BC Forest Professionals:
2016 Public Opinion
Prepared for
DECEMBER 2016
1
Methodology
Timing: November 25 – 28, 2016.
Sample: 1008 British Columbia residents 18 years of age or older.
Data collection: Randomly selected members of an online panel were invited to complete the survey.
Research Now was the panel supplier for this survey.
Weighting: Final results were weighted to reflect the most recent Canadian census statistics for age, gender,
and regions of British Columbia.
Margin of error: The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) prohibits statements about
margins of sampling error or population estimates with regard to most online panels.
o A random probability sample of n= 1000 has a margin of error of +/- 3.1% (95% confidence).
o Subsamples will have greater margins of error.
2
Q: All things considered, would you say you are satisfied or dissatisfied with the quality of
forest resources management in BC today?
Lower Mainland: North
Lower Mainland: South
Greater Victoria
Rest of Island
Kelowna Vernon
34%
33%
Rest of BC
M18-34
19%
M55+
8%
6%
Very satisfied
M35-54
Somewhat
satisfied
Somewhat
dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
F18-34
Don't know
F35-54
F55+
Satisfied
40%
21%
25%
37%
38%
31%
33%
39%
27%
30%
25%
28%
47%
40%
41%
40%
28%
34%
24%
32%
27%
38%
26%
51%
Dissatisfied
3
Q: All things considered, would you say you are satisfied or dissatisfied with the quality of
forest resources management in BC today?
2016
2009
2004
9%
24%
34%
Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
14%
12%
13%
16%
44%
12%
2006
21%
30%
34%
3%
12%
17%
48%
9%
2014
34%
8%
19%
33%
6%
16%
Very dissatisfied
1%
14%
Don't know
4
Word cloud: Why do you say that?
Q: Why do you say that?
5
Q: Coded - Why do you say that?
We have good practices/replanting
Seems well managed/OK
Have not heard anything bad
Room to improve
Too much clear cutting/poor practices
Opposed to raw log exports/need more secondary industry
Cutting old growth/too much
Creating jobs/good for economy
Too much logging/not sustainable
Lots of protected areas
Need better rules/enforcement
Striking a good balance
Need better pine beetle management
Fewer mills/jobs
Not replanting/no cleanup
Not supported by government
Ruin environment (for profit)
Concerned about trade deals
Lots of forests
Need forest fire prevention
Other
Do not know
12%
9%
7%
7%
6%
6%
5%
5%
4%
4%
4%
3%
3%
3%
2%
2%
2%
2%
1%
1%
5%
5%
6
Reasons for satisfaction or dissatisfaction
Q: Why do you say that? BY All things considered, would you say you are satisfied or dissatisfied with the quality of forest resources
management in BC today?
Satisfied
We have good practices/replanting
Seems well managed/OK
Have not heard anything bad
Room to improve
Creating jobs/good for economy
Lots of protected areas
Striking a good balance
Need better pine beetle management
Concerned about trade deals
Lots of forests
Opposed to raw log exports/need more…
Fewer mills/jobs
Need forest fire prevention
Too much clear cutting/poor practices
Cutting old growth/too much
Too much logging/not sustainable
Other
Do not know
20%
15%
12%
10%
8%
7%
5%
3%
2%
2%
2%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
2%
Dissatisfied
Too much clear cutting/poor practices
Opposed to raw log exports/need more…
13%
Cutting old growth/too much
12%
Too much logging/not sustainable
10%
Need better rules/enforcement
9%
Fewer mills/jobs
5%
Not supported by government
5%
Not replanting/no cleanup
5%
Ruin environment (for profit)
4%
Need better pine beetle management
4%
Room to improve
5%
14%
2%
Need forest fire prevention
1%
Concerned about trade deals
1%
Creating jobs/good for economy
1%
Other
Do not know
10%
3%
7
Q: Compared to five years ago, is the quality of forest resources management in BC better or
worse or about the same?
2016
2014
Lower Mainland: North
2009
BC Regions
Lower Mainland: South
30%
27%
22%
25%
M18-34
16%
16%
14%
13%
1% 6% 1%
Much better
6%
Somewhat better Somewhat worse
Rest of BC
22%
20%
8%
Much worse
Rest of Island
Kelowna Vernon
29%
About the same
Don’t know
M35-54
Age and gender
20% 21%
Greater Victoria
M55+
F18-34
F35-54
F55+
Better
20%
18%
21%
20%
25%
17%
21%
20%
18%
20%
20%
27%
18%
14%
22%
24%
19%
23%
17%
17%
20%
27%
19%
Worse
8
33%
[Q4.0] Please indicate how much you trust the following groups when it comes to information regarding BC’s forest
resources. On a 10-point scale where 1 means not at all and 10 means completely, how much do you trust the following:
Resource professionals such as foresters, forest
technologists, biologists, engineers, geoscientists and
agrologists
7.1
7
5.9
5.7
5.7
Environmentalists
Community leaders
5.2
5.1
Academics
6.4
4.7
4.5
4.2
Government managers
3.6
Politicians
3
2.8
Journalists
2014
5.6
5.9
5.8
Forest industry executives
2016
7.5
4.5
4.3
3.7
4.6
4.8
2009
5.2
9
Q: Of the resource professionals listed below, which do you trust most?
Professional Biologists
9%
Professional Foresters
9%
Professional Geoscientists
7%
Professional Engineers
7%
Registered Forest Technologists
Professional Agrologists
5%
1%
All equally
None
Don’t know
39%
8%
15%
10
Q: How would you describe your level knowledge of what a…[RPF / RFT]...is?
53%
45%
38%
31%
12%
5%
13%
3%
Well aware
Somewhat aware
Registered Professional Forester
Not aware
Don’t know
Registered Forester Technologist
11
Q: Thinking about the management of BC’s forest resources, do you think it is very important, somewhat important, not
very important or not at all important to have the practice of forestry restricted to professional foresters and registered
forest technologists?
44%
29%
4%
Very important
Somewhat important
Not very important
1%
Not at all important
13%
Depends
10%
Don't know
Q: Thinking about the management of BC’s forest resources, do you think it is very important, somewhat important, not
very important or not at all important to have the practice of forestry restricted to professional foresters and registered
forest technologists?
2016
29%
44%
2014
47%
2013
5%
34%
35%
28%
2004
44%
40%
Very important
17%
8%
8%
36%
Somewhat important
15%
7%
42%
50%
13%
4%
47%
45%
12%
4%
43%
2006
2003
22%
36%
49%
2011
2009
5%
Not very/Not at all important
7%
6%
7%
7%
Depends/Don't know
Q: Next, please indicate whether you agree of disagree with each of the following statements.
Forest professionals are technically competent.
15%
Forest professionals are accountable for their actions.
15%
Forest professionals are doing a good job of managing BC’s forest resources.
Forest professionals are ethical in the forest resource management decisions
they make.
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
7%
11%
Somewhat disagree
46%
36%
42%
38%
Strongly disagree
6% 3% 7%
23%
11%
5% 7%
26%
13%
4% 7%
26%
11%
4%
Depends
11%
26%
Don't know
14
Q: When faced with a conflict between interests, which of the following do you believe forest
professionals would choose?
35%
38%
34%
26%
20%
42%
36%
24%
15%
9%
Do what their employer wants
them to do
4%
6%
5%
Protect the public’s interest
2016
Do what’s best for the
environment
2014
Balance all of the above
3%
None
2009
15
2%
BC Forest Professionals:
2016 Public Opinion
Prepared for
DECEMBER 2016
16