Oil Biodiesel: A Case Study in Jambi Province of Indonesia. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 18: 1386-1392.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Leahy, J., Gorczyca, E. 2013. Agent-based Modeling of Harvest Decisions by Small Scale Forest Landowners in Maine, USA. International Journal of Forest Research, 2(1): 1-13.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Bell, K., Lindenfeld, L., Speers, A., Teisl, M., Leahy, J. 2013. Creating Opportunities for Improving Lake-focused Stakeholder Engagement: Knowledge-action Systems, Pro-environment Behaviour and Sustainable Lake Management. Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management, 18(1): 5-14.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Snell, M., Bell, K., Leahy, J. 2013. Local Institutions and Lake Management. Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management, 18(1): 35-44.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Smith, J., Leahy, J., Anderson, D., Davenport, M. 2013. Community/Agency Trust: A Measurement Instrument. Society & Natural Resources, 26(4): 472-477.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Hutchins, K., Lindenfeld, L., Bell, K., Leahy, J., Silka, L. 2013. Strengthening Knowledge Co-Production Capacity: Examining Interest in Community-University Partnerships. Sustainability, 5(9): 3744-3770.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Smith, J., Anderson, D., Davenport, M., & Leahy, J. 2013. Community Benefits from Managed Resource Areas: An Analysis of Construct Validity. Journal of Leisure Research, 45(2):192-213.


Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities included conducting and analyzing forest social science survey, focus group, and interview data. Teaching and mentoring of graduate students was also completed. Events included attending conferences, leading field tours of demonstration sites, hosting training, and presenting a local, regional, national, and international conferences for community members, natural resource management professionals, and academic researchers. Products included data, models, social networks, software in the form of an agent-based model, information, skills, and technology for individuals, communities, and programs, and 3 students graduated in forest social science. Dissemination methods included in person meetings, phone calls, and emails. PARTICIPANTS: Jessica Leahy was the PI and lead the project. The following graduate students worked at least one person month during the year: Crista Straub, Patrick Lyons, Erika Gorcyzca, and Britt Townsend. Partner organizations included the Small Woodland Owner Association of Maine, Maine Forest Service, State of Maine - Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Husson University, Forest Working Group, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Town of Solon, Solon Historical Society, and Bingham Historical Society. Collaborations are with University of Massachusetts - Amherst, University of Minnesota, Purdue Univeristy, North Carolina State University, UMaine School of Economics, UMaine Sustainability Solutions Initiative, Society of American Foresters, and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations. Professional development during this year included social network analysis training for Crista Straub and agent-based modeling training for Jessica Leahy. TARGET AUDIENCES: My target audiences are foresters, family forest landowners, and rural community members. Efforts to change these target audience knowledge, actions and conditions included presentations, workshops, and field tours. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
I completed a survey that compared landowners who harvested in the last five years with and without the advice of a forester. This research identified the importance and performance evaluation of a variety of consulting forester services. Foresters have been able to use the research to take advantage of those factors that encourage use and counteract those that discourage use of foresters to administer timber harvests. I also carried out fundamental landowner research that informed the social marketing and other efforts of the Kennebec Woodland Partnership (KWP). This collaborative desired information on landowner demographics, attitudes and behaviors. The resulting issues from landowners such as estate planning, property tax reductions, and stewardship assistance became key issues for the KWP. Finally, my research on policy solutions to address access issues influenced the successful passing of LD1613, "An Act to Strengthen the Relationships between Landowners and Land Users." I directly presented the results to legislators and stakeholder groups who attended an open public meeting. My research was cited in legislative testimony during the comment period.

Publications

  • Thornton, T. & Leahy, J. 2012. Trust in Citizen Science Groundwater Research: A Case Study of the Groundwater Education Through Water Evaluation & Testing Program. American Water Resources Association Journal, 48(5): 1032-1040.
  • Thornton, T., & Leahy, J. 2012. Changes in Social Capital and Networks: A Study of Community-Based Environmental Management Through a School-Centered Research Program. Journal of Science Education & Technology, 21(1), 167-182.
  • Stone, I., Benjamin, J., & Leahy, J. 2011. Innovation Impacts on Biomass Supply in Maine's Logging Industry Forest Prod. J. 61(7):579-585.
  • Smith, J., M. Davenport, D. Anderson, and J. Leahy. 2011. Place meanings and desired management outcomes. Landscape and Urban Planning 101: 359-370.
  • Stone, I., Benjamin, J., & Leahy, J. 2011. Applying Innovation Theory to Maine's Logging Indsutry. Journal of Foresty, 109(8): 462-469.