Using mixed methods to understand recreation use patterns and visitor behavior

2024-2027
University of Vermont Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Program
USFS Pacific Northwest Research Station

This project is studying where and how forest structure and forest management practices affect recreation opportunities and experiences. The research is asking question such as: what amount of recreation happens in different types of forests and how do differing structural characteristics of forests influence recreation use? Do some forest have specific settings and characteristics that provide unique visitor experiences? How does the public perceive of and value different structural characteristics of forests and how does that influence their recreation choices? What are public attitudes towards different forest management strategies and trade-offs between management actions and disturbance in those forests?

This project is extending the development and testing application of approaches using digital mobility data and models that integrated it with established recreation monitoring data to characterize recreational use of natural resources. The study objectives are to improve novel methods for assessing visitation patterns, advance approaches using content of volunteered geographic information to understand visitor experiences, and provide analytical outputs that are actionable in natural resource planning and management at a range of spatial scales.