Tara McGee

This paper presents the findings of a study that explored public support for wildfire mitigation programmes implemented in Peavine Métis Settlement, an Indigenous community located in Alberta, Canada. Data were collected in a community-based study using interviews, focus groups and participant observation over a 4-year period. Results showed that support for the wildfire mitigation programme was influenced by local leadership,

ABSTRACT Wildfire evacuations disrupt people's lives, create an additional hazard for emergency responders and residents, and are expensive to execute. Alternatives to evacuation are used in Australia and a few jurisdictions in the United States. Numerous studies have examined the "stay and defend" option during a wildfire in Australia, and evacuation alternatives have also been examined in the US. However, evacuation alternatives have not yet received scholarly attention in Canada. This study focused on the community of Mt. Lorne, Yukon, and explored residents' perceptions of alternatives to evacuation due to wildfires, their evacuation intentions, and factors that influenced their intentions. Focus group participants planned to stay on their property despite a wildfire evacuation order because of the perceived safety of their property, and concerns about evacuating including leaving their property unprotected, losing harvested meat or other food stocks due to spoiling, and not knowing what to do with sled dog teams or livestock. However, some of these residents lacked the knowledge about how to stay on their property safely.

ABSTRACT This article presents findings of a study that explored how culture influenced support for wildfire mitigation in Peavine Métis Settlement, an Aboriginal community located in Alberta, Canada. Community-based research was completed using interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. The results show that cultural factors appeared to influence wildfire mitigation preferences. Participants indicated the current state of the forest was not natural, and that mitigation activities would likely improve forest health. Participants supported Settlement Council-led wildfire mitigation activities at both the residential and community level due to a preference for communal action and collective problem solving. Participants also were found to distrust “outsiders” and preferred programs developed by members of their own community. The results of this study show that wildfire mitigation programs based on local culture can be well supported in an Aboriginal community.

University campuses across Canada and elsewhere are developing and implementing emergency alert systems to warn campus community members about a variety of threats. In this study, focus group discussions were used to examine how undergraduate students living on campus may respond to an emergency alert. A focus group activity used tornado, fire and threatening message alert messages to provide a

ABSTRACT In order to try to mitigate wildfire risks in Alberta, Canada, a taskforce of government, industry, and business stakeholders in the province created the FireSmart manual, which provides recommendations to residents and municipalities about how to ...

This study examined neighbourhood level wildfire mitigation programs being implemented in neighbourhoods in Canada (FireSmart-ForestWise), Australia (Community Fireguard) and the US (Firewise Communities). Semi-structured interviews were completed with 19 residents participating in the programs. A wide range of activities were completed as part of the three programs. Despite differences between the three programs, participants appeared to participate in the programs for three main reasons: Fire experience, agency involvement, and personal and family protection. A fire therefore provides a window of opportunity to engage residents in neighbourhood level wildfire mitigation programs. The neighbourhood level wildfire mitigation programs helped to reduce the wildfire risk, but also enhanced both community resilience and relationships between residents and government agencies.

ABSTRACT Sustainable management of the world's forests has emerged as a major forestry issue on the international agenda. Certification and labelling have caught the attention of the international community as a tool to bring forest management toward sustainability. Certification is the third party assessment of a product or service to show that it is in compliance with a specific standard.

Local knowledge of the history and ecology of wetland ecosystems can be a valuable resource in wetland rehabilitation projects. This is especially the case when other historical ecological information is unavailable. As well as providing a source of historical information, time spent acquiring local knowledge can enhance public participation in environmental management and facilitate early conflict resolution between stakeholders and the community. This paper investigates the use of oral history as a tool to collate a history of the flooding, ecology and management of Kanyapella Basin, a 2581 ha wetland on the floodplain of the Murray and Goulburn Rivers, Australia. Interviews were held with nine local residents and 11 natural resource managers. Oral history proved an effective way to obtain information about changes in the frequency and distribution of flood events over the last 60 years. Observations of rare and threatened fauna, and comments regarding the success of past management were also recorded. Results from the oral history have been used to direct ecological research and develop alternative management options at Kanyapella Basin. In addition to its use in gathering ecological information, oral history also proved effective in enabling the values and concerns of local community and stakeholders to be articulated, increasing managers' understanding of the social context of the particular locality, which is fundamental to sound environmental decision-making.

... David Legge and Mardie Townsend provided useful comments on an earlier version of this paper. The Department of Human Services and Health (RADGAC) generously funded the author's PhD research, which is the subject of this paper. Address for correspondence: Tara K ...

... Well I don't think we have much risk anymore. I mean everything's burnt that way and I don't think that they just start you know every year. It's just like a nature thing where ... if someone started it well then it goes but I don't—I'm not worried about it. I don't think it'll start again. ...

This study explores the preparedness of residents living in a rural community in Victoria, Australia, for wildfires, and the factors influencing their preparedness. Overall, participants were well aware of wildfire risks and appeared well prepared for the event of a fire. However, residents involved in agriculture and with a long-standing association with the area appeared better prepared than were those on small properties and newcomers. Their social networks, previous experiences with wildfires and grassfires, and involvement with the local fire brigade influenced preparedness of long-term residents. Characteristics of agricultural communities, including a culture of self-reliance, experience with fires as part of farming, and social cohesion, appeared to contribute to wildfire preparedness within this community. Included are recommendations encouraging preparedness for wildfires.

This paper presents the findings from one aspect of a study which was prompted by a limited understanding of people's values and knowledge ofwildlife in Victoria, Australia. This paper specifically focuses on the values and knowledge of wildlife held by males and females, ...