A look inside the dynamics of trust: a guide for managers

In the United States, federal public land managers are tasked with serving as stewards of land, but also as stewards of the relationships that people have with the land. By assessing the public’s trust in the actions of land managers, insight can be gained into how good of a job managers are doing. This paper outlines a number of factors that influence the public’s trust in managing agencies, and provides suggestions for monitoring the level of trust. The authors suggest that any efforts to increase the public’s trust require the general attentiveness of land managers.