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Trust Is a Must: What Is Involved in Trusting Those Who Manage Forest Fires?

The scientists in this study were interested in learning more about trust. They believed that forest managers can do a better job if people trust them to do what is best for citizens and the environment. The scientists wanted to know how much citizens trust forest managers to make good decisions about wildland fires on their behalf.

Trust Is a Must: What Is Involved in Trusting Those Who Manage Forest Fires?

Meet the Scientist

Adam Liljeblad

Social Scientist

Bill Borrie

Social Scientist

Alan Watson

Social Scientist

Thinking About Science

Scientists can study just about anything. In the Natural Inquirer, the topics studied are always concerned with the natural environment. Most of them involve studying plants, animals, water, weather, or other natural topics. Some topics, however, involve people’s relationships with each other and with the natural environment. These topics and others like them are studied by social scientists.

In this study, the social scientists wondered about trust. What is trust? If you trust someone, why do you do so? The scientists wondered how much trust some citizens in Montana have in those who are making decisions about wildland fire. When social scientists develop questions to study, these questions always involve human beliefs, attitudes, values, or actions.

Thinking About the Environment

The United States contains millions of acres of public land. Public land is land that is owned by all of the citizens of a government. At the Federal level, public land includes national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and other types of land. These lands are managed by Government employees on behalf of citizens.

Some Government employees make decisions about managing wildland fires on public land. In some places, wildland fires could threaten homes and businesses. This is because in these areas, people’s homes and businesses are located close to public land. In many places, however, fire is a natural part of nature and provides many benefits to the land, the animals, and the plants there. When people trust Government employees to manage public land in the best interest of the land and the people, the Government employees can do a better job for people and the environment.

Introduction

Trust is a complicated emotion. In the past, many social scientists have studied trust. They discovered that trust involves a number of beliefs and emotions. The scientists in this study were interested in learning more about trust. They believed that forest managers can do a better job if people trust them to do what is best for citizens and the environment (figure 1).

A forest manager and a backpacker at a trail head — **Figure 1**. When citizens trust forest managers, the managers can do a better job of managing the forest.

The scientists searched the library and Internet for information about trust. When there is trust, there must be a trustee and a person who trusts. The trustee may be an individual, a group, an organization, or even a whole community. This is the party that is trusted. The party who trusts is usually an individual. The scientists found that trust may be made up of three parts. Figure 2 explains the three parts that make up trust.

The scientists wanted to know how much citizens trust forest managers to make good decisions about wildland fires on their behalf.

Figure 2. The scientists found information claiming that trust is made up of three parts. Each of the three parts is made up of other beliefs and emotions.
The Three Parts of Trust	The person who trusts…
Shared values	Believes that the trustee holds similar values, such as honesty, justice, or fairness
Belief that others will act on their behalf	Willingly believes that the trustee is worthy of being trusted; is willing to take a risk and put their well-being in the trustee’s control; believes that the trustee is truly interested in their well-being.
Belief that others are capable of acting correctly	Believes that the trustee is capable, reliable, effective, and has previous experience.

Reflection Section

Methods

The scientists identified forest managers who manage wildland fires as the trustees. These forest managers work in the Bitterroot National Forest (figure 3).

A mountain range — **Figure 3**. The Bitterroot National Forest. Photo by Garon Smith.

The Bitterroot National Forest is located in western Montana and part of Idaho (figure 4). These managers are Government employees who work for the Forest Service.
These forest managers take actions to prevent large and destructive wildfires. When large wildfires occur, the forest managers take actions to control or extinguish the wildfires.

A map of the U.S. highlighting Bitterroot National Forest — **Figure 4**. The Bitterroot National Forest is located in Idaho and Montana.

The scientists identified citizens living near the Bitterroot National Forest as those who may or may not trust forest managers. To get answers to their questions, the scientists developed a survey of questions to ask the citizens. The scientists asked questions of a sample of citizens living in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana. The scientists used both land line and cell phones to speak with citizens. This valley had many recent wildfires, and those fires had occurred in areas not too far from the citizens’ homes. Figure 5 gives an example of some of the questions asked.

The scientists then put all of the answers together. Based on the three parts of trust shown in figure 2, the scientists determined which of those parts of trust the citizens felt about forest managers in the Bitterroot National Forest.

Figure 5. Some of the questions asked by the scientists
1. When managers of the Bitterroot National Forest speak on television, radio, in newspapers, or at public meetings about forest fires, how often, if at all, do they tell the truth?
2. How much confidence, if any, do you have in fire managers in the Bitterroot National Forest?
3. How often, if at all, do you think fires in the Bitterroot National Forest are managed according to a fair process?
4. How satisfied are you, if at all, with the way the Bitterroot National Forest staff deals with fires?
5. Based on your observations and experiences, what portion, if any, of the people who manage forest fires in the Bitterroot National Forest know what they are doing?
6. How much do you agree with this statement: Managers of the Bitterroot National Forest respond to the needs of local residents when fighting fires?

Reflection Section

Findings

Of all of the people the scientists tried to contact, 68 percent answered their questions. Of these, almost 90 percent said that they had been affected by smoke and fires in the Bitterroot Valley.

The scientists found that citizens think that forest managers act with honesty and care about citizens’ needs. The scientists also found that citizens do not think managers pay attention to what people think. Although citizens are not
completely satisfied with or entirely confident in the way fire is managed in the Bitterroot Valley, they are proud of the way it is managed. Citizens feel that forest managers are somewhat effective, reliable, and competent in managing fires.

Although all three parts of trust were important, the scientists found that “The belief that others are capable of acting correctly” was the most important to the citizens.

Reflection Section

Discussion

The scientists believe that studies like this can help forest managers do a better job of managing fire. By understanding what people believe and feel about the way forest managers manage fire, they can improve what they do. They can also communicate better with the public about their decisions.

The scientists caution, however, that citizens’ opinions should not be the only way that success is measured. Forest managers, and especially those who manage fire, must consider many things. They must consider the animals and plants that live in the forest, for example. They must consider the long-term health of the forest. The scientists concluded that understanding public trust is just one way to evaluate how well forest managers are doing. They believe, however, that understanding and building trust should be used more often as a way to evaluate how well forest managers are doing.

Reflection Section

This article was adapted from Liljeblad, A.; Borrie, W.T.; Watson, A.E. 2009. Determinants of trust for public lands: Fire and fuels management on the Bitterroot National Forest. Environmental Management. 43: 571–584. http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/34155.

Part Of

Wildland Fire 2 - Vol. 13 No. 1

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What Is a Natural Inquirer Journal?

Three Natural Inquirer journal covers with NI bee

A Natural Inquirer journal is a collection of 4-8 articles on a related science topic. Journals are written for a middle school audience, but they can also be adapted for both high school students and advanced upper elementary students. Some journals are particularly suited to high school students; you can find our grade level recommendations in the tags on the product page or by filtering journals by grade level.

Journals include:

Four to eight articles based on published, peer-reviewed research papers; the articles keep the research paper format (see more below) but are written in language students can understand.
A FACTivity for each article, which is an activity to complete after reading the article. The FACTivity helps reinforce major science concepts from the article. These activities are designed to be easy to implement, with few material requirements and options for adapting them for your audience or available resources. Some articles in a journal may have two FACTivities.
A short “Welcome to the journal” article about key background information and science concepts that unify the articles included in the journal
A glossary of new terms for each article and the introductory materials.
A list of related Natural Inquirer publications for each article as well as outside references.
Standards correlations, including Next Generation Science Standards, addressed in the articles and the FACTivities.

Journals may also include additional essays (called spotlights), other activities (like crossword puzzles or vocabulary challenges), and more.

A screenshot of the article resource tile for "A Flame Changer" showing the three different format option buttons.

Reading Modes

Journals are available in three different formats:

Hard copies can be ordered from the website and shipped, all free of charge.
PDF versions of the printed journal can be downloaded free on the website. The PDF version directly replicates the content and layout of the printed version. You can also download individual articles as pdfs.
The “Read Distraction Free” option allows the individual articles to open in their own window, without the rest of the website being visible. These articles can be found under the “Articles” tab. This version allows readers to scroll to particular sections of the article using the sidebar menu on the left side of the screen. This version also has interactive Reflection Sections and Number Crunches. Students can enter their answers, submit them, and then receive the correct answers to double-check their work. Submitted answers are not saved on the website and will disappear once the window is closed.

What's in a Natural Inquirer Article?

Here, we'll go into more detail about the parts of a Natural Inquirer article and give you some ideas about how they can be used.

Meet the Scientists
This section introduces the scientists (and others) who worked on the study. In their own words, they each share a memorable science experience, a favorite research project, or something they learned during the course of their education or research.

Use this section to:
- Introduce kids to the variety of people who work in science
- Introduce kids to the variety of scientific fields and give brief descriptions of science-related jobs
- Explore ways that people interact with science every day
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) applications:
- Science and Engineering Practices
- Crosscutting Concepts: Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Many of the scientists and engineers featured in this section are also featured on our collector cards. Learn more about their work, how they got interested in their fields, and interesting projects they worked on. Cards can be printed as posters, too.
Thinking About Science
This section briefly describes a concept about science or scientific research. This overview can touch on topics like
- study type (longitudinal study, quantitative vs. qualitative data),
- behaviors of scientists (conducting literature reviews, collaborating with other specialists, replicating earlier studies),
- the practice of science (the scientific method, engineering design, data collection, randomization, controls and variables),
- or other aspects of science (bias, correlation vs. causation).
Use this section to:
- Reinforce steps in the scientific method and the process of science
- Encourage students to think about the practice of science and what it can and cannot tell us
- Consider the many types of scientific study and what information each type can provide
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Science and Engineering Practices
- Life Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

You can use key words to search for other or related scientific topics on our website (e.g. “longitudinal study,” “bias,” or “sampling”).
Thinking About the Environment
This section provides a brief overview of a topic or concept in environmental/life science. The topic or concept is directly related to the research study that follows. Examples of topics include the carbon cycle, the water cycle, habitat fragmentation, phenology, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.

Use this section to:
- Provide important background information to help students understand the research study
- Serve as a quick reference during reading or class instruction
- Connect the research article with other activities or media on the same topic
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

You can use key words to search for more resources on life or earth science topics on our website (e.g. “habitat,” “carbon,” or “genetics”).
Introduction
This section begins the scientific article format. Much like the published, peer-reviewed study this article is based on, the introduction provides background information for the study – what is currently known and what remains unknown. The introduction culminates in the question(s) the study hopes to answer.

The introduction is also the first section with a Reflection Section. This section includes two or three questions to help kids reflect on what they’ve just learned in the Introduction. If they are using the online distraction-free reading mode, they can answer these questions directly on the website.

Use this section to:
- Review important background information that kids need to understand the study
- Connect the study to the concepts addressed in the Thinking About Science and Thinking About the Environment sections
- Understand research questions and hypotheses, including generating their own hypotheses given what they already know
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Use one of the guided reading lesson plans to help kids follow the format of a scientific paper.
Methods
This section is the nuts and bolts of the study design – the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the research. Contained within the Methods section are usually maps of the study location or the set-up of study plots, as well as details about what data was collected and how.

The Methods section also ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.

Use this section to:
- Show students how experiments and studies are designed and carried out
- Explore sampling methods and randomization
- Introduce various data collection tools (e.g. camera traps, surveys, insect collection tools, weather stations, etc.)
- Explain bias and how studies are designed to remove bias
- Help students gain experience with map reading
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Many Methods and Findings sections contain Number Crunches, which are simple math exercises designed to help students interact with the data from the study.
Findings
This section summarizes the data collected during the study. The Findings section usually includes data tables or graphs and highlights the significant data points from the study. This section often mentions statistical analysis or the use of computer programs to model or analyze the data, though these methods are only discussed generally.

The Findings section also ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.

Use this section to:
- Have students practice reading and interpreting graphs and tables
- Compare results between variables and controls
- Explain the concept of statistical significance
- Discuss how no data or negative results still provide valuable information
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Search the website for “map” or “graph” to find activities where students can practice making and reading maps and graphs.
Discussion
This section concludes each article. In it, we summarize the main findings of the scientists’ study. Additionally, we present the scientists’ ideas about the limitations of their study, the big-picture impacts of their research, and the scientists’ plans for future study or action.

The Discussion section ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read, especially general take-aways from the study. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.

Use this section to:
- Discuss what conclusions can and cannot be drawn from the available data
- Explain the difference between correlation and causation
- Explore study limitations and opportunities for further study
- Brainstorm ways the study findings could be applied to real-world situations
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular journal are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Use the “Designing Your Own Study” resource page for videos of scientists discussing their own research studies. The page also includes educator resources to help students plan their own scientific studies.

Additional Resources on the Website

A screenshot of the product tabs for an NI monograph On the website, we pair each journal with a variety of other resources, as well. Use the tabs on the product page to browse through the following:

Related activities, including the FACTivity for each article
An “About” essay that gives some larger context for the research the scientists conducted or more information about the science topic from the journal
A glossary of all boldfaced terms from the journal
A “Scientists and Collaborators” page that lists the people involved in the studies in the journal; click on a researcher to reach their bio page and see what other articles they might be featured in
A “Related Content” page that lists both Natural Inquirer resources about similar topics and also outside reference materials

Article Selection and Review

Natural Inquirer partners with the USDA Forest Service, so we source research studies by Forest Service scientists that have been peer-reviewed and published in reputable journals. Some of our articles have also been created in collaboration with scientists from other Federal agencies, such as U.S. Geological Survey and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, universities, and other non-profits.

All journal articles are reviewed by scientists who conducted the original research study to verify scientific accuracy. Journals are also reviewed by student editorial review boards of middle or high school students before publication. Additionally, all journals are reviewed by the Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture before publication.

A screenshot of the citation for "Lights, Camera, Tracks" Every journal article includes a citation of its source study. Many educators pair the original research paper with our article to help more advanced students learn how to read formal research papers. The journal article then serves as adapted primary literature, bridging the two articles.

Lessons

In small groups (or individually), students will read a Natural Inquirer or Investi-gator article and write a letter to the scientist, asking for clarification on at least four questions. This...
Lesson Plan – Letter to a Scientist
In small groups (or individually), students will read a Natural Inquirer or Investi-gator article and write a letter to the scientist, asking for clarification on at least four questions. This...
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Wildland Fire 2 - Vol. 13 No. 1
The purpose of this lesson plan is to give students a chance to reflect on their reading and create poems to express what they have learned. The lesson plan is...
Lesson Plan – Forest Poems
The purpose of this lesson plan is to give students a chance to reflect on their reading and create poems to express what they have learned. The lesson plan is...
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Wildland Fire 2 - Vol. 13 No. 1
This lesson plan introduces students to the different sections of a Natural Inquirer article. Additionally, it helps the students understand the content of the article through the use of graphic...
Lesson Plan – Reading a Natural Inquirer Article – FACELook
This lesson plan introduces students to the different sections of a Natural Inquirer article. Additionally, it helps the students understand the content of the article through the use of graphic...
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- Download Lesson Plan (PDF)
- Explore Lesson Plan
- Download Lesson Plan (PDF)
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FACELook! Exploring the Relationship Between Carbon, Photosynthesis, and the Roots of Trees

Education Files

Project Learning Tree

If you are a trained Project Learning Tree educator, you may use “Who Works in this Forest?” and “Living with Fire” as additional resources.

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Journals & Monographs

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FACTivity – Trust Is a Must

Standards addressed in this Article:

What Is a Natural Inquirer Journal?

Reading Modes

What's in a Natural Inquirer Article?

Meet the Scientists

Thinking About Science

Thinking About the Environment

Introduction

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Additional Resources on the Website

Article Selection and Review

Lessons

Lesson Plan – Letter to a Scientist

Lesson Plan – Forest Poems

Lesson Plan – Reading a Natural Inquirer Article – FACELook

Education Files

Project Learning Tree

Glossary

biosphere

extinguish

forest manager

manage

sample

Adam Liljeblad

Bill Borrie

Alan Watson