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Public perceptions about climate change mitigation in British Columbia's forest sector
Guillaume Peterson St-Laurent1, Shannon Hagerman2, Robert Kozak2
1Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Plos One
|April 24, 2018
Summary
British Columbians support forest carbon mitigation strategies, favoring reforestation and conservation over enhanced harvesting. Public opinion is shaped by environmental values and trust in forest management actors.
Area of Science:
- Forestry
- Climate Change Mitigation
- Environmental Policy
Background:
- Forest management is key to climate change mitigation in British Columbia.
- Public support is crucial for implementing forest management strategies.
- Limited understanding exists regarding public support for specific forest carbon mitigation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document public support for eight forest carbon mitigation strategies in British Columbia.
- To examine and quantify factors influencing public support for these strategies.
Main Methods:
- A web-based survey was conducted.
- Data on public support and influencing factors were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Respondents highly valued forest carbon mitigation and supported all eight proposed strategies.
- Greater support was found for rehabilitation (reforestation) and conservation (old growth, reduced harvest) strategies compared to enhanced forest management.
- Environmental values, risk perception, trust, forest management objectives, and socio-demographics influenced support levels.
Conclusions:
- The public in British Columbia is open to alternative forest and wood product management practices for climate change mitigation.
- Specific strategies like reforestation and conservation are more favored.
- Understanding public perception drivers is essential for effective policy development.