Date of Completion

2025

Document Type

Honors College Thesis

Department

Environmental Studies

Thesis Type

College of Arts and Science Honors, Honors College, Environmental Studies Electronic Thesis

First Advisor

Cheryl Morse

Keywords

California, place attachment, wildfire, resilience, agency, rural

Abstract

This research explores the importance of place attachment in choosing to stay in a fire-prone region of the United States. Drawing on a qualitative research approach including semi-structured interviews and a mixed-method online questionnaire, this research explores how rural geographies and wildfire inform attachments to Trinity County, California. The findings suggest that residents of Trinity County perceive fire as a natural part of their lives and choose to live there in part due to a strong sense of place attachment. The research found that residents’ engagement in the landscape through wildfire mitigation work allows for the development of a sense of agency in the face of natural hazards, thus, empowering them as active agents in shaping their relationship to fire. The study brings attention to the unique challenges and experiences faced by rural communities such as Trinity County, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of wildfire impacts beyond well-studied urban areas. Further, it calls for rethinking wildfire resilience to include conceptions of place attachment.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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