In early November, The Nature Conservancy hosted a presentation by professional poling and public opinion experts Dave Metz and Lori Weigel. Their presentation “National Wildfire Resilience Public Opinion Research Briefing” can be viewed on the TNC Box share drive. This is a fascinating presentation that focuses largely on wildfire issues related to the American West. The implications of the work may be relevant to those working in fire and natural resource management in the South. In particular, the researchers noted public preference for the term “controlled burn” instead of “prescribed fire” and that study participants presented nuanced understandings of the potential risks and benefits of prescribed fires.

A five page summary of the project findings and the presentations can be found below.