Visitor Preferences and Human-Caused Wildfire Prevention: A Survey of Public Land Users in the US Southwest

Better characterization of the relationship between recreation and human-caused wildfire ignitions is critical to inform prevention efforts as visitation to public land increases. Behaviors and attitudes towards fire prevention remain understudied but can provide key insights into decision-making and resource allocation for land managers. We conducted intercept surveys of 739 public land users across three USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) ranger districts with high incidences of human-caused fire ignition in the southwestern US. We found that visitors had diverse information seeking and planning behaviors related to human-caused wildfires and their prevention. Respondents across districts typically indicated a preference for one of three fire prevention approaches: engineering, education, or enforcement, although a subset of respondents did not gravitate towards any particular approach. This typology can be explained by user characteristics and recreation preferences. We suggest that a dynamic, place-based approach to human-caused wildfire prevention that aligns with local visitor characteristics is likely to have the greatest impact on risk reduction. We suggest that each land management unit should engage a combination of education, enforcement, and engineering strategies tailored to the kinds of visitors their jurisdiction receives. Consistent messaging across diverse platforms and venues that span geographically beyond the unit in question to intercept public land users prior to arrival is likely to reduce accidental or negligent ignition behaviors. Identifying avenues to disseminate changing fire conditions to public land users after arrival is central to raising awareness while protecting public safety.