Natural Resource Use, Needs, Concerns and Preferences of Hmong

Michele Schermann, Research Fellow
John Shutske, Professor
David Bengston, Research Social Scientist, North Central Research Station, U.S. Forest Service
MaiKia Moua, Project Staff
Thai Lee, Project Staff

Funding Source

North Central Research Station, U.S. Forest Service

Objective

Examine patterns, preferences, and other characteristics associated with the Hmong community’s use of publicly owned natural resources in the U.S. including parks, forests, lakes, rivers, and streams so that federal, state, and local natural resource managers and decision makers can be more responsive to and better serve that community.

Need or Impact

Policy makers, urban planners, and natural resource managers need to understand the cultures, perspectives, needs, and concerns of ethnic minority communities to effectively serve these often neglected groups. But research information and guidelines are lacking for particular racial and ethnic groups. This study focuses on the Hmong culture’s use of publicly owned natural resources in the United States. Despite the fact that natural resource-related activities such as agriculture, hunting, fishing, and gathering forest products are important economic and cultural activities for Hmong Americans, there is a little research literature in this area. Very few studies have examined the concerns and needs of the Hmong.

Project Status

In progress. Three of the six planned focus groups have been completed.