Progress 07/01/23 to 06/30/24
Outputs
Target Audience:We reached out to the wildlife agency officials and wildlife Extension professionals from the two states (Tennessee, Mississippi) to share our progress and preliminary outcome of the hunter survey. We also reached out to private landowners in both states in counties impacted by CWD to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding CWD risk and land management intentions. We also shared the results from the ongoing research in multiple meetings of professional societies and academic conferences. Changes/Problems:No major problem has been encountered other than the unavailability of data on lease price from the market sources, which was the issue expected/acknowledged even at the proposal stage, and also mentioned in previous progress reports. We obtained data on some lease sites that are provided by public land agency in a portion of our study site but that data does not cover much of CWD impacted areas. We will continue to monitor and check if future year data from that source will include some of the CWD region so that we can utilize it for our purpose. If not, we will proceed with the plan B we had in the proposal, and for that alternative, we have some progress made already. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A graduate student has been able to work on survey designing, administration and presentation of oral and poster at academic conference and professional society meeting. The same person has been able to synthesize and publish a journal article. Thee project team has been able to network and interact with the state wildlife agency officials, landowners, hunters etc. during various states of this project to improve their communication, professionalism and understanding of the policies and land management issues in the context of CWD. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Yes, the officials of the state wildlife agencies who were invited to an annual meeting were briefed on the progress of project and anticipated outcomes. Four oral and poster presentations were delivered at various conferences to share the results/preliminary findings of the study thus far and solicit their feedback. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For objectives 1 and 2, we will submit one manuscript that has already been developed, and finalize the second manuscript for which the modeling work is currently underway. For objective 3, we will finalize 2 more (in addition to the one literature review paper that has already been published) manuscripts and get ready for submission.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We have also complied a publication summarizing the current state of knowledge on CWD risk and management. For objective 3, we have administered a mail survey of landowners in both states (2,000 each) to understand their perception, attitudes and land management intentions. In doing so, we have obtained survey response from 498 landowners in Tennessee and 450 landowners in Mississippi, with 27% effective response rate. We will continue to analyze this data for further addressing the objectives. We also have started using the data from hunter survey to develop a hedonic model to quantify the impact of CWD on lease price.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Bhattarai, S., R. K. Grala, N. C. Poudyal, S. M. Tanger, and R. K. Adhikari. 2024. Where we stand on chronic wasting disease: A systematic literature review of its prevalence patterns, impacts, and management interventions. Heliyon 10: e31951.
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Progress 07/01/22 to 06/30/23
Outputs
Target Audience:We reached out to the deer hunters that hunt primarily in the counites impacted by CWD disease in Tennessee and Mississippi, to assess their perspectives and behaviroal resposne to the emergence of disease. We also engaged with the professionals working with the state wildlife agencies in both states. Changes/Problems:One challenge we have faced is obtaining lease hunting data in the region.This is something we had expected and is acknowlege in the proposal.Our attempt to collectthis data by contacting different lease companies was not successful. However, as outlined in the pittfalls in the proposal, we are planning on adoptingthe alternative plan of usingdata collected from the hunters survey and landownerssurvey. From both surveyes, we are collecting data necessarity to meet this objective.We have data on where they lease, how much they pay for, size of lease, distance from major highway, CWD prevalence rateetc., which will be used along with other information about the lease site to develop a hedonic model of hunting lease value. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A post doctoral research associater has recieved training on design and implementation of social science survey, particularly involvingchoice experiment. A graduate student has been able to work on survey designing and presenting at conference. The project investigator team has been able to interact with the state wildlife agency officials, landowners, hunters and other stakeholders of rural economy during various project meetings. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For objective 1 and 2, we plant to develop and estimate econometrics models (particularly choice experiment, and travel cost models) from hunters survey data. We will develop two manuscripts and presnet at at least two conferences and relevant meetings. For objective 3, we plan to collect all data through the mail survey of landowners in late summer 2023 and then analyze data and develop a manuscript for journal.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Towards achieving the long term goal and specific objectives, we have launched a mixed mode survey of deer huntres in Mississippi and Tennessee, where we utilized a Choice Experiment to assess how hunters trade off between CWD disease prvalence and other important amenities in lease hunting. We have collected data from 2,266hunters that will allow us to meet objective 1 and 2. For objective 3,we have developed a survey questionnaire for collecting data from landowners in both states and the survey will be launched later this summer.
Publications
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Progress 07/01/21 to 06/30/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience during this period included engaging deer hunters, forest landonwers, and stakeholders from state wildlife management agenices. They were brought together in a series of group meetings to dicsuss the research issue on hand, and gather information to inform development of survey questionniare to assess hunters's perception of risk related to CWD and its impact on their deer hunting, lease of land for hunting purpose etc. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A post doctotal research associate has been recruited and trained in the areas of planning, research designing, survey sampling and conducting social science research. The project has provided him the opportunity to organize meetings, develop networking and communicating with stakeholders. The project has also provided a graduate student with opporutity to conduct literature review, interact with agency professionals and other stakeholders incouding landowners, hunters etc. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will adminster teh data collection phase by administering survey of deer hunters. We will also develop and launch a survey of forest landowners to collect data necessary for meeting objective 3.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Under the objetive 1, we have conducted focus groups of deer hunters and forest landonwers in Tennessee and Mississippi and developed survey questionniare for hunters survey to conducted this summer. The survey questionniare includes a series of questions that will collect data from hunters in the study area to answer the questions associated with objectives 1 and 2.We have also engaged large industrial landowenrs to access lease data in areas impacted by CWD and secured their cooperation in acquisition of data necessary for meeting these objectives. For objective 3, a graduate student has conducted thorough literature review of studies relevant in management of wildlife disease and invasive species to begin developing a new survey questionniare. Some infomration necessary for this objective have already been gathered from two focus groups of landowners in the study region.
Publications
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