Social Science and Fuel Mgt

The Taskforce has been greatly assisted by the contribution of many people. One such visitor, Sarah McCaffrey, Research Social Scientist, of the USDA Forest Service, has shared her insights into her research on understanding the social dynamics of fire management including the public acceptance of prescribed fire and the notion of defendable space.  Sarah is well known to some of our stakeholders for the research she has conducted in collaboration with Alan Rhodes at the CFA.

As well as working closely with the Taskforce to assist in defining the research program, Sarah presented a lunchtime seminar at the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) in Melbourne. More than 40 people from the DSE, Country Fire Authority, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, RMIT University and other organisations heard Sarah talk on “Social Science and Fuel Management – a US perspective.”