PUBLIC-ATTITUDES TOWARDS FOREST HERBICIDE USE AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

Public opposition to herbicide use in forest vegetation management has been an important issue for forest managers for more than a decade. D espite severe restrictions or elimination of herbicide use in many reg ions of North America, there have been limited attempts to understand public concerns and develop approaches for gaining public support of f orest vegetation management programs. A three-part study was conducted in Ontario consisting of a comprehensive literature review of the her bicide issue, guided discussions with 12 focus groups, and development of a strategy for public involvement. A strategy for public involveme nt on forest vegetation management issues is proposed that includes. 1 ) information sharing, 2) resource sharing, 3) cooperative planning, a nd 4) collaborative action. Many of the ideas are applicable to other areas of natural resource management.