Identifier
etd-11172010-151513
Degree
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Renewable Natural Resources
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Wildfire has been suppressed in the nation’s forests for over a hundred years. The accumulation of forest fuels over time has created an urgent need to reduce fuel loads to prevent catastrophic wildfires from occurring, not only in our wildlands, but also in our Wildland/Urban Interfaces (WUI’s). The residents who live within the WUI are particularly vulnerable to extreme wildfire events. As cities become more densely populated, increasing numbers of people are moving beyond the suburbs into the WUI. A complex matrix of structures and forested land, developing communities, and impinging forests exists within the WUI. This study utilized a survey instrument to elicit perceptions of wildfire risk and prescribed burning practices from residents within the WUI in the Florida parishes of southeastern Louisiana. Residents within the WUI show increasing interest in learning more about wildfire risk, acceptance for traditional forest management practices, such as prescribed burning, and willingness to interact with and receive education from the forest professionals in their region. The analysis of the data provides statistical support for the conclusion that the overall perception of wildfire risk is low and the acceptance of prescribed burning is high.
Date
2010
Document Availability at the Time of Submission
Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.
Recommended Citation
Gerald, Charlotte Ann, "Public perception of wildfire risk and prescribed burning in the wildland/urban interface of the Louisiana Florida parishes" (2010). LSU Master's Theses. 901.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/901
Committee Chair
. de Hoop, Cornelis F.
DOI
10.31390/gradschool_theses.901