| The USDA Forest Service uses a common, multi-step process that includes public participation to develop forest management projects. While this process has been studied by a number of authors (Jones and Taylor 1995, Mortimer 2004, Manring 2004) there have been few studies which attempt to empirically validate the factors identified in the literature as possible sources of administrative appeals. This study used a mixed-method approach, including qualitative interviews with project participants (both appellants and non-appellants) as well as a descriptive quantitative analysis of project and project participant characteristics. The Forest Service is largely successful at dealing with the public and getting proposed projects through the administrative process. The most frequent users of the participation process were unaffiliated citizens who had never appealed before. Previous appellants participated 52 times in these projects and did not appeal 40 of those times. |
