George H. Stankey

The ROS planning system: Evolution, basic concepts, and research needed

Abstract This paper describes the evolution of the concept of the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS)—a largely resource‐based approach to providing recreational diversity. It explains the needs of the USDA Forest Service and USDI Bureau of Land Management for a recreation resource planning system and relates those needs to the development of the ROS system to guide recreation planning of large areas. The basic concepts and tenets of the ROS system are explained and needed research is outlined.

Carrying capacity in recreational settings: Evolution, appraisal, and application

Abstract This paper traces the historical evolution of the carrying capacity concept. It argues that many of the fundamental propositions of the concept were understood and articulated early in its evolution. Of particular importance was the recognition that the relationship between visitor satisfaction and use levels was dependent upon the activities in which an individual participated, and the needs or desires that activity was to fulfill. The literature reporting generally low levels of statistical association between reports of trip satisfaction and levels of encounters is reviewed critically, and a number of mediating influences on this association are suggested. Finally, it is suggested that research focused on defining “How much is too much?” is directed at the wrong issue; rather, the focus should be on the question of what kinds of resource and social conditions are appropriate and acceptable in different settings. A reformulated approach to the carrying capacity issue—the limits of acceptable ch...

Adaptive Environmental Management

Acknowledgements.- Author biographies.- Section I: Understanding adaptive management. 1. Introduction G. Stankey, C. Allan.- 2. Components of Adaptive Management R.M. Argent.- Section II: Varying contexts. 3. Lessons learned from adaptive management practitioners in British Columbia, Canada A. Smith.- 4. Using adaptive management to meet multiple goals for flows along the Mitta Mitta River in south-eastern Australia C. Allan et al.- 5. Adaptive management of a sustainable wildlife enterprise trial in Australias Barrier Ranges P. Ampt et al.- 6. Learning about the social elements of adaptive management in the South Island tussock grasslands of New Zealand W. Allen, C. Jacobson.- 7. Kuka Kanyini, Australian Indigenous adaptive management G. Wilson, M. Woodrow.- 8. Crisis as a positive role in implementing adaptive management after the Biscuit fire, Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. B.T. Bormann, G.H. Stankey.- Section III: Tools for adaptive management. 9. Modelling and adaptive environmental management T. Jakeman et al.- 10. Lessons learned from a computer-assisted participatory planning and management process in the Peak District National Park, England K. Hubacek, M. Reed.- 11. Signposts for Australian Agriculture J. Chesson et al.- 12. Environmental Management Systems as adaptive natural resource management: case studies from agriculture G. Wilson et al.- 13. The adaptive management system for the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area - linking management planning with effectiveness evaluation G. Jones.- Section IV: The importance ofpeople. 14. Adaptive management of environmental flows - 10 years on T. Ladson.- 15. Collaborative learning as part of adaptive management of forests affected by deer C. Jacobson et al.- 16. Effective leadership for adaptive management L. Schultz, I.. Fazey.- 17. Institutionalising adaptive management: creating a culture of learning in New South Wales Parks and wildlife service P. Stathis, C. Jacobson.- 18. Adaptive people for adaptive management I. Fazey, L. Schultz.- Section V: Conclusion. 19. Synthesis of lessons C. Allan, G. Stankey.-

Managing Access to Wildlands for Recreation in the USA: Background and Issues Relevant to Sustaining Tourism

Sustainable tourism development that involves protected areas requires access to publicly administered lands. Management of this access is largely culturally determined but informed by science. In the United States, access to public lands (at the federal level) is a result of conflicting legal, professional and long-standing public access traditions that have led to a complex, uncertain and frequently confusing policy environment. As demands for sustainable tourism opportunities rise along with increasing concern for the condition of public lands, we can expect additional restrictions on access. Such restrictions may impact the capability of protected areas to support sustainable tourism initiatives.

A framework for estimating the consequences of alternative carrying capacity levels in Yosemite Valley

Abstract In the total process of developing a master plan for Yosemite National Park, the determination of appropriate visitor uses and use levels within Yosemite Valley is of great significance. The valley is a relatively self-contained component of the park, it has unique, nationally significant resources, and is the primary destination for a large number of park visitors. Changes in use types or levels in the valley could significantly affect the basic values of the area by either improving or impairing their preservation. The ability to assess the relative consequences of such changes is a critical decisionmaking tool in management planning. A scheme for making these assessments is presented in this paper. Evaluation of park history, legislation, and management policies identified scenery and natural biotic communities as the primary resource values in Yosemite Valley. The lands within the valley were classified and mapped according to three “quality” levels of each resource value producing a summary of area within each of nine scenic/ biotic resource catagories. Existing use patterns were evaluated relative to criteria for “acceptable uses” within each scenic/biotic type. Areas violating these criteria were subtracted from the “existing conditions” data to produce a corrected set of “baseline” data. All proposed alternatives for use allocation can be assessed against these baseline data to determine if conditions for the preservation of scenic and biotic resource of the Valley would be improved or impaired by the new use pattern. Possible uses of the assessment approach in other parks are discussed.

The integration of planted and natural forests in a regional landscape

The 10,700 km2 region of northwestern Oregon, USA, is dominated by mountainous forested landscapes fringed by agricultural lands and rapidly expanding urban areas. The Douglas-fir/western-hemlock trees, admixed with other species, in the mild, moist regional climate with rich soils are among the most highly productive of temperate forests. Timber harvest has been the dominant land use for much of this century. Many current forest stands are planted, and have the potentials to be managed and shaped for a variety of traditional and evolving forestry objectives. The ages, resilience and productivity of these forests and mosaics of land ownerships permit a variety of future scenarios of forested landscapes, constrained largely by capacities of social organizations to plan and execute management for desired future conditions.