Harvesting where the people are: Aesthetic preferences for logging-in-progress

Abstract

As forested areas become more populated, the aesthetic values associated with logging-in-progress are increasingly driving public reaction to and concern about timber harvesting. Using a video-based survey, this research assessed the public's visual and aural preferences for five ground-based timber harvest yarding methods - a forwarder, rubber-tired cable skidder, bulldozer, form tractor, and workhorse - based on a battery of attributes and situations. In addition, this study investigated the relationships between several possible explanatory variables - respondents' gender, knowledge of timber harvesting, and place of residence - and their preferences for the logging methods studied. Survey respondents preferred the horse and form tractor methods for their visual, aural, and forest disturbance effects, whereas the forwarder method ranked highest for efficiency. The horse and tractor methods also were preferred for logging in residential areas. In several cases, survey respondents' gender and knowledge of timber harvesting were associated with their preferences for the logging methods studied.