Current Research

I am an environmental anthropologist whose research aims to improve understanding of how to integrate community well-being and development with ecosystem health and the sustainable management of natural resources, with a goal of informing policy and advancing theory. My current research projects fall into two broad areas�the first examines how federal forest management activities can be linked to rural community development opportunities; the second examines forest management practices on different ownerships, the social variables that influence them, and how they shape forest conditions. I work mainly in the western United States.

Research Interests

Socioeconomic monitoring and assessment; how to sustain rural, resource-based livelihoods; community-based natural resource management; interacting human and ecological systems.

Past Research

My past research has focused on the human dimensions of natural resource use and management and the social causes and consequences of environmental change. I have undertaken research on these topics while working with pastoralists in East Africa, indigenous peoples in Panama's rainforests, native Alaskans in western Alaska, and forest workers and owners in the western United States.

Why This Research is Important

It is not possible to develop and implement natural resource management institutions, policies, and practices that are environmentally sound and socially just unless their social dimensions are understood and addressed.

Education

• Stanford University, Ph.D. Anthropology 1994

Featured Publications & Products

• Charnley, Susan; Jakes, Pamela J.; Schelhas, John. 2011. A socioeconomic assessment of Forest Service American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects: eight case studies.
• Diaz, David D.; Charnley, Susan; Gosnell, Hannah. 2009. Engaging western landowners in climate change mitigation: a guide to carbon-oriented forest and range management and carbon market opportunities.
• Charnley, Susan; Fischer, A. Paige; Jones, Eric T. 2008. Traditional and local ecological knowledge about forest biodiversity in the Pacific Northwest..
• Charnley, Susan; Dillingham, Candace; Stuart, Claudia; Moseley, Cassandra; Donoghue, Ellen. 2008. Northwest Forest Plan--the first 10 years (1994-2003): socioeconomic monitoring of the Klamath National Forest and three local communities..
• McLain, Rebecca J.; Donoghue, Ellen M.; Kusel, Jonathan; Buttolph, Lita; Charnley, Susan. 2008. Multiscale socioeconomic assessment across large ecosystems: lessons from practice.

Publications

• Frey, Gregory E.; Charnley, Susan ; Makala, Jasper . 2021. Economic viability of community-based forest management for certified timber production in southeastern Tanzania.
• Nash, Caroline ; Grant, Gordon ; Charnley, Susan ; Dunham, Jason ; Gosnell, Hannah ; Hausner, Mark ; Pilliod, David ; Taylor, Jimmy D. 2021. Great expectations: Deconstructing the process pathways underlying beaver-related restoration.
• Kirkland, John ; Charnley, Susan . 2021. Taking an all-lands approach to managing wildfire across diverse forest ownerships.
• Gosnell, Hannah ; Charnley, Susan ; Stanley, Paige . 2020. Climate change mitigation as a co-benefit of regenerative ranching: insights from Australia and the United States.
• Davis, Emily Jane; Hajjar, Reem ; Charnley, Susan ; Moseley, Cassandra ; Wendel, Kendra ; Jacobson, Meredith . 2020. Community-based forestry on federal lands in the western United States: A synthesis and call for renewed research.
• Charnley, Susan ; Kelly, Erin ; Fischer, A Paige. 2020. Fostering collective action to reduce wildfire risk across property boundaries in the American West.
• Charnley, Susan ; Gosnell, Hannah ; Davee, Rachael ; Abrams, Jesse . 2020. Ranchers and beavers: Understanding the human dimensions of beaver-related stream restoration on western rangelands.
• Kantor, Sylvia ; Charnley, Susan . 2020. Ranchers, beavers, and stream restoration on western rangelands.
• Hessburg, Paul F.; Charnley, Susan ; Wendel, Kendra L.; White, Eric M.; Singleton, Peter H.; Peterson, David W.; Halofsky, Jessica E.; Gray, Andrew N.; Spies, Thomas A.; Flitcroft, Rebecca L.; White, Rachel . 2020. The 1994 Eastside Screens large-tree harvest limit: review of science relevant to forest planning 25 years later.
• Adams, Mark D. O.; Charnley, Susan . 2020. The environmental justice implications of managing hazardous fuels on federal forest lands.
• Abrams, Jesse ; Johnduff, Michael ; Charnley, Susan . 2019. Beaver-related restoration in Owyhee County, Idaho: opportunities and challenges.
• Charnley, Susan . 2019. If you build it, they will come: ranching, riparian revegetation, and beaver colonization in Elko County, Nevada.
• Kelly, Erin Clover; Charnley, Susan ; Pixley, Jodie T. 2019. Polycentric systems for wildfire governance in the Western United States.
• Steen-Adams, Michelle M.; Charnley, Susan ; McLain, Rebecca J.; Adams, Mark D.O.; Wendel, Kendra L. 2019. Traditional knowledge of fire use by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in the eastside Cascades of Oregon.
• Spies, Thomas ; Long, Jonathan ; Charnley, Susan ; Hessburg, Paul ; Marcot, Bruce ; Reeves, Gordon ; Lesmeister, Damon ; Reilly, Matthew ; Cerveny, Lee ; Stine, Peter ; Raphael, Martin G. 2019. Twenty five years of the Northwest Forest Plan: what have we learned.
• Davee, Rachael ; Gosnell, Hannah ; Charnley, Susan . 2019. Using beaver dam analogues for fish and wildlife recovery on public and private rangelands in eastern Oregon.
• Charnley, Susan . 2018. Beavers, landowners, and watershed restoration: experimenting with beaver dam analogues in the Scott River basin, California.
• Charnley, Susan; Gosnell, Hannah; Wendel, Kendra L; Rowland, Mary M; Wisdom, Michael J. 2018. Cattle grazing and fish recovery on US federal lands: can social-ecological systems science help.
• Charnley, Susan ; Jaworski, Delilah ; Huber-Stearns, Heidi ; White, Eric M.; Grinspoon, Elisabeth ; McLain, Rebecca J.; Cerveny, Lee . 2018. Chapter 10: Environmental justice, low-income and minority populations, and forest management in the northwest forest plan area.
• Spies, Thomas A.; Long, Jonathan W.; Stine, Peter ; Charnley, Susan ; Cerveny, Lee ; Marcot, Bruce G.; Reeves, Gordon ; Hessburg, Paul F.; Lesmeister, Damon ; Reilly, Matthew J.; Raphael, Martin G.; Davis, Raymond J. 2018. Chapter 12: Integrating ecological and social science to inform land management in the area of the northwest forest plan.
• Charnley, Susan ; Kline, Jeffrey D.; White, Eric M.; Abrams, Jesse ; McLain, Rebecca J.; Moseley, Cassandra ; Huber-Stearns, Heidi . 2018. Chapter 8: Socioeconomic well-being and forest management in northwest forest plan- area communities.
• Adams, Mark D.O.; Charnley, Susan. 2018. Environmental justice and U.S. Forest Service hazardous fuels reduction: A spatial method for impact assessment of federal resource management actions.
• Charnley, Susan ; McLain, Rebecca J.; Poe, Melissa R. 2018. Natural resource access rights and wrongs: Nontimber forest products gathering in urban environments.
• Pilliod, David S.; Rohde, Ashley T.; Charnley, Susan; Davee, Rachael R.; Dunham, Jason B.; Gosnell, Hannah; Grant, Gordon E.; Hausner, Mark B.; Huntington, Justin L.; Nash, Caroline. 2018. Survey of beaver-related restoration practices in rangeland streams of the western USA.
• Charnley, Susan; Kelly, Erin C.; Wendel, Kendra L. 2017. All lands approaches to fire management in the Pacific West: a typology.
• Charnley, Susan; Spies, Thomas A.; Barros, Ana M. G.; White, Eric M.; Olsen, Keith A. 2017. Diversity in forest management to reduce wildfire losses: implications for resilience.
• Breslow, Sara Jo; Allen, Margaret; Holstein, Danielle; Sojka, Brit; Barnea, Raz; Basurto, Xavier; Carothers, Courtney; Charnley, Susan; Coulthard, Sarah; Dolšak, Nives; Donatuto, Jamie; García-Quijano, Carlos; Hicks, Christina C.; Levine, Arielle; Mascia, Michael B.; Norman, Karma; Poe, Melissa; Satterfield, Terre; St. Martin, Kevin; Levin, Phillip S. 2017. Evaluating indicators of human well-being for ecosystem-based management.
• Charnley, Susan; Carothers, Courtney; Satterfield, Terre; Levine, Arielle; Poe, Melissa R.; Norman, Karma; Donatuto, Jamie; Breslow, Sara Jo; Mascia, Michael B.; Levin, Phillip S.; Basurto, Xavier; Hicks, Christina C.; García-Quijano, Carlos; St. Martin, Kevin. 2017. Evaluating the best available social science for natural resource management decision-making.
• Oliver, Marie; Charnley, Susan; Spies, Thomas; Kline, Jeff; White, Eric. 2017. Forests, people, fire: Integrating the sciences to build capacity for an All Lands approach to forest restoration.
• Steen-Adams, Michelle M.; Charnley, Susan ; Adams, Mark D. 2017. Historical perspective on the influence of wildfire policy, law, and informal institutions on management and forest resilience in a multiownership, frequent-fire, coupled human and natural system in Oregon, USA.
• Kline, Jeffrey D.; White, Eric M.; Fischer, A Paige; Steen-Adams, Michelle M.; Charnley, Susan; Olsen, Christine S.; Spies, Thomas A.; Bailey, John D. 2017. Integrating social science into empirical models of coupled human and natural systems.
• Davee, Rachael; Charnley, Susan; Gosnell, Hannah. 2017. Silvies Valley Ranch, OR: using artificial beaver dams to restore incised streams.
• Spies, Thomas A.; White, Eric; Ager, Alan; Kline, Jeffrey D.; Bolte, John P.; Platt, Emily K.; Olsen, Keith A.; Pabst, Robert J.; Barros, Ana M. G.; Bailey, John D.; Charnley, Susan; Morzillo, Anita T.; Koch, Jennifer; Steen-Adams, Michelle M.; Singleton, Peter H.; Sulzman, James; Schwartz, Cynthia; Csuti, Blair. 2017. Using an agent-based model to examine forest management outcomes in a fire-prone landscape in Oregon, USA.
• Fischer, A. Paige; Vance-Borland, Ken; Jasny, Lorien; Grimm, Kerry E.; Charnley, Susan. 2016. A network approach to assessing social capacity for landscape planning: The case of fire-prone forests in Oregon, USA.
• Breslow, Sara Jo; Sojka, Brit; Barnea, Raz; Basurto, Xavier; Carothers, Courtney; Charnley, Susan; Coulthard, Sarah; Dolšak, Nives; Donatuto, Jamie; García-Quijano, Carlos; Hicks, Christina C.; Levine, Arielle; Mascia, Michael B.; Norman, Karma; Poe, Melissa; Satterfield, Terre; Martin, Kevin St.; Levin, Phillip S. 2016. Conceptualizing and operationalizing human wellbeing for ecosystem assessment and management.
• Hicks, C. C.; Levine, A.; Agrawal, A.; Basurto, X.; Breslow, S. J.; Carothers, C.; Charnley, Susan; Coulthard, S.; Dolsak, N.; Donatuto, J.; Garcia-Quijano, C.; Mascia, M. B.; Norman, K.; Poe, M. R.; Satterfield, T.; St. Martin, K.; Levin, P. S. 2016. Engage key social concepts for sustainability.
• Koch, Geoff; Charnley, Susan. 2016. From Top-Down to Grassroots: Chronicling the Search for Common Ground in Conservation in the West.
• Fischer, A. Paige; Spies, Thomas A; Steelman, Toddi A; Moseley, Cassandra; Johnson, Bart R; Bailey, John D; Ager, Alan A; Bourgeron, Patrick; Charnley, Susan; Collins, Brandon M; Kline, Jeffrey D; Leahy, Jessica E; Littell, Jeremy S; Millington, James DA; Nielsen-Pincus, Max; Olsen, Christine S; Paveglio, Travis B; Roos, Christopher I; Steen-Adams, Michelle M; Stevens, Forrest R; Vukomanovic, Jelena; White, Eric M; Bowman, David M. J. S. 2016. Pathology of wildfire risk: A characterization of social and ecological dimensions.
• White, Rachel; Charnley, Susan; Grant, Gordon; Rowland, Mary; Wisdom, Michael. 2016. Restoring rivers, sustaining communities.
• Fischer, A Paige; Spies, Thomas A; Steelman, Toddi A; Moseley, Cassandra; Johnson, Bart R; Bailey, John D; Ager, Alan A; Bourgeron, Patrick; Charnley, Susan; Collins, Brandon M; Kline, Jeff; Leahy, Jessica E; Littell, Jeremy S; Millington, James DA; Nielsen-Pincus, Max; Olsen, Christine S; Paveglio, Travis B; Roos, Christopher I; Steen-Adams, Michelle M; Stevens, Forrest R; Vukomanovic, Jelena; White, Eric; Bowman, David MJS. 2016. Wildfire risk as a socioecological pathology.
• Charnley, Susan; Poe, Melissa R.; Ager, Alan A.; Spies, Thomas A.; Platt, Emily K.; Olsen, Keith A. 2015. A burning problem: social dynamics of disaster risk reduction through wildfire mitigation.
• Stanturf, John A.; Goodrick, Scott L.; Warren, Melvin L.; Charnley, Susan; Stegall, Christie M. 2015. Social vulnerability and Ebola virus disease in rural Liberia.
• Miller, Marc; Sheridan, Thomas E.; Charnley, Susan; Plumer, Christy; Lyons, Jim; Martin, Tom. 2015. Working landscapes: the future of land use policy.
• Winter, Patricia L.; Long, Jonathan W.; Lake, Frank K.; Charnley, Susan. 2014. Broader context for social, economic, and cultural components.
• Charnley, Susan; Long, Jonathan W.; Lake, Frank K. 2014. Collaboration in national forest management.
• Long, Jonathan W.; Skinner, Carl; Safford, Hugh; Charnley, Susan; Winter, Patricia. 2014. Introduction.
• Charnley, Susan; Long, Jonathan W. 2014. Managing forest products for community benefit.
• Fischer, A. Paige; Kline, Jeffrey D.; Ager, Alan A.; Charnley, Susan; Olsen, Keith A. 2014. Objective and perceived wildfire risk and its influence on private forest landowners fuel reduction activities in Oregon s (USA) ponderosa pine ecoregion.
• Long, Jonathan W.; Skinner, Carl; Charnley, Susan; Hubbert, Ken; Quinn-Davidson, Lenya; Meyer, Marc. 2014. Post-wildfire management.
• Winter, Patricia L.; Long, Jonathan W.; Charnley, Susan. 2014. Social/economic/cultural components.
• Charnley, Susan. 2014. Strategies for job creation through national forest management.
• Stine, Peter; Hessburg, Paul; Spies, Thomas; Kramer, Marc; Fettig, Christopher J.; Hansen, Andrew; Lehmkuhl, John; O'Hara, Kevin; Polivka, Karl; Singleton, Peter; Charnley, Susan; Merschel, Andrew; White, Rachel. 2014. The ecology and management of moist mixed-conifer forests in eastern Oregon and Washington: a synthesis of the relevant biophysical science and implications for future land management.
• Moseley, Cassandra; Charnley, Susan. 2014. Understanding micro-processes of institutionalization: stewardship contracting and national forest management.
• Fischer, A. Paige; Kline, Jeffrey D.; Charnley, Susan; Olsen, Christine. 2013. Erratum to Identifying policy target groups with qualitative and quantitative methods: the case of wildfire risk on nonindustrial private forest lands Forest Policy and Economics. 25: 62 71.
• O’Callaghan, Joan; Fischer, A. Paige; Charnley, Susan. 2013. Managing wildfire risk in fire-prone landscapes: how are private landowners contributing.
• Nielsen-Pincus, Max; Charnley, Susan; Moseley, Cassandra. 2013. The influence of market proximity on national forest hazardous fuels treatments.
• McLain, R.J.; MacFarland, K.; Brody, L.; Hebert, J.; Hurley, P.; Poe, M.; Buttolph, L.P.; Gabriel, N.; Dzuna, M.; Emery, M.R.; Charnley, S. 2012. Gathering in the city: an annotated bibliography and review of the literature about human-plant interactions in urban ecosystems.
• Fischer, A. Paige; Charnley, Susan. 2012. Private forest owners and invasive plants: risk perception and management.
• Fischer, A. Paige; Charnley, Susan. 2012. Risk and cooperation: managing hazardous fuel in mixed ownership landscapes.
• Charnley, Susan; Jakes, Pamela; Schelhas, John. 2012. Socioeconomic assessment of Forest Service American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects: key findings and lessons learned.
• Charnley, Susan; Cerveny, Lee K. 2011. US Forest Service experimental forests and ranges: an untapped resource for social science.
• Charnley, Susan; Durham, William H. 2010. Anthropology and environmental policy: What counts.
• Charnley, Susan; Diaz, David; Gosnell, Hannah. 2010. Mitigating climate change through small-scale forestry in the USA: opportunities and challenges.
• Fischer, A. Paige; Charnley, Susan. 2010. Social and cultural influences on management for carbon sequestration on US family forestlands: a literature synthesis.
• Charnley, Susan; Donoghue, Ellen M.; Moseley, Cassandra. 2008. Forest Management Policy and Community Well-Being in the Pacific Northwest.
• Charnley, Susan; Donoghue, Ellen M.; Moseley, Cassandra. 2008. Forest management policy and community well-being in the Pacific Northwest.
• Kay, William M.; Donoghue, Ellen M.; Charnley, Susan; Moseley, Cassandra. 2007. Northwest Forest Plan the first 10 years (1994 2003): socioeconomic monitoring of the Mount Hood National Forest and three local communities..
• McLain, Rebecca J.; Tobe, Lisa; Charnley, Susan; Donoghue, Ellen M.; Moseley, Cassandra. 2006. Northwest Forest Plan the first 10 years (1994 2003): socioeconomic monitoring of Coos Bay District and three local communities..
• Buttolph, Lita P.; Kay, William; Charnley, Susan; Moseley, Cassandra; Donoghue, Ellen M. 2006. Northwest Forest Plan the first 10 years: socioeconomic monitoring of the Olympic National Forest and three local communities..
• Charnley, Susan; Engelbert, Bruce. 2005. Evaluating public participation in environmental decision-making: EPA's superfund community involvement program..

Research Highlights

Highlight	Title	Year
PNW-2020-88	An “All Lands” Approach to Addressing Wildfire Risk Landscape-scale management to reduce wildfire risk in frequent-fire forest ecosystems of the western United States calls for coordination and bu ...	2020
PNW-2017-227	Challenges in coordinating wildfire risk reduction among diverse forest owners Research across a multi-owner landscape in central Oregon found that in general, Forest Service management was likely to produce forest conditio ...	2017
PNW-2018-117	Communities, economies, and the Northwest Forest Plan: 24 years later Social and economic conditions in rural communities have changed since the Northwest Forest Plan was enacted in 1994. A synthesis of research ex ...	2018
PNW-2018-31	Fire as a tool Landscape-scale forest restoration programs that incorporate managed wildfire and prescribed fire lead to more pronounced reductions in fire sev ...	2018
PNW-2018-30	Grazing and endangered fish recovery: finding ways to make both possible Grazing management on national forests is more likely to sustain and recover endangered fish, and support ranchers’ livelihoods, if there is m ...	2018
PNW-2016-264	Socioeconomic Monitoring and Community Forests in West Africa Community forests may be effective for conserving forest biodiversity in West Africa and sustaining desirable ecosystem services and forest prod ...	2016
PNW-2016-39	The Effects of Landscape Restoration Strategies on Fire and Ecosystem Services Vary with Rate of Treatment in a Fire-prone Multi-ownership Region The results and the landscape modeling tool are being used by the Deschutes National Forest and the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Landscape Res ...	2016