Abstract: |
This research tests whether conveying prescribed burning information and conducting survey administration via videotape is superior to phone-interviews supplemented by an informational booklet. During the phone call, the interviewer read text and referred the respondent to drawings in the mailed booklet contrasting wildfire and prescribed fire. The video administration also started with an initial phone call and then by mailing a videotape to the respondent along with an answer booklet. The announcer on the videotape verbally presented all the text that was read to respondents in the phone interview. The phone-mail booklet-phone interview resulted in support for prescribed burning increasing from 65% in the initial phone call to 91% in the follow-up interview. Preliminary results from the video survey indicate that 71% initially supported prescribed burning, with this increasing to 84% after viewing the video. There was no statistical difference between video and phone-booklet survey models in terms of response rates or reasons for refusing to pay for the prescribed burning program. Mean willingness to pay (WTP) for the prescribed burning program using the mail booklet-phone interview was $400 per household. The preliminary result from the video survey is $412. The confidence intervals for these two estimates overlap indicating they are not statistically different. |
