Perceived Ecological Risks to Water Environments from Selected Forest Industry Activities

This article examines underlying factors shaping lay perceptions, and differences between lay and expert perceptions, of the ecological risks to water environments associated with six forest industry activities. A survey was administered to 183 lay subjects in four communities within the Lower Fraser Basin of western Canada. Parts of the survey were also administered to 16 aquatic science professionals. The results show that both lay and expert respondents generally perceive that clearcut logging and effluent from pulp mills pose a high degree of risk, while selective logging poses a lesser degree of risk. Both groups believe that fertilizer use poses a risk to water quality. However, the experts viewed the construction of logging roads as posing significantly more risk to water environments, and requiring greater regulation, than did the lay respondents. Conversely, the lay respondents viewed pesticide use as posing significantly more risk to water environments, and requiring greater regulation, than did the expert respondents. Discussion about the implications of these perceptions in terms of policy issues and communication efforts complete the article. FOR. SCI. 46(3): 344–355.