Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design

Department

Division of Forestry and Natural Resources

Committee Chair

Kathryn Gazal

Committee Member

Gloria Oporto

Committee Member

Daniel Renfrew

Abstract

Biological carbon sequestration provides a way to integrate carbon initiatives while meeting sustainable forestry management needs. In the United States, woody plants capture about 13% of annual carbon emissions, highlighting the importance of forests and other ecosystems in national climate strategies.With over 640 million acres of public land, management strategies that incorporate carbon sequestration could significantly influence national carbon storage. Because public lands are taxpayer-funded, public acceptance is critical in carbon-focused policies. While prior studies have examined public attitudes toward carbon capture and storage techniques, fewer studies have focused on biological sequestration within federally managed lands.

This study analyzes public perceptions using a nationwide Qualtrics panel survey. The survey measured values regarding public lands, beliefs about climate change and mitigation, trust in institutions, concerns about carbon initiatives, and patterns of public land use. Pearson chi-square tests and ordered logit models evaluated relationships between explanatory variables and two policy support outcomes: 1.) support for carbon management as an official federal land agency goal, and 2.) support for designating public lands primarily for carbon storage. Results indicate that higher climate change awareness, stronger belief in climate change, support for immediate climate change mitigation action, familiarity and confidence regarding carbon storage, and perceived importance of public lands to the country are associated with greater support for carbon management and storage initiatives. These findings provide empirical insight into public acceptance of biological carbon sequestration on federally managed lands and inform future federal land management and climate policy designs.

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