Interview Data Report: Connecting Ecological Drought Monitoring Tools with Natural Resource Stakeholders in Montana

Abstract

This report summarizes results from interviews conducted as part of NOAA NIDIS Coping with Ecological Drought grant titled “Connecting Ecological Drought Monitoring Tools with Natural Resource Stakeholders in Montana”. The research team conduced 25 semi-structured interviews with participants who work for government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the local, state, and federal levels and play a role in managing and/or conducting research on forest, grassland, and/or riparian ecosystems in Montana. Qualitative coding, analysis of interview transcripts, and intercoder reliability tests were done using Nvivo software. The results outlined in this report provide qualitative and contextual insights on ecological drought indicators and impacts from science, research, and management stakeholders in Montana and should not be generalized.