Setting the Land Ablaze: Rancher Perceptions and Experience with Wildfire May Not be a Deterrent to Prescribed Burning on U.S. Central Rocky Mountain Rangelands

Fire is an inherent disturbance in western North American ecosystems, but wildfire mitigation and prescribed fire application is complicated by human social perspectives and behaviors. Given the variability of rancher use of fire within and across regions of the United States, we interviewed thirty-three ranchers in U.S. Central Rocky Mountain (CRM; Montana, Wyoming, Colorado) rangelands to understand how wildfire experiences and perceptions are related with rancher willingness to utilize prescribed fire. Results indicate rancher willingness to utilize prescribed fire in rangeland ecosystems may not be explained by rancher perceptions and experience with wildfire. Specifically, CRM rancher willingness to utilize prescribed fire may not be constrained by wildfire experiences [which was statistically similar between burner (n = 12) and non-burner (n = 21) orientations; all p-values > 0.05] regardless of wildfire proximity (on the ranch or nearby) and may be enhanced by their perceived benefits of wildfires.