Applying the Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP) framework to cultural resources in the national parks

Abstract

The National Park Service has developed the Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP) framework for addressing carrying capacity in the National Parks. This framework has been successfully applied to natural and recreational resources in diverse units of the National Park System. However, most units of the National Park System also contain significant cultural resources. This paper outlines how the VERP framework might be applied to cultural resources, the challenges this may present, and some suggestions of how to meet these challenges.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the 2002 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium

Citation

Valliere, William; Manning, Robert. 2003. Applying the Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP) framework to cultural resources in the national parks. In: Schuster, Rudy, comp., ed. Proceedings of the 2002 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-302. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 234-238