Statewide Survey on Idaho's Sagebrush Landscapes, Rangelands, and Public Lands

Changes in the public's relationship with land management agencies have prompted increased research on public preferences for the use and management of landscapes to better inform decision-making processes. Understanding these public preferences and values has become increasingly important in landscapes undergoing social and ecological changes, such as Idaho's public lands. This project used a phone and web-based statewide survey of Idaho residents to measure opinions on public lands, sagebrush landscapes, and rangelands and how they should be managed in the state. The sagebrush landscape section of the survey covered values, perceived threats, and attitudes toward managing recreation and residential development in sagebrush steppe. The rangelands section reimplemented the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission's longitudinal work to understand attitudes toward Idaho's rangelands. The public lands section of the survey covered numerous topics related to public lands recreation in Idaho, including perceived impacts and problems and management preferences. The results from this survey will be used to inform education and management efforts related to Idaho's public lands.