A cultural consensus of fire and futility: Harvesting beetle-kill for wood-based bioenergy in Wyoming and Colorado

Abstract This study investigated key forest stakeholders’ perspectives on wood-based bioenergy development in the Medicine Bow Region of Wyoming and Colorado. Utilizing a qualitative data collection and analysis approach, we: (1) documented stakeholders’ cultural perspectives to understand opportunities and constraints associated with the use of beetle-killed trees for wood-based bioenergy development in this region and, (2) investigated the potential for wood-based bioenergy development within socio-ecological systems and cultural models frameworks. Our results indicate strong shared cultural beliefs and understandings of wood-based bioenergy development across an array of forest stakeholders. Stakeholders collectively described the potential for this industry and the benefit of utilizing beetle-killed stands in the Medicine Bow. Despite positive perceptions of wood-based bioenergy development, stakeholders predominantly discussed the multitude of ecological and economic constraints outweighing its feasibility. Our findings suggest a cultural consensus across stakeholder groups of the nonviability of a wood-based bioenergy industry and the futility of developing an industry to manage beetle-kill. Overall, stakeholders’ considered the impacts of the beetle-kill epidemic to be insurmountable, with fire as the inevitable result of the epidemic.