Understanding Land Conservation from Diverse Stakeholder Perspectives

In this paper, we discuss the perspectives of diverse stakeholders on the changing nature of rural communities and land conservation. We used a questionnaire derived from interviews with stakeholders in two locations near expanding metropolitan areas at the edges of the southeastern and eastern forests. Based on principal component analysis, responses were most highly correlated within three perspectives: (1) quality of life ("green"), (2) producers conserve ("rosy"), and (3) growing communities ("amber"). Mean scores of respondents varied significantly between locations for two of the three components. Correlations among the components suggest that the ways stakeholders conceptualize conservation are more complex than previously described as a simple continuum of biocentrism and anthropocentrism. We identified specific themes most likely to be problematic in shaping communication among stakeholders and discuss implications for public outreach, collaborative learning interventions and professional development programs. We recommend practitioners and academics move beyond simplistic stereotypes of "urban environmentalists" and "rural agriculturalists".