Recreation conflicts on Mt. Evans

Abstract

This study examines recreation conflict at Mt. Evans, Colorado; a high visibility area that attracts both hunters and non-hunters. Two types of conflict were distinguished: goal interference and conflict of values. Data were obtained from a series of on-site and mailed surveys. For hunting related events (e.g. seeing an animal being shot, hearing guns being fired), 70% or more of both hunters and non-hunters experienced no conflict. Among non-hunters, conflicts in values (between 24 and 27%) were more evident than goal interference problems (1 to 5%). For the hunters, less than 15% reported either goal interference or conflicts in values. For human/wildlife interaction events (e.g. people disturbing wildlife, people feeding wildlife), between 40 and 68% of the non-hunters experienced no conflict, compared to 24 to 57% of the hunters. Twenty-one to 36% of both groups expressed a conflict in values. Hunters were more likely to report goal interference conflicts (19 to 55%) than non-hunters (6 to 36%). The management implications of these findings are discussed.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the 1994 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium

Citation

Vaske, Jerry J.; Wittmann, Karin; Laidlaw, Susan; Donnelly, Maureen P. 1995. Recreation conflicts on Mt. Evans. In: Vander Stoep, Gail A., ed. Proceedings of the 1994 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium; 1994 April 10-12; Saratoga Springs, NY.: Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-198. Radnor, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 96-99