Wilderness management principles: science, logical thinking or personal opinion?

Abstract

Recreational use adversely affects the ecological integrity of wilderness. Wilderness managers face the challenge of keeping this loss of ecological integrity to minimal levels, a task that must be accomplished primarily through management of wilderness visitors. For the past 30 years, researchers have assisted managers by assessing problems associated with recreational use of wilderness and by identifying solutions to these problems. They have conducted empirical studies-the traditional scientific approach in which conclusions are derived from observation and experimentation. They also have developed conceptual frameworks and made logical deductions about the likely consequences of alternative actions, and they have offered their personal opinions about appropriate kinds of management. Along with the experience of managers, these efforts have contributed significantly to a substantial body of knowledge and opinion about how to manage wilderness. This knowledge is best encapsulated in the two editions of the book, Wilderness Management, written by three pioneers of wilderness management research, John Hendee, George Stankey and Bob Lucas.

Citation

Cole, David N. 1995. Wilderness management principles: science, logical thinking or personal opinion?. Trends. 32(1): 6-9