Natural Resources in the Northern Cumberlands: A Determination of Residents Values

In the process of governance, political power has often become the primary tool for influencing decisions. Objective information about policy values and interests regarding natural resources and their use and conservation is often incomplete, biased or simply not available. Democratic governance requires that natural resource agencies, public officials, natural resource stakeholders, and the public at large have a good understanding of these values and interests. The values and interests of residents of Cumberland, Fentress, Morgan, and Scott counties in Tennessee regarding scarce natural resources are identified and analyzed in this thesis. This region of Tennessee has experienced increased interest in both economic development and environmental protection in the last decade. Using a mail survey, residents’ values and the relative strength of these values were identified regarding the use and protection of natural resources linked with threatened and endangered species. Residents in this area indicate strong conservation values and moderate use (non-recreation) values, and expressed preferences for policy strategies involving education and regulation. Adding to what is already known about the multiple values that people hold regarding natural resources, the obtained information can help those involved in the governance process better understand how to address the use and conservation of natural resources in the study area.