This article explored attitudes toward using genetic engineering (GE) for restoring American chestnut (AC) trees, and cognitive and socio-demographic factors related to these attitudes. Questionnaires were completed by a random representative sample of the US public (n = 278) and a purposive sample of forest interest groups (FIG) such as scientists and managers (n = 195). Results showed somewhat positive attitudes toward all three GE applications (change existing AC genes, add genes from distantly related organism to AC, add oxalate oxidase [OxO] gene from bread wheat to AC) for mitigating chestnut blight (CB) and restoring AC trees. FIGs were more aware of CB, had more favorable attitudes, and perceived greater benefits and lower risks of these GE uses. Perceived benefits and risks were among the strongest drivers of attitudes for both groups, with environmental benefits the most strongly related to attitudes toward all three GE uses for the public sample and two of the three uses for the FIGs. Benefits and risks to humans, general environmental value orientations, specific value orientations toward forests, trust in agencies, awareness about CB, and socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., age, income, education, political orientation, forestry involvement, residential proximity to forests) were not as strongly related to these attitudes. These findings can inform research on reactions to using GE for conservation, and enable organizations to effectively communicate about using emerging technologies (e.g., GE) for addressing natural resource challenges.

本文探讨了使用基因工程（GE）恢复美洲板栗（AC）树的态度，以及与这些态度相关的认知和社会人口统计学因素。问卷由美国公众的随机代表样本（n  = 278）和森林利益集团的有目的样本（FIG）（如科学家和管理人员）完成（n = 195）。结果表明，对于缓解板栗枯萎病和恢复交流树的所有三个通用应用（改变现有的交流基因，将远缘生物的基因添加到交流，从面包小麦向交流中添加草酸氧化酶[OxO]基因）都表现出积极的态度。无花果对CB的了解更深，对态度的态度更佳，并认为使用这些GE具有更大的益处和更低的风险。感知的收益和风险是两组态度的最强驱动力，而环境收益与对公众样本的所有三种GE使用和对FIGs的三种使用中的两种态度最为相关。对人类的利益和风险，一般的环境价值取向，对森林的特定价值取向，对机构的信任，对认证机构的认识以及社会人口特征（例如年龄，收入，教育，政治取向，林业参与，居住区与森林的距离等因素与这些态度之间的关系并不紧密。这些发现可以为有关使用GE进行保护的反应的研究提供信息，并使组织可以有效地交流使用新兴技术（例如GE）应对自然资源挑战的信息。