Longitudinal Monitoring of Public Reactions to the U.S

Abstract

Natural resource managers need to better understand the impact of fees on outdoor recreationists. The debate about recreation fees involves both operational issues such as revenue use and social issues such as justice and fairness. The recreation fee program of the US Forest Service is over ten years old and it is now possible to gauge some of the longitudinal effects of fees and fee communication programs. This paper presents ongoing research to provide monitoring of the recreation fee program in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Surveys of residents in Washington and Oregon were conducted in 1999, 2001, and 2003. This paper highlights findings that describe public perceptions about the fee program over a six year period. The key issues are: Shifts in public attitudes about fees, perceptions about balance between taxes and fees, equity and implementation concerns, and revenue uses. Results suggest that public attitudes have remained relatively stable and that in some important ways negative reactions have been reduced. The paper concludes with some implications from these results, notably the practicality and relevance to managers of using user assessments.

Citation

Absher, J.D.; Graefe, A.G.; Burns, R.C. 2008. Longitudinal Monitoring of Public Reactions to the U.S. Forest Service Recreation Fee Program. In: Visitor Management in Nature-based Tourism: Strategies and Success Factors for Recreational and Protected Areas. Siegrist, D.; Clivaz, C.; Hunziker, M.; & Iten, S. (eds.) Volume 2. Series of the Institute for Landscape and Open Space. Rapperswil, Switzerland: Institute for Landscape and Open Space, HSR University of Applied Sciences. pp. 9-15.