Human Ecology Mapping for Travel Management Planning

Project Description

The Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest requested assistance in the development of a protocol and the generation of sociospatial information about human uses of forest roads for travel management planning. The project was led by Lee Cerveny (PNW-GSV) and a group of researchers from Portland State University. The team helped design a public engagement approach that included a participatory mapping component that would spatially depict the high-priority destinations people visit in the national forest and the roads used to access these destinations. Forest partners hosted eight community workshops and an online survey.

The study team's role was to advise on the development of the protocol, design a systematic data-gathering approach, analyze the data collected by forest partners, and produce a spatial database as well as maps showing the high-use forest destinations and high-frequency forest roads. The team also produced a decision tool to help forest planners evaluate roads based on two criteria: (a) volume of use, and (b) diversity of use. This decision tool was shared with the planning team along with a set of maps that showed public use data. The interdisciplinary team engaged in travel management planning used these sociospatial datasets and decision tools to produce the travel management report in December 2015.

In addition to the practical benefits of this project, the study team embarked on the development of three manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. (1) "Comparing Results from Community Workshops and Online Surveys for Public Participation GIS (PPGIS)," (2) "Development of Tools and Techniques for Sustainable Roads and Travel Management Planning," and (3) "Validation of Ecosystem Service Bundles for Forest Planning."

Purpose and Scope

The goal of this project was to generate sociospatial information about public values and forest uses for use in national forest travel management planning. The project involved development of spatial analysis approaches that elicited forest destination hotspots (high-density areas) as well as places with high forest diversity. Forest roads were classified based on their density and diversity.

Methods

Forest partners conducted community workshops in eight communities adjacent to the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The workshop included a participatory mapping component that asked participants to identify up to eight forest destinations of high importance and the roads used to access these destinations. The spatial data were digitized and analyzed to produce maps that displayed high-density destinations, high-use roads, and roads that catered to a diversity of forest activities. The maps were presented by the study team to the communities one year later for feedback and follow-up. These conversations were captured by the study team and helped the national forest to confirm the results of the Human Ecology Mapping effort as well as solidify communications of the public engagement efforts. The comments offered also provided additional insights to the interdisciplinary planning team about public priorities for forest roads.

Key Findings

Urban residents access a variety of forest destinations, while rural residents tend to visit forest destinations within 25 miles of their home.