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Climate change is impacting forest ecosystems, which support key ecosystem services and the general well-being of natural resource-dependent communities in Northeastern, USA. Understanding the determinants of climate change risk perceptions among forest resource stakeholders is critical to eliciting broad support for adaptation. We examined social-psychological drivers of climate change risk perceptions using hierarchical regression based on an online survey of 211 forest stakeholders, representing a wide range of subsectors, in Maine, USA. Using the climate change risk perceptions model (CCRPM), we explained 70% of the variance in risk perception. Political orientation, belief in climate change, social norms, affect, and experience with weather-related impacts were all significant predictors of perceived risk. Mediation results demonstrate that experience with weather-related impacts influences risk perceptions indirectly via attribution and holistic affect. This study advances our understanding of the social-psychological determinants of climate change risk perceptions, with implications for communication and outreach strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change will have a significant impact on the forest industry and will require strategies that promote sustainable forest management. Understanding perceptions of climate change impacts is critical to supporting the use of adaptation strategies, informing future research, and supporting decision-making. We describe a multi-method approach using nominal group technique and semi-structured interviews to identify and understand experts' concerns in regards to future climate change impacts on the forest industry in Maine, USA. A review of the existing scientific literature helped inform the development of the interview and nominal group techniques. Experts prioritized the greatest and most likely climate change impacts on the forest industry as: forest health threats imposed by insects and pathogens, extreme precipitation events, shifts in forest composition, invasive species, and changes in forest productivity. Interviews and current scientific understanding largely support the prioritization of the impacts, but also elucidate uncertainties in regards to climate change perceptions (e.g., timing and magnitude of future impacts), highlight the need for continued research that specifically addresses how climate change will affect the forest industry, and demonstrate that climate change presents not only a perceived threat but also an opportunity in the form of increased forest productivity and economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With recently announced federal funding and subsidies to redevelop vacant mills and the communities they were in, the forest products industry in Maine is poised to gain its momentum once again. One of the important components influencing the cost of delivered forest products is transportation. A recent study in the region has shown that the location and availability of markets along with lack of skilled labor force are the major challenges faced by the forest products transportation sector in Maine. This study was focused on developing a management guideline which included various field level options for improving trucking enterprises in Maine. For this, a qualitative research approach utilizing a case study research tradition was employed, with in-depth semi-structured interviews with professionals directly related to the forest products transportation sector used for data generation. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted, with each being audio recorded and later transcribed verbatim. Interview transcriptions were analyzed using NVivo 11. Suggestions, like increasing benefits to drivers and providing training, were proposed for challenges related to manpower shortage, while the marketing of new forest products and adjustment in some state-level policies were proposed for challenges related to the forest products market condition of the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]