Even if the wet winter produces a light fire season and a relatively smoke-free summer, there are perceptions to counter. Our region got a reputation over the last few years as a place where wildfires get big and destructive, and smoke collects at unhealthy levels.
This creates issues for local residents and the tourism business, a mainstay of the region's economy. Travel Southern Oregon and Southern Oregon University joined forces for a marketing study examining tourist perceptions of wildfire smoke. TSO Associate Director Bob Hackett and Eva Skuratowicz, the Director of Southern Oregon University Research Center, visit to lay out the findings.