Interest group standards for ecological impacts at wilderness campsites

Abstract

Little research has focused on the ecological standards of recreation interest groups for campsites in wilderness. Because there are differences in their use of the resource, it is sometimes assumed that groups’ standards for campsite impacts are also different. Using evaluations of bare ground and fire rings from organized interest groups, this study compares impact standards for outdoor activity clubs, environmental organizations, and wilderness managers. For the impacts and groups studied here, results suggest that groups using the back country may not be as different in their views as generally assumed, managers’ standards generally differ from those of user groups, tolerance of ecological impacts at campsites is generally high, and ecological impacts may not be a high priority for users when compared with other campsite attributes. Findings imply that some consolidation of group types may be appropriate for campsite management purposes. Analysis of group standards can help identify a range of suitable alternatives for impact management.