Normative standards for land use in Vermont: Implications for biodiversity

Bettigole, Charles; Donovan, Therese M.; Manning, Robert E.; Austin, John

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2013.07.009

Cited by 4 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…To address our research questions, we conducted a survey that involved sending a visual preference questionnaire (adapted from [30]) to 9,000 households in Vermont. The survey protocol underwent review by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Vermont.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The range of acceptability scores within the curve indicated the intensity of interest in the measurement, and the point at which the curve crossed the neutral point of the x-axis was considered the maximum acceptable condition (MAC); it represented the point where respondent ratings fell out of the acceptable range and into the unacceptable range (Fig 1). Each of these curve characteristics allowed for a multidimensional understanding of public attitudes [14, 30, 38].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, using verbal questions only is often inadequate for describing landscape or environmental design, whereas visual surveys may lead to misinterpretation depending on scale and other visual aids [29]. Visual preference surveys, in particular however, can be used to estimate public acceptability of a given condition, such as acceptability of trash levels along a trail, acceptability of crowd levels at a national park [14], and acceptability of development within a town [30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2011, Bettigole et al [30] conducted a visual preference survey to examine public acceptability of development in Vermont, USA. The study [30] found that, on average, Vermonters were willing to accept an 11% increase in development in their towns. Here, we build on the results [30] by not only re-examining public acceptability of development in Vermont, which is part of the Northern Forest ecosystem (see below) and expected to experience increased development [31], but also examining how acceptability is affected by impacts on wildlife and participation in outdoor recreation, both of which are valuable interests to Vermont residents [32–34]We examined three questions: 1) What is the public’s acceptability of alternative levels of development?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Public acceptability of development in the Northern Forest of Vermont, USA—The influence of wildlife information, recreation involvement, and demographic characteristics

et al. 2018

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Increasing development such as roads and houses will alter future landscapes and result in biological, social, and economic trade-offs. Managing development requires information on the public’s acceptability of development and understanding which factors shape acceptability. In this study, we examined three questions: 1) What is the public’s acceptability of development? 2) Is acceptability of development influenced by wildlife information? and 3) Is the maximum amount of acceptable development influenced by views about wildlife, involvement in outdoor recreation, and demographic factors? We conducted a visual-preference survey of 9,000 households in Vermont, USA that asked about acceptable levels of development, acceptability of wildlife, involvement in recreation, and individual and town demographics. The survey response rate was 44%. Maximum acceptable condition (MAC) for development was 41 houses/km2 and not meaningfully influenced by broader consequences of development on seven common wildlife species. MAC was influenced by views on individual species, including bear and coyote, but not by other species such as deer, fox, and bobcat. Respondents with a positive attitude toward bear favored less development, whereas the opposite relationship existed for coyote. Similarly, MAC was negatively influenced by involvement in birding and hunting, but not by other common recreational activities. Among demographic factors, respondents that were younger and not born in Vermont were more accepting of development. Population density also positively influenced development acceptability. Results provide measures of the public’s acceptability of development that can help guide decision-making about development, wildlife, and recreation management.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%