Successful environmental stewardship education influences beliefs, values, and behaviors related ... more Successful environmental stewardship education influences beliefs, values, and behaviors related to specific environmental issues. Programs should address the variables that have been correlated with behavior change. Behavior change takes time, and requires a combination of formal and nonformal sequential learning experiences within a supportive social environment. Teacher training should be an integral part of stewardship programs. (Contains 39 references.) (TD)
Previous studies demonstrate that news media influence agenda-setting on policy issues for the ge... more Previous studies demonstrate that news media influence agenda-setting on policy issues for the general public, and that content analysis of newsprint is a useful approach to determining public perspectives on policy issues. However, little attention had been paid to public perception of ecosystem-based management until Bengston’s (2001) news media analysis, which demonstrated that the issue attention cycle for primarily land-based ecosystem management had leveled out in the late 1990s. Media coverage of ocean issues continued to change in the 20 years since Bengston’s research began. We used content analysis of newspaper articles to characterize the evolution and portrayal of print media coverage of ocean themes and management from August 1, 1990 – August 1, 2010. We selected articles from newspapers with the highest circulation within the United States. We used the NewsBank Access World News database (http://infoweb.newsbank.com, 2011) to search for articles with one or all of the ...
All eight states surrounding the Great Lakes produce fish consumption advisories for sport-caught... more All eight states surrounding the Great Lakes produce fish consumption advisories for sport-caught fish. These advisories suggest that people should limit their consumption of certain fish due to contaminants such as mercury and PCBs. Past research has shown that anglers are generally aware of the advisories, and some report reducing consumption and changing patterns of fishing activity as a result. Factors influencing those decisions are not well understood, nor are they addressed in communication to anglers about fishing or fish consumption. We surveyed 8,000 licensed anglers living in states bordering the Great Lakes to assess their fish consumption and their level of awareness and knowledge of consumption advisories. We used the Theory of Planned Behavior to examine factors influencing anglers’ consumption of potentially contaminated fish. We also examined relationships between factors that may influence consumption for a variety of socio-demographic groups, stratified by income,...
A recent report from the National Academies outlined an ecosystem services approach for assessing... more A recent report from the National Academies outlined an ecosystem services approach for assessing the impacts associated with broad ecosystem-level changes linked to human activity. Using a similar ecosystem services framework to situate research, management, and outreach regarding inland fisheries can broaden the ways scientists, managers, policy makers, and public stakeholders conceive of inland fisheries ecosystems. Such an approach would explicitly link the structure, function, and resilience of integrated social and ecological systems of inland fisheries. Valuing inland fisheries under an ecosystem services approach would include considering the types of data needed for defining and characterizing the ecological production functions and for measuring and characterizing the value of the associated services. Challenges for implementing an ecosystem services framework to inform inland fisheries science and management include having appropriate biological, physical, social, and eco...
Fisheries professionals are called upon to provide leadership in many ways, in the context of the... more Fisheries professionals are called upon to provide leadership in many ways, in the context of the work environment interacting with colleagues, in decision-making processes while advocating for fisheries resources and/or fisheries stakeholders, and in service to others in our lives inside and outside of the workplace. Leadership may take many forms as it enables a shared vision and sense of purpose, motivation, and accomplishment with a group of people. Leadership theories, articulating both substance and style, suggest several models that may correspond with our talents, abilities, values, and context. Autocratic, Delegative, Participative, Transactional, and Transformational theories of leadership provide insight from which we can develop our own approaches that reflect the social and political environment in which leadership is required and that support the outcomes we seek to achieve.
Understanding trends in fishing participation and angler interests can help inform the direction ... more Understanding trends in fishing participation and angler interests can help inform the direction of future management programs. The Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife has conducted three statewide angler surveys over the past 20 years to learn more about the fishing experiences and types of fishing opportunities desired by anglers fishing in Vermont. We analyze trends in participation statewide, by species, and by type of fishing available in Vermont (e.g., trout fishing in streams or rivers, warmwater fishing). We use a recent statewide survey conducted in New York, part of a series that also provides trend information, to compare participation trends between states for the shared Lake Champlain water body. We also examine how trends in Vermont compare with National Survey data from the Northeast and the entire US. These types of comparisons help managers to better understand angler behavior and interests within their own state, and give them perspective on whether these trend...
Ecosystem-based fisheries management considers the interactions between the physical, biological,... more Ecosystem-based fisheries management considers the interactions between the physical, biological, and human components of ecosystems. We focused on how communication between fisheries stakeholders in the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions influences the potential for regional fishery management council adoption of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM). Participants included regional fishery management council members, staff, and Scientific and Statistical Committee members (collectively referred to as council decision makers) and commercial and recreational fishermen and environmental nongovernmental organization leaders (collectively referred to as stakeholders). We used the concept of “coorientation” to guide collection of quantitative data to characterize communication processes of council decision makers and stakeholders related to EBFM, through a mail survey distributed to 5,600 council decision makers and stakeholders in the two regions. The Coorientation Model measure...
Fish consumption advisories are issued by states, tribes, and federal agencies to provide guidanc... more Fish consumption advisories are issued by states, tribes, and federal agencies to provide guidance to consumers about eating sport-caught fish potentially affected by chemical contaminants. Previous work has found that while anglers report being aware that advisories are available, awareness and use of specific advisory recommendations is low. This study uses the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction (IMBP) to identify beliefs with potential to increase intentions to follow fish consumption advisories in Great Lakes states. We conducted a mail survey of 1,712 licensed anglers in seven of eight Great Lakes states (excluding Ohio) to gauge advisory awareness, cognitive factors influencing fish consumption behaviors (informed by the IMBP), and sociodemographic characteristics. Results show that most anglers reported being generally or vaguely aware of fish consumption advisories and try to follow them, but far fewer report being aware of specific advice needed to decide whether or not to consume different types of sport-caught fish. Informed by the IMBP, we also identify several behavioral, normative, and control beliefs that have sufficient room to change, strong associations with intentions to follow the advisories, and potential to be modified if targeted with strategic risk messages. Targeting these beliefs with strategic communication holds potential to increase the proportion of anglers intending to follow fish consumption advisory recommendations in choosing which fish to eat.
We consider the implications of public trust administration principles for collaborative fish and... more We consider the implications of public trust administration principles for collaborative fish and wildlife management. Collaboration can increase the capacity of agencies to provide fish-and wildlife-related benefits but increases the ties of agencies to some stakeholders-potentially privileging those stakeholders' needs. We conducted two case studies of collaborative management in which we identified ways that collaboration enhanced and detracted from agencies' capacities. We found that collaboration led to benefits for agencies, but that agencies had to make tradeoffs in the goals and objectives they pursued. With regard to meeting public trust responsibilities, we hypothesized that: (a) agencies gain from collaboration when they do not have the capacity to provide a certain type of fish-or wildlife-related benefit on their own; but (b) it is more challenging for agencies to provide benefits through collaborative efforts when they work with organizations that have goals that differ considerably from their own.
Community-based management (CBM) has progressed from the conceptual fringe to the dialogical hear... more Community-based management (CBM) has progressed from the conceptual fringe to the dialogical heart of environmental management. Despite its rhetorical popularity, limited quantitative data exist on factors influencing local involvement. A quantitative survey of three Venezuelan fishing villages resulted in a predictive model of willingness to participate in CBM. Sense of community and fishery dependence were significant positive influences. High level of concern about the current and future state of the fishery correlated with an unwillingness to participate, indicating a defeatist attitude about perceived insurmountable problems. We explore sense of community, defeatist attitudes, and education in CBM project formulation and implementation.
ABSTRACT The Theory of Reasoned Action can be used to predict the types of information that will ... more ABSTRACT The Theory of Reasoned Action can be used to predict the types of information that will influence attitudes toward and support for novel suburban deer (Odocoileus spp.) management techniques such as contraception. Information that is relevant to individuals' "behavioral beliefs" about the important outcomes of contraception is most likely to be influential, but these priority outcomes will vary from person to person. Different individuals' attitudes, therefore, may be influenced by different types of information. We tested the effects of tailoring information to the concerns of stakeholders. We conducted 2 mail surveys of the same residents of Irondequoit, New York, 19 months apart. The first survey provided a pretreatment measure of attitudes toward contraception and identified respondents' concerns about contraception. The second survey provided a post-treatment measure of attitudes and was distributed in 3 versions-2 containing different types of information about contraception and 1 (without information) to a control group. We confirmed that information addressing stakeholder concerns was most likely to influence attitudes. Agency communication, therefore, is most likely to influence public attitudes if it is tailored so that it addresses the particular concerns of each important stakeholder group.
Centralized waterborne sanitation faces serious social, economic and environmental sustainability... more Centralized waterborne sanitation faces serious social, economic and environmental sustainability challenges. Dry sanitation (DS) may ease some of those, but it is not known whether DS can be a viable solution at large scales and in urban settings. We assessed DS viability in a broad range of large scale and urban contexts in Mexico. Here, we synthesize the operational and structural barriers encountered across a diversity of sites, provide an understanding of how and why those barriers arose and propose a set of strategies through which those barriers can be addressed. We include reference to other large-scale and urban experiences outside Mexico.
Successful environmental stewardship education influences beliefs, values, and behaviors related ... more Successful environmental stewardship education influences beliefs, values, and behaviors related to specific environmental issues. Programs should address the variables that have been correlated with behavior change. Behavior change takes time, and requires a combination of formal and nonformal sequential learning experiences within a supportive social environment. Teacher training should be an integral part of stewardship programs. (Contains 39 references.) (TD)
Previous studies demonstrate that news media influence agenda-setting on policy issues for the ge... more Previous studies demonstrate that news media influence agenda-setting on policy issues for the general public, and that content analysis of newsprint is a useful approach to determining public perspectives on policy issues. However, little attention had been paid to public perception of ecosystem-based management until Bengston’s (2001) news media analysis, which demonstrated that the issue attention cycle for primarily land-based ecosystem management had leveled out in the late 1990s. Media coverage of ocean issues continued to change in the 20 years since Bengston’s research began. We used content analysis of newspaper articles to characterize the evolution and portrayal of print media coverage of ocean themes and management from August 1, 1990 – August 1, 2010. We selected articles from newspapers with the highest circulation within the United States. We used the NewsBank Access World News database (http://infoweb.newsbank.com, 2011) to search for articles with one or all of the ...
All eight states surrounding the Great Lakes produce fish consumption advisories for sport-caught... more All eight states surrounding the Great Lakes produce fish consumption advisories for sport-caught fish. These advisories suggest that people should limit their consumption of certain fish due to contaminants such as mercury and PCBs. Past research has shown that anglers are generally aware of the advisories, and some report reducing consumption and changing patterns of fishing activity as a result. Factors influencing those decisions are not well understood, nor are they addressed in communication to anglers about fishing or fish consumption. We surveyed 8,000 licensed anglers living in states bordering the Great Lakes to assess their fish consumption and their level of awareness and knowledge of consumption advisories. We used the Theory of Planned Behavior to examine factors influencing anglers’ consumption of potentially contaminated fish. We also examined relationships between factors that may influence consumption for a variety of socio-demographic groups, stratified by income,...
A recent report from the National Academies outlined an ecosystem services approach for assessing... more A recent report from the National Academies outlined an ecosystem services approach for assessing the impacts associated with broad ecosystem-level changes linked to human activity. Using a similar ecosystem services framework to situate research, management, and outreach regarding inland fisheries can broaden the ways scientists, managers, policy makers, and public stakeholders conceive of inland fisheries ecosystems. Such an approach would explicitly link the structure, function, and resilience of integrated social and ecological systems of inland fisheries. Valuing inland fisheries under an ecosystem services approach would include considering the types of data needed for defining and characterizing the ecological production functions and for measuring and characterizing the value of the associated services. Challenges for implementing an ecosystem services framework to inform inland fisheries science and management include having appropriate biological, physical, social, and eco...
Fisheries professionals are called upon to provide leadership in many ways, in the context of the... more Fisheries professionals are called upon to provide leadership in many ways, in the context of the work environment interacting with colleagues, in decision-making processes while advocating for fisheries resources and/or fisheries stakeholders, and in service to others in our lives inside and outside of the workplace. Leadership may take many forms as it enables a shared vision and sense of purpose, motivation, and accomplishment with a group of people. Leadership theories, articulating both substance and style, suggest several models that may correspond with our talents, abilities, values, and context. Autocratic, Delegative, Participative, Transactional, and Transformational theories of leadership provide insight from which we can develop our own approaches that reflect the social and political environment in which leadership is required and that support the outcomes we seek to achieve.
Understanding trends in fishing participation and angler interests can help inform the direction ... more Understanding trends in fishing participation and angler interests can help inform the direction of future management programs. The Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife has conducted three statewide angler surveys over the past 20 years to learn more about the fishing experiences and types of fishing opportunities desired by anglers fishing in Vermont. We analyze trends in participation statewide, by species, and by type of fishing available in Vermont (e.g., trout fishing in streams or rivers, warmwater fishing). We use a recent statewide survey conducted in New York, part of a series that also provides trend information, to compare participation trends between states for the shared Lake Champlain water body. We also examine how trends in Vermont compare with National Survey data from the Northeast and the entire US. These types of comparisons help managers to better understand angler behavior and interests within their own state, and give them perspective on whether these trend...
Ecosystem-based fisheries management considers the interactions between the physical, biological,... more Ecosystem-based fisheries management considers the interactions between the physical, biological, and human components of ecosystems. We focused on how communication between fisheries stakeholders in the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions influences the potential for regional fishery management council adoption of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM). Participants included regional fishery management council members, staff, and Scientific and Statistical Committee members (collectively referred to as council decision makers) and commercial and recreational fishermen and environmental nongovernmental organization leaders (collectively referred to as stakeholders). We used the concept of “coorientation” to guide collection of quantitative data to characterize communication processes of council decision makers and stakeholders related to EBFM, through a mail survey distributed to 5,600 council decision makers and stakeholders in the two regions. The Coorientation Model measure...
Fish consumption advisories are issued by states, tribes, and federal agencies to provide guidanc... more Fish consumption advisories are issued by states, tribes, and federal agencies to provide guidance to consumers about eating sport-caught fish potentially affected by chemical contaminants. Previous work has found that while anglers report being aware that advisories are available, awareness and use of specific advisory recommendations is low. This study uses the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction (IMBP) to identify beliefs with potential to increase intentions to follow fish consumption advisories in Great Lakes states. We conducted a mail survey of 1,712 licensed anglers in seven of eight Great Lakes states (excluding Ohio) to gauge advisory awareness, cognitive factors influencing fish consumption behaviors (informed by the IMBP), and sociodemographic characteristics. Results show that most anglers reported being generally or vaguely aware of fish consumption advisories and try to follow them, but far fewer report being aware of specific advice needed to decide whether or not to consume different types of sport-caught fish. Informed by the IMBP, we also identify several behavioral, normative, and control beliefs that have sufficient room to change, strong associations with intentions to follow the advisories, and potential to be modified if targeted with strategic risk messages. Targeting these beliefs with strategic communication holds potential to increase the proportion of anglers intending to follow fish consumption advisory recommendations in choosing which fish to eat.
We consider the implications of public trust administration principles for collaborative fish and... more We consider the implications of public trust administration principles for collaborative fish and wildlife management. Collaboration can increase the capacity of agencies to provide fish-and wildlife-related benefits but increases the ties of agencies to some stakeholders-potentially privileging those stakeholders' needs. We conducted two case studies of collaborative management in which we identified ways that collaboration enhanced and detracted from agencies' capacities. We found that collaboration led to benefits for agencies, but that agencies had to make tradeoffs in the goals and objectives they pursued. With regard to meeting public trust responsibilities, we hypothesized that: (a) agencies gain from collaboration when they do not have the capacity to provide a certain type of fish-or wildlife-related benefit on their own; but (b) it is more challenging for agencies to provide benefits through collaborative efforts when they work with organizations that have goals that differ considerably from their own.
Community-based management (CBM) has progressed from the conceptual fringe to the dialogical hear... more Community-based management (CBM) has progressed from the conceptual fringe to the dialogical heart of environmental management. Despite its rhetorical popularity, limited quantitative data exist on factors influencing local involvement. A quantitative survey of three Venezuelan fishing villages resulted in a predictive model of willingness to participate in CBM. Sense of community and fishery dependence were significant positive influences. High level of concern about the current and future state of the fishery correlated with an unwillingness to participate, indicating a defeatist attitude about perceived insurmountable problems. We explore sense of community, defeatist attitudes, and education in CBM project formulation and implementation.
ABSTRACT The Theory of Reasoned Action can be used to predict the types of information that will ... more ABSTRACT The Theory of Reasoned Action can be used to predict the types of information that will influence attitudes toward and support for novel suburban deer (Odocoileus spp.) management techniques such as contraception. Information that is relevant to individuals' "behavioral beliefs" about the important outcomes of contraception is most likely to be influential, but these priority outcomes will vary from person to person. Different individuals' attitudes, therefore, may be influenced by different types of information. We tested the effects of tailoring information to the concerns of stakeholders. We conducted 2 mail surveys of the same residents of Irondequoit, New York, 19 months apart. The first survey provided a pretreatment measure of attitudes toward contraception and identified respondents' concerns about contraception. The second survey provided a post-treatment measure of attitudes and was distributed in 3 versions-2 containing different types of information about contraception and 1 (without information) to a control group. We confirmed that information addressing stakeholder concerns was most likely to influence attitudes. Agency communication, therefore, is most likely to influence public attitudes if it is tailored so that it addresses the particular concerns of each important stakeholder group.
Centralized waterborne sanitation faces serious social, economic and environmental sustainability... more Centralized waterborne sanitation faces serious social, economic and environmental sustainability challenges. Dry sanitation (DS) may ease some of those, but it is not known whether DS can be a viable solution at large scales and in urban settings. We assessed DS viability in a broad range of large scale and urban contexts in Mexico. Here, we synthesize the operational and structural barriers encountered across a diversity of sites, provide an understanding of how and why those barriers arose and propose a set of strategies through which those barriers can be addressed. We include reference to other large-scale and urban experiences outside Mexico.
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Papers by Barbara Knuth