ABSTRACT:
The Palouse and Camas prairies of north-central Idaho, eastern Washington, and northeastern Oregon have some of the highest erosion rates in the United States. In this same region significant research and extension efforts have been devoted to reducing soil erosion. Little work has been done, however, to evaluate whether or not any significant changes in erosion rates, use of soil conservation practices, and farmers' knowledge and attitudes toward erosion have occurred in this region over this time period. This study reports longitudinal data obtained from surveys done in the Palouse and Camas Prairie areas in 1976 and in 1989–90 to ascertain changes in farmers' attitudes and behaviors regarding soil erosion over this 15-year period. Results indicate an increased awareness of the problems associated with soil erosion and an increased use of erosion control practices in both geographic regions. These results are consistent with data on changes in the amount of erosion as measured by government agencies during the same time period. In the 1976 surveys socioeconomic variables were most significantly related to the number of erosion control practices used, but in the 1989–90 surveys attitudinal factors were the most significant predictors of number of erosion control practices used.
Footnotes
John E. Carlson is professor of Rural Sociology and Barbara Schnabel is a research associate in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at the University of Idaho, Moscow. Curtis E. Beus is an Extension Economic Development Specialist at Texas A&M, College Station. Don A. Dillman is a Director of the Social and Economic Survey Research Center at Washington State University, Pullman.
- Copyright 1994 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society