North Central Research Station

Annual Trends for Forest Service Issues in the News - Conflict

Conflict is an index of expressions of conflict in the news media related to the other seven policy issues (Fuels Reduction, Healthy Forests, Invasives, Logging, Motorized Recreation, Planning Rule, and Roadless). Discussion of all types of conflict is included, such as expressions of general conflict (e.g., bickering, brouhaha, contentious), legal conflict (e.g., legal battle, sued, suit filed), acts of civil disobedience and illegal acts (e.g., blockade, eco-terrorism, tree spiking), name-calling (e.g., eco-freak, timber beasts, zealot), and expressions of anger and related emotions (e.g., animosity, bitterness, discontent). Details about the construction of this “conflict index” can be found in: Bengston, D.N. and D.P. Fan. 1999. Conflict over natural resource management: A social indicator based on analysis of online news media text. Society and Natural Resources 12: 493-500. This paper is available online as a PDF document.