Evolution and change in wildfire mitigation approaches: Social fragmentation and recreational development in rural contexts

The social diversity of human populations living in or near wildfire-prone lands are an important influence on the scale at which wildfire mitigation action can occur among residential populations at increasing risk from wildfire. The research presented in this paper explores how fire adaptation programs or strategies designed to foster private landowners’ mitigation action proliferate across a landscape through in-depth case study of interacting contexts operating in neighboring human “communities.” We utilize and expand existing concepts for gauging the local social context influencing adaptive actions, and that provide guidance on ways to identify distinct “communities” whose trajectories of interaction may dictate different approaches to wildfire risk over time. Results from our work indicate a high degree of “social fragmentation” across our study area in Freemont County, WY, USA, with neighboring human populations articulating how different preferences, perspectives and historical support for collaboration surrounding wildfire management or natural resources influences an enduring focus on individual landowners. These differences had led to variable engagement with cost-share programs for fuels reduction and the Firewise USA ® Recognition Program, with participants expressing apprehension about the sustainability of those programs and concern that residents might become dependent on government assistance. Interacting with those trends were ongoing decreases in local capacity for forest management, including a dwindling workforce or infrastructure needed to address ongoing needs for fuels reduction. We conclude by comparing our results with existing guidance about tailoring adaptation to different social contexts, and in recreational residential areas with changing ownership structures.