Scientists & Staff

Current Research

My broad research interests and expertise pertain to understanding and modeling the impact of social factors – from the individual to the community level – on natural resources planning, management, conservation, and restoration across public and private lands. Most of my research is in the context of forest and water resources.

I am currently involved in several projects related to family forest owners: policy tool preferences for engaging in management activities on their land; invasive species monitoring, prevention, and control practices; and the impact of public lands restoration activities on landowner willingness to participate in landscape restoration. I am also leading a team of scientists in conducting a meta-analysis of the family forest owner literature to develop a more comprehensive understanding of what impacts landowner decisions and behaviors.

I have a keen interest in water and the social aspects of preventing pollution from nonpoint sources, and participate in a number of projects to that end. One such project is a multistate team investigating catalysts for collective action to protect water resources. This work has led to a number of collaborative investigations that capitalize on the knowledge of scientists across the Midwest, including the analysis of large survey data sets from across the Great Lakes region. An additional project I am working on involves analyzing water governance structures that span spatial, social, administrative, and institutional levels.

Stakeholder perceptions and support of management actions and restoration on public lands is another focus of my work. I was a co-PI on a recent survey of residents in the Wisconsin Northwoods to understand what impacted their attitudes toward management on three types of public forest in the state. With other Forest Service scientists and cooperators from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, I am investigating perceptions of a large scale landscape restoration project on the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest.

Why This Research is Important

Sustainable and resilient ecosystems are dependent upon human behaviors. It is essential to understand what drives people to engage in conservation and restoration actions, and what types of policies and programs support those actions.