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Forest management is presently undergoing major changes to adapt to climate change. This research examines the variation in perceived acceptability of potential forest management interventions that can mitigate the risks of climate change among rural forest-based communities in British Columbia and Alberta. In each of the four study communities, three focus groups composed of foresters, environmentalists, and local citizens were consulted. A Q-sort exercise was utilized to measure the perceived acceptance of a set of nine forest adaptation management scenarios that represented a spectrum of human interventions in forested ecosystems. The theory of Cultural Cognition of Risk was applied as a theoretical framework to analyze the way in which participants perceived adaptation strategies. Results indicate that foresters perceived the strategies based on assisted migration as being relatively less acceptable compared with the other social groups, while environmentalists prioritized adaptation strategies that featured mixed species, and local citizens perceived all of the adaptation strategies more neutrally. Cultural Cognition of Risk theory was determined to play a role in shaping perceptions of the adaptation strategies in that individualists tended to accept the local-based strategies while opposing the assisted migration based strategies. Conversely, hierarchists perceived assisted migration based strategies more favourably than the other cultural groups. Key words: climate change adaptation, forest-dependent communities, cultural cognition of risk, assisted migration, genetic modification. L'amenagement forestier subit presentement des changements majeurs pour s'adapter aux changements climatiques. Cet article examine la variation dans l'acceptabilite des interventions potentielles d'amenagement forestier qui peuvent attenuer les risques associes aux changements climatiques chez les collectivites rurales qui dependent de la foret en Colombie- Britannique et en Alberta. Dans chacune des quatre collectivites etudiees, trois groupes de discussion composes de forestiers, d'environnementalistes et de citoyens de la region ont ete consultes. Un exercice de classification Qa ete utilise pour mesurer l'acceptation perdue d'un ensemble de neuf scenarios d'adaptation de l'amenagement forestier qui representent une gamme d'interventions humaines dans les ecosystemes forestiers. La theorie de la cognition culturelle du risque a ete appliquee comme cadre theorique pour analyser la facon dont les participants percevaient les strategies d'adaptation. Les resultats indiquent que les forestiers percoivent les strategies fondees sur la migration assistee comme etant relativement moins acceptables comparativement aux autres groupes sociaux, alors que les environnementalistes accordent la priorite aux strategies d'adaptation qui comportent des especes melangees et les citoyens de la region percoivent toutes les strategies d'adaptation de facon plus neutre. On a determine que la cognition culturelle du risque jouait un role en faconnant la perception des strategies d'adaptation car les individualistes avaient tendance a accepter les strategies a caractere local tout en etant opposes aux strategies fondees sur la migration assistee. A l'inverse, les hierarchistes percevaient les strategies fondees sur la migration assistee plus favorablement que les autres groupes culturels. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: adaptation aux changements climatiques, collectivites forestieres, cognition culturelle du risque, migration assistee, modification genetique., 1. Introduction Forests have a diverse set of roles related to the provision of ecosystem services, including water purification, cultural benefits that are highly valued, and the provision of timber [...]

Two province-wide surveys of residents in Alberta and British Columbia were conducted to assess the acceptability of a range of reforestation strategies--many of which revolve around biotechnology--that could be used to aid western Canada's forests in adapting to future climate change. The opinions of leaders of forest-dependent communities were also sought to evaluate how well they align with those of the public at large. Results show that the views of the general public and community leaders correspond. There is a low acceptance for a 'do-nothing' strategy that allows climate change to run its course without any human intervention; high acceptance of replanting with local seeds; a decreasing acceptance of strategies that involve more manipulation such as breeding, using nonlocal seeds, and moving seeds outside of a species' natural range; and a low acceptance of genetically engineered solutions. However, a high proportion of respondents changed their answers when told that a particular strategy would lead to either favourable or unfavourable outcomes related to socioeconomics of forest-dependent communities, forest aesthetics, and pest, disease, and fire outbreaks. We conclude that a meaningful and participatory dialogue on forest adaptation strategies in the face of climate change can only emerge if residents and other interested stakeholders have an adequate understanding of current forest management practices, proposed reforestation strategies, the role of technological interventions, and the values and services for which western Canada's forests are to be managed. Key words: assisted migration, biotechnology, public opinion, reforestation, climate change adaptation. Deux sondages, de portee provinciale, ont ete menes aupres des residants de l'Alberta et de la Colombie-Britannique au sujet de l'acceptabilite sociale d'un ensemble de strategies de reboisement, dont plusieurs ont recours a la biotechnologie. Ces strategies pourraient etre employees pour favoriser l'adaptation des forets de l'Ouest canadien aux changements climatiques anticipes. L'opinion des leaders dans des communautes dependantes de la foret a aussi ete recueillie. Il s'agissait d'etablir la concordance de leurs perceptions et celles du public en general. Les resultats indiquent que les points de vue du grand public concordent avec ceux des leaders d'opinion dans les communautes. La strategie du laisser-faire, permettant aux changements climatiques de suivre leur cours sans que des interventions humaines soient envisagees, recueille un faible taux d'acceptabilite. L'utilisation de semences aux provenances locales suscite une forte acceptabilite. L'acceptabilite des strategies proposees decroit avec l'augmentation des manipulations requises par des interventions comme l'hybridation, l'utilisation de semences non locales et le deplacement de semences a l'exterieur de l'aire de variabilite naturelle d'une espece. Les solutions impliquant le genie genetique obtiennent une faible acceptabilite. Cependant, une proportion elevee de repondants modifient leurs reponses lorsqu'on mentionne qu'une strategie particuliere deboucherait sur des situations favorables ou non quant aux conditions socio-economiques des communautes dependantes de la foret, a l'esthetique des forets et aux infestations d'insectes ou de maladies ainsi qu'aux incendies forestiers. Nous concluons qu'une concertation effective concernant les strategies d'adaptation des forets dans un contexte de changements climatiques peut emerger seulement si les residants et les autres parties prenantes ont une comprehension adequate des pratiques courantes en amenagement forestier, des strategies de reboisement envisagees, du role des technologies et des valeurs et services pour lesquels les forets de l'Ouest canadien sont amenagees. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: migration assistee, biotechnologie, opinion publique, reboisement, adaptation aux changements climatiques., Introduction The critical roles that forest ecosystems play around the world cannot be overstated. From the provision of goods and services demanded by society to the regulation of climatic and [...]