public read Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

705 Spear StreetSouth BurlingtonVermont05403United States of America

(802) 656-0683femc@uvm.eduwww.uvm.edu/femcUniversity of Vermont Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural ResourcesVermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit leadVermont Fish & Wildlife Dept. partnerSurvey and questionnaire data from the project.Forest Ecosystem Monitoring CooperativeTerriDonovanprincipalInvestigatorRobertManningprincipalInvestigatorJohnAustincontentProviderJamesMurdochprincipalInvestigatorCharlie BettigolecontentProviderJessicaEspenshadeprincipalInvestigatorThis project investigated the public's acceptability of development in the Northern Forest ecosystem of Vermont, USA. We also examined how wildlife information, recreation involvement, and demographic characteristics affect development acceptability. We used a visual preference survey sent to 9,000 Vermonters to collect data on development acceptability, wildlife views, recreation involvement, and demographic characteristics. 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.Survey and questionnaire dataSurvey and questionnaire data from the project.VMC.1152.2414mySQL/femc/data/archive/project/development-acceptability/dataset/survey-questionnaire-data2013-06-012015-06-01ATVATVNo description for this attributetextBearBearNo description for this attributeintno dataBirdingBirdingNo description for this attributetextBobcatBobcatNo description for this attributeintno dataCampingCampingNo description for this attributetextCityCityNo description for this attributetextCounty_NameCounty_NameNo description for this attributetextCoyoteCoyoteNo description for this attributeintno dataDeerDeerNo description for this attributeintno dataEducationEducationNo description for this attributetextFarmingFarmingNo description for this attributetextFisherFisherNo description for this attributeintno dataFishingFishingNo description for this attributetextFoxFoxNo description for this attributeintno dataHikingHikingNo description for this attributetextHuntingHuntingNo description for this attributetextIDIDNo description for this attributeintno dataIllustration_1Illustration_1No description for this attributeintno dataIllustration_2Illustration_2No description for this attributeintno dataIllustration_3Illustration_3No description for this attributeintno dataIllustration_4Illustration_4No description for this attributeintno dataIllustration_5Illustration_5No description for this attributeintno dataIllustration_6Illustration_6No description for this attributeintno dataIllustration_AIllustration_ANo description for this attributeintno dataIllustration_BIllustration_BNo description for this attributeintno dataIllustration_CIllustration_CNo description for this attributeintno dataIllustration_DIllustration_DNo description for this attributeintno dataIllustration_EIllustration_ENo description for this attributeintno dataIllustration_FIllustration_FNo description for this attributeintno dataMax_allowMax_allowNo description for this attributetextMost_like_townMost_like_townNo description for this attributetextNoneNoneNo description for this attributetextNot_want_to_liveNot_want_to_liveNo description for this attributetextOtherOtherNo description for this attributetextOwn_houseOwn_houseNo description for this attributetextPreferPreferNo description for this attributeintno dataRaccoonRaccoonNo description for this attributeintno dataSnowmoblingSnowmoblingNo description for this attributetextVt_bornVt_bornNo description for this attributetextVt_primaryVt_primaryNo description for this attributetextWildlife_ChangeWildlife_ChangeNo description for this attributeintno dataYear_bornYear_bornNo description for this attributedateYYYY