Developing a Public Consensus on Management of Spruce Beetles on the Kenai Peninsula

Abstract

Newspapers and, to a lesser extent, television have actively reported on the spruce beetle Infestation. This may account for the unusually strong public consensus of the most serious problem with Kenai Peninsula forests. Over half of all Anchorage residents have read about the infestation, and public exposure to written accounts Is even higher among Kenai residents. The other major reason why the vast majority of southcentral residents point to the spruce beetle infestation as a major problem Is because over half of them (57 percent) have noticed dead and dying trees as they drive peninsula highways. This translates to 50,000 households who have observed dead trees (see Figure 11). Some 38,000 households have associated these dead trees with the spruce beetle infestation. During our Interviews with government and environmental group representatives we sought to Identify the ways In which dead or dying trees, the direct result of the spruce bark beetle, In turn affect the lives of South-central residents. We then tested out these Ideas In survey pretests, ultimately constructing a sequence of structured questions that we asked of every survey respondent. Our findings indicate that opinions are clearly mixed. Virtually equal percentages of each population group support leaving the areas as is or cutting, burning, and replanting.