The Netherlands has been facing a growing threat of wildfires due to warmer
and drier weather patterns. The purpose of this study was to identify public
perceptions toward wildland fire in the forested Veluwe region of the country. The
Dutch have little experience with wildland fires or fire as a management tool. In a
collaborative effort between Stephen F. Austin State University and the Instituut
Fysieke Veiligheid, the Dutch public safety agency, a survey was distributed to
residents and visitors to the Veluwe to reveal and quantify public opinions and
perceptions regarding wildland fire and public expectations of government
agencies in the event of a wildfire. Due to the lack of any significant historical
context of wildfires, the assumption was that the Dutch do not see fire as an
immediate threat. Findings from this survey revealed that visitors and residents of
the Veluwe region are more aware of the wildfire problem in the Netherlands than
originally anticipated. They do not see wildfires as an immediate threat to
themselves, but rather a threat to nature areas within the country. Respondents
to this survey also have high expectations of government agencies to inform
them about wildfires.
","abstract_html":"<p>The Netherlands has been facing a growing threat of wildfires due to warmer</p> <p>and drier weather patterns. The purpose of this study was to identify public</p> <p>perceptions toward wildland fire in the forested Veluwe region of the country. The</p> <p>Dutch have little experience with wildland fires or fire as a management tool. In a</p> <p>collaborative effort between Stephen F. Austin State University and the Instituut</p> <p>Fysieke Veiligheid, the Dutch public safety agency, a survey was distributed to</p> <p>residents and visitors to the Veluwe to reveal and quantify public opinions and</p> <p>perceptions regarding wildland fire and public expectations of government</p> <p>agencies in the event of a wildfire. Due to the lack of any significant historical</p> <p>context of wildfires, the assumption was that the Dutch do not see fire as an</p> <p>immediate threat. Findings from this survey revealed that visitors and residents of</p> <p>the Veluwe region are more aware of the wildfire problem in the Netherlands than</p> <p>originally anticipated. They do not see wildfires as an immediate threat to</p> <p>themselves, but rather a threat to nature areas within the country. Respondents</p> <p>to this survey also have high expectations of government agencies to inform</p> <p>them about wildfires.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Brennan, Amy"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science - Forestry","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Forestry","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Brian P. Oswald","Dr. Pat Stephens Williams","Dr. Ray Darville"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:03Z","subjects":["Netherlands","wildland fire","wildfire","public perceptions","survey","Veluwe","Forest Management","Other International and Area Studies","Social Statistics"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/58","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Brian P. Oswald","Dr. Pat Stephens Williams","Dr. Ray Darville"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Brennan, Amy"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-12-16T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Forestry"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science - Forestry"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Netherlands","wildland fire","wildfire","public perceptions","survey","Veluwe","Forest Management","Other International and Area Studies","Social Statistics"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/58"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The Netherlands has been facing a growing threat of wildfires due to warmer
and drier weather patterns. The purpose of this study was to identify public
perceptions toward wildland fire in the forested Veluwe region of the country. The
Dutch have little experience with wildland fires or fire as a management tool. In a
collaborative effort between Stephen F. Austin State University and the Instituut
Fysieke Veiligheid, the Dutch public safety agency, a survey was distributed to
residents and visitors to the Veluwe to reveal and quantify public opinions and
perceptions regarding wildland fire and public expectations of government
agencies in the event of a wildfire. Due to the lack of any significant historical
context of wildfires, the assumption was that the Dutch do not see fire as an
immediate threat. Findings from this survey revealed that visitors and residents of
the Veluwe region are more aware of the wildfire problem in the Netherlands than
originally anticipated. They do not see wildfires as an immediate threat to
themselves, but rather a threat to nature areas within the country. Respondents
to this survey also have high expectations of government agencies to inform
them about wildfires.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Determining Public Perceptions toward Wildland Fire in the Veluwe Region of the Netherlands"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Brian P. Oswald","Dr. Pat Stephens Williams","Dr. Ray Darville"],"dc:creator":["Brennan, Amy"],"dc:date.available":["2016-12-16T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The Netherlands has been facing a growing threat of wildfires due to warmer
and drier weather patterns. The purpose of this study was to identify public
perceptions toward wildland fire in the forested Veluwe region of the country. The
Dutch have little experience with wildland fires or fire as a management tool. In a
collaborative effort between Stephen F. Austin State University and the Instituut
Fysieke Veiligheid, the Dutch public safety agency, a survey was distributed to
residents and visitors to the Veluwe to reveal and quantify public opinions and
perceptions regarding wildland fire and public expectations of government
agencies in the event of a wildfire. Due to the lack of any significant historical
context of wildfires, the assumption was that the Dutch do not see fire as an
immediate threat. Findings from this survey revealed that visitors and residents of
the Veluwe region are more aware of the wildfire problem in the Netherlands than
originally anticipated. They do not see wildfires as an immediate threat to
themselves, but rather a threat to nature areas within the country. Respondents
to this survey also have high expectations of government agencies to inform
them about wildfires.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/58"],"dc:subject":["Netherlands","wildland fire","wildfire","public perceptions","survey","Veluwe","Forest Management","Other International and Area Studies","Social Statistics"],"dc:title":["Determining Public Perceptions toward Wildland Fire in the Veluwe Region of the Netherlands"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Forestry"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science - Forestry"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:03Z"}