In the field of outdoor recreation, the problem of increasing user demand for the use of a limited supply of available and appropriate resources is becoming of growing concern. Furthermore, numerous studies have illustrated that excessive use of recreational resources can cause degradation of the physical resource base and result in decreased user enjoyment of the recreation experience. These conditions indicate the need for effective evaluation and allocation of the supply of recreational resources. This will provide for a sustained optimal flow of recreation benefits, and minimization of degradation of resource quality. The major premise of the thesis submits that for purposes of outdoor recreation planning for Galiano Island an integrated approach to natural resource evaluation, based on an ecological framework and incorporating consideration of the activity and user characteristics, can be utilized to optimize resource utility and derived user satisfaction. The methodology of the study include four phases; synthesis of present techniques of natural resource evaluation, identification of the characteristics of the physiographic constituents of the resource base which influence recreational use, assessment of the activity participation and preferences of selected referent recreationist groups, and integration of these elements into a comprehensive approach to outdoor recreation analysis. The natural resource base of Galiano Island, in the British Columbia Gulf Islands, and the recreationists utilizing the island for cottaging, camping and boating activities are selected for the case study. The analysis of the resource base indicates that spatial differentiation on the island, on the basis of physiographic characteristics, provides a good means by which to allocate the selected activities. The data provided by the user groups serves to indicate the nature and scope of activities which provide for optimal enjoyment of the recreation experience. On the basis of the findings, a suggested development scheme for Galiano Island is prepared. The results of the study illustrate that an integrated approach to outdoor recreation planning, incorporating resource, activity and user characteristics, can provide a means by which to enhance and protect outdoor recreation values of the resource base and the recreationists alike. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the factors which explain the patterns of outdoor recreation that a given population pursues on a given land surface. Patterns of use were understood as (1) the types of activities the population pursued and the frequency with which they pursued them, and (2) the distribution of these activities over a differentiated land surface. Emphasis was placed on designing a methodological framework within which the explanatory value of postulated sets of factors can be examined. The data used to illustrate the methodology was taken from a study of the outdoor recreational use of Galiano Island done by The University of British Columbia School of Community and Regional Planning during the summer of 1969. (1) I made the operational assumption that the observed variation in the types and frequency of outdoor recreation activities pursued by groups of visitors to Galiano Island could be explained by differences in the "internal" characteristics of the groups. Internal characteristics were defined as all factors contributed by the recreationists themselves such as age, sex, experience, etc., which could influence the way they respond to the landscape. In effect, internal characteristics represent the translative mental processes that mediate between the stimulii the recreationist receives from the landscape and his perceived use of it. I hypothesized that variations in the frequency and types of outdoor recreation activities which visitors to Galiano Island pursued could be explained by a selected set of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the visitor group. The hypothesis was tested by canonical correlation analysis. The results obtained were not significant at the 0.05 level of probability . I argued that the negative results were attributable to the characteristics of the data and that the hypothesis, in a conceptual sense, was not incorrect. (2) The second assumption made was that the areal variation in the recreational use of the land surface, generally and for specific activities, could be explained by variations in the characteristics of the landscape itself. I hypothesized that the number of visits (irrespective of activity) that recreationists paid to lot areas on Galiano Island could be predicted from measures of the accessibility, development, and proximity to the shoreline of the lot. Following this, I hypothesized that the number of visits paid to lot areas for each of three specific activities (going to the beach, camping, hiking) could be predicted from the same set of measurements. These hypotheses were tested by multiple regression analysis. Two of the four analyses produced equations which were significant at the 0.001 level of probability. The first showed that the combined total of visits for all activities could be predicted from measurements of the accessibility, development, and proximity to the shoreline of the lot area. The second significant relationship showed that visits paid to lot areas for the purpose of going to the beach could be predicted from the same set of measurements. Both equations, although significant, had questionable explanatory value owing to the nature of the data. The sample size was too small to permit adequate testing of the hypotheses. The recent literature and the direction pointed to by the results obtained in this study support the conceptual framework which I have presented. However, the data used were largely inadequate to test the conceptual basis of the methodologies proposed. I have suggested throughout the study where improvements for the collection of data can be made. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

This thesis analyses a special form of land conservation, community-initiated conservation (CIC). CIC is rooted in communities working to protect lands that they deem biologically or recreationally important. A community starts the CIC process, not government or conservation organisations. To protect spaces, communities may link with governments for institutional recognition and management, or the land and its management may remain in the hands of the community. Social research methods that place the author/researcher within the context of his value system and the values of the community studied form the cornerstone of the thesis. Of the many ways of analysing CIC, this thesis utilises collaboration theory. To apply collaboration theory to the CIC processes on Galiano, the thesis first sets the context: how land conservation in BC is effected, followed by what makes CIC unique. Ultimately, the theory on collaboration is combined with CIC experiences to develop a framework of analysis, which is then applied to two CIC processes on Galiano Island, BC and answers the following questions: 1. Is collaboration theory a relevant tool for evaluating CICs, particularly if CICs are not "as collaborative" as other processes? 2. Can CIC on Galiano Island, BC be considered collaborative? If CIC on Galiano is collaborative, to what extent was it collaborative in a multistakeholder sense? 3. How well did the citizens of Galiano collaborate? 4. How can collaboration theory strengthen CIC? The research concludes that collaboration theory is a relevant tool to analyse CICs, despite their limited inclusion o f potential public stakeholders suggested by other multistakeholder processes such as the B C Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy. CIC as practised on Galiano did not follow the ideal steps for collaboration according to collaboration theorists; however, the groups did ultimately conserve land. The consequences are a continued contentious atmosphere on the Island, reluctance by all parties to enter other collaborative efforts and mistrust within the community. Finally, the thesis recommends actions for other CICs in B C based on the experiences of the Galiano processes. These recommendations are categorised under the headings: the collaborative process, stakeholders and stakeholder interactions and the larger context of the CIC process.

This thesis analyses a special form of land conservation, community-initiated conservation (CIC). CIC is rooted in communities working to protect lands that they deem biologically or recreationally important. A community starts the CIC process, not government or conservation organisations. To protect spaces, communities may link with governments for institutional recognition and management, or the land and its management may remain in the hands of the community. Social research methods that place the author/researcher within the context of his value system and the values of the community studied form the cornerstone of the thesis. Of the many ways of analysing CIC, this thesis utilises collaboration theory. To apply collaboration theory to the CIC processes on Galiano, the thesis first sets the context: how land conservation in BC is effected, followed by what makes CIC unique. Ultimately, the theory on collaboration is combined with CIC experiences to develop a framework of analysis, which is then applied to two CIC processes on Galiano Island, BC and answers the following questions: 1. Is collaboration theory a relevant tool for evaluating CICs, particularly if CICs are not "as collaborative" as other processes? 2. Can CIC on Galiano Island, BC be considered collaborative? If CIC on Galiano is collaborative, to what extent was it collaborative in a multistakeholder sense? 3. How well did the citizens of Galiano collaborate? 4. How can collaboration theory strengthen CIC? The research concludes that collaboration theory is a relevant tool to analyse CICs, despite their limited inclusion o f potential public stakeholders suggested by other multistakeholder processes such as the B C Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy. CIC as practised on Galiano did not follow the ideal steps for collaboration according to collaboration theorists; however, the groups did ultimately conserve land. The consequences are a continued contentious atmosphere on the Island, reluctance by all parties to enter other collaborative efforts and mistrust within the community. Finally, the thesis recommends actions for other CICs in B C based on the experiences of the Galiano processes. These recommendations are categorised under the headings: the collaborative process, stakeholders and stakeholder interactions and the larger context of the CIC process. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

I compared forest structural parameters of treated and untreated plots on a forest restoration site on Galiano Island, British Columbia. The site was replanted with Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (mirb.) Franco) after being intensively logged in the 1970s and then thinned in the early 2000s. I used existing baseline data from 8 permanent plots (5 treated, 3 control) and compared it with forest assessment data collected in the field in the summer of 2017. Additionally, I used 16 temporary plots (8 treated, 8 control). I assessed vegetation percentage cover by plot, coarse woody debris by plot, tree diameter, species and status (n = 846), height (n = 48) and diameter growth (n = 271). I found that treated plots showed improved measures of structural diversity like diameter growth, crown ratios and plant diversity, but I was unable to relate the increased diameter growth to the restoration treatments. My findings suggest that to create a lasting impact, restoration thinning will have to be more frequent or create larger gaps. I then reviewed the current studies with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in ecological restoration. I evaluated potential use of hobbyist UAVs for small organizations and not-for-profits and found that if applied correctly, UAVs can increase the amount of available data before, during and after restoration. Reproducible and reliable results require trained personnel and calibrated sensors. UAVs can increase access to remote areas and decrease disturbance of sensitive ecosystems. Regulations, limited flight time and processing time remain important restrictions on UAV use and hobbyist UAVs have a limit availability of sensors and flight performance. Finally, I used images taken from a hobbyist UAV to assess forest structure of the restoration site on Galiano Island and compared my results with the ground measurements. I found a canopy height model (CHM) from UAV images underestimated mean tree height values for the study site on average by 10.2 metres, while also severely underestimating mean stem densities. Using a 2 metre threshold, I delineated canopy gaps which accounted for 6 % of the canopy. UAV images and the resulting CHM represent a new visualization of the study site’s structure and can be a helpful tool in the communication of restoration outcomes to a wider audience. They are not, however, sufficient for monitoring or scientific applications. / Graduate