Charles J. Cicchetti

Congestion, quality deterioration, and optimal use: Wilderness recreation in the Spanish peaks primitive area

With increasing demand for low-density recreational services and limited supply of facilities to provide them, congestion is becoming an important management problem. The purpose of this paper is to outline a model of congestion, estimate the effect of it upon individual willingness to pay for wilderness experiences, and illustrate how these results might be used for efficient management. A survey of users of the Spanish Peaks Primitive Area indicates that their revealed willingness to pay is significantly affected by encroachments upon the solitude they experience during their trip. Consequently, congestion effects for such services can be measured and used in the formation of administrative policy.

Economic Models and Planning Outdoor Recreation

The growth in outdoor recreation activity over the past decade, and the increased limitations on the supply of natural environments and facilities required as inputs to this activity, have precipitated growing concern on the part of planners and managers over the adequacy of recreational facilities. This paper reviews the major economic modeling approaches for forecasting recreation activity, and for measuring the benefits from it. These approaches are major considerations in decisions on the planning, provision, and management of recreation areas and facilities.