Interdisciplinary research is essential to developing scientifically sound and publicly acceptable solutions to wildland fuel problems on federal lands across the United States. Currently, numerous fuel reduction strategies and public outreach activities are underway on federal forests and rangelands. These programs provide an opportunity to assess public understanding and concerns about the types of treatments used to address accumulating fuels. Ultimately, the long-term success of such programs may be determined by how well resource managers translate public responses into supportable policies that fulfill a range of resource values. This study evaluates the public’s understanding and acceptance of different wildland fuel treatments in federal forest and rangeland settings. Specifically, its purpose is to 1) identify the factors that influence the acceptability of fuel reduction strategies and decision processes, 2) examine citizens’ understanding of and preferences for management alternatives, and 3) measure public confidence in resource agencies for effective implementation of these practices. The research design employed a three-tier approach to fully address the national significance of wildland fuels and examine the regional and local strategies being implemented by JFSP partner agencies.