Public perceptions of the USDA Forest Service public participation process

Social conflicts over the management of natural resources are increasing. An informative example of these conflicts is the debate over the management of the USDA Forest Service National Forests. Despite sincere efforts by the US Forest Service to improve modes of public involvement, the contentiousness and frequency of conflict continues to escalate. This is manifest in the high number of administrative appeals on forest plans and projects. The study used a nationwide survey of 178 appellants of Forest Service management decisions to examine participant perceptions of the public participation process. The results establish that public participants who appeal agency decisions are dissatisfied with the equity of the public participation process. We also investigated differences in satisfaction levels based on interest group and the degree to which participants were involved in the process. The results indicate that participants desire more collaborative approaches to public participation, but are not always willing to adequately engage in the process, often choosing to meet their objectives through reactive, conflict-based means.