Thesis (M.A.)--Boise State University, 2009. / Title from t.p. of PDF file (viewed May 13, 2010). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-143).

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio University, August, 2002. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-75)

Wilderness is an important Issue in British Columbia. The government of British Columbia deemed it necessary to establish a Wilderness Advisory Committee in 1985 to review and report on the place of wilderness in society in the province. Recently, the media have highlighted the controversy and confrontation over several areas in British Columbia on the issue of preservation versus development. This issue continues to stimulate public debate. This study surveys four groups of subjects in British Columbia in order to assess and compare their wilderness psychological dimensions. These four groups, chosen for their hypothesized range of wilderness viewpoints, are members of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), wilderness users, wilderness managers, and members of the general public. The methodological tool used in this research was a mall survey sent or distributed to these four groups of subjects. The wilderness psychological dimensions of these groups were divided into three categories: the personal, the societal, and the environmental. The personal psychological dimension is the individual's perceived locus of control with respect to wilderness which was assessed by an Internal-External Wilderness Scale. The societal psychological dimension is the individual's perceptions, attitudes, values, and beliefs with respect to whether humans should control nature and wilderness. This dimension was assessed by a Wilderness Environmental Protection Scale. The environmental concern dimension was assessed by a Conservation Scale which contains statements on pollution and natural resources, two key indicators of environmental concern. In addition to the above assessments, the associations between the psychological dimensions and other subject variables categorized as wilderness views and use, socioeconomic characteristics, and wilderness managers’ positions and opinions were also investigated. The results of these studies indicate statistically significant differences among the four study groups on each of the three psychological scales. In terms of paired group differences on the Internal-External Wilderness Scale, four pairs of study groups were significantly different. The four paired groups were: wilderness users and members of the general public, members of the general public and CPAWS members, members of the general public and wilderness managers, and CPAWS members and wilderness managers. All pairs of study groups were significantly different on the Wilderness Environmental Protection Scale and the Conservation Scale, with the exception of the study group pair of members of the general public and wilderness managers on the Conservation Scale. Certain wilderness views and use variables (a need for more designated wilderness areas, being a member of a recreation organization, and total number of memberships in recreation organizations), socioeconomic characteristics variables (education level, age, and employment status), and wilderness managers' positions and opinions variables (inadequacy of current wilderness legislation, income, and training) showed statistically significant relationships to the psychological dimensions. On the basis of the results of this research, a conceptual and theoretical framework for the psychological dimensions of wilderness was developed. The Wilderness Environmental Protection Scale and the Conservation Scale can be conceptualized as measuring a care dimension with respect to wilderness, while the Internal-External Wilderness Scale can be conceptualized as measuring a control dimension with respect to wilderness. Within this framework, all four study groups can be classified as having both a high control and a high care view of wilderness. A Wilderness Paradigm is presented which treats the psychological interpretation of wilderness as a function of these two dimensions, A strong endorsement of this Wilderness Paradigm indicates a deep respect for and positive valuing of wilderness. The better understanding of the psychological dimensions of wilderness provided by this research could help to resolve some of the conflicts over wilderness in British Columbia. / Graduate

This study assessed visitor use levels and resource and social conditions in wilderness areas across the State of Colorado using existing and collected spatial data. This is the first attempt to spatially assess wilderness conditions at the state level. A state-wide assessment of wilderness conditions allows local and regional managers to make informed regional decisions and to prioritize and direct their time and energy efficiently. This assessment clarifies the recreational use and impacts across the state. This study consists of two projects: 1) managers’ perceptions of the location and extent of resource and social condition problems; and 2) a geographic information system (GIS) model of remoteness across the State of Colorado and for each wilderness area.

This paper examines formal wilderness designation and is presented in two parts. The first section offers a general classification and comprehensive review of the benefit and cost variables associated with wilderness designation and management. The second section investigates recreation use, which society has historically perceived to be the highest valued element in the network of wilderness benefits. Variables associated with the benefits of wilderness designation are presented under three major categories: 1) naturalness preservation, 2) solitude or primitive and unconfined types of recreation, and 3) special features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historic value. Costs attributed to wilderness designation are presented under two major categories: 1) administration/general management costs and 2) opportunity costs. The second section of this thesis establishes growth rate comparisons of wilderness and non-wilderness recreation use on United States Forest Service lands in Utah, the Intermountain Region, and the overall national Forest Service system from 1967 to 1986. The High Uintas Wilderness area was also analyzed for its use over the same twenty-year period. Data used to measure recreational use at these levels was obtained from United States Forest Service Recreation Information Management records and are measured in recreational visitor days. Growth rate comparisons are measured with respect to recreation use in general terms as well as on a per acre basis at all levels examined. Because of general trend discrepancies in recreation use over the twenty-year study period, growth rate estimates of recreation use at all levels are also measured with respect to two separate time periods--1967 to 1976 and 1977 to 1986. This analysis shows that non-wilderness/ primitive recreation use per acre increased during the last decade at all levels examined, whereas wilderness/primitive .recreation use per acre showed marked declines during the same period. Growth rate estimates established on a per acre basis provide a general indication of the marginal value of wilderness and non-wilderness recreation use. This thesis shows that, with respect to recreation use, marginal utility has diminished in designated wilderness since 1977. In contrast, this research also infers that the marginal value for non-wilderness recreation use has increased. These findings suggest that, from a recreation perspective, adding wilderness areas to the National Wilderness Predervation System is unwarranted.

The primary objective of this research was to examine knowledge levels of low-impact recreational practices and to explore the effectiveness of education in reducing impacting behavior among users of Shining Rock Wilderness. Wilderness users were found to have little low-impact knowledge, scoring only 59.7 percent correct on a 10-item multiple choice test. Knowledge of recommended practices regarding campsite selection, one of the most important low-impact behaviors, was much lower at 32.9 percent correct. These low scores are likely due to evolving agency low-impact recommendations and the complexity of the task regarding proper campsite selection behavior. Wilderness users had a moderately strong positive correlation between knowledge of campsite selection recommendations and intentions to select a wilderness campsite. The relationship between knowledge and and actual behavior observed in the wilderness and intentions and behavior appeared to be positive, but conclusions were limited by the small number of field observations. Posters on proper campsite selection, tent placement, and use of backpack stoves rather than campfires were placed on trailhead signs to increase knowledge, foster appropriate intentions, and improve actual behavior. A field experiment with a control group (e.g., no educational posters) showed that the trailhead posters had little positive effect on knowledge or intentions, improving only one of the five tested knowledge items and one of the three behavioral intentions. The posters improved fire building behavior, but not tent placement or campsite selection. Trailhead posters seem to be more effective at improving behaviors that do not require complex judgments about campsite impacts and wilderness use levels. / Master of Science

The purpose of this research was to: 1) measure the importance Cohutta Wilderness users place upon potential indicators of preferred wilderness experiences, 2) identify the extent to which norm, or standards, exist among these users for a variety of social indicators of the wilderness experience, and 3) to compare these characteristics among a number of different subgroups in order to assess any differences which may exist among users. Social judgment theory was used in the study to develop a more reliable and useful method for achieving these objectives. Wilderness users tended to place high levels of importance on most of the indicators studied. However, the greatest importance was placed upon a number of the physical/ecological indicators. Subgroups of wilderness users classified according to wilderness involvement, place attachment, and length of stay showed the most significant differences in importance evaluations. Most of the users sampled were willing to provide personal norms, but these norms were often unstable over time. Users tended to become more restrictive concerning those conditions they found acceptable. Measures of consensus suggested two different conclusions. Wilderness user subgroups tended to have greater median variation than was the case for the approach using percent agreement for specific encounter norm levels. When users were broken down into subgroups, the wilderness involvement measure appeared to explain the most differences in norms regarding the acceptability of wilderness conditions. / Master of Science

Social contact norms are used by managers to establish standards for regulating visitation of wilderness areas so that visitors can attain adequate experiences of solitude. This study expanded on current conceptions of social contact norms to provide a theoretical and empirical basis for understanding how such norms are formed. Using person perception, stereotyping, and socialization theory and the concept of cognitive schemata, a conceptual framework was built to explain how visitors come to judge certain groups as appropriate or inappropriate in a wilderness area. Seven research hypotheses were proposed and tested using a database consisting of responses to a mail questionnaire survey of 800 permit requestors and 95 interviews with visitors at Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness, Arizona. The first hypothesis, that wilderness visitors would regard some types of groups as appropriate and other types of groups as inappropriate in the wilderness area, was supported. Norms for encountering 13 types of groups were estimated from written questions and drawings, and paired picture comparisons allowed ranking of six types of groups. Encounters with lone hikers, small groups, medium-sized groups, birdwatchers, youth groups, school classes, and rangers were considered more appropriate than encounters with hunters, horseback riders, packstock users, and nude bathers. Logit and multinomial logit models were used to test the six remaining hypotheses, which concerned the influences of socialization and other processes on development of social contact norms. To test the hypotheses, norms for encountering six types for groups were predicted from demographic and other variables. The results indicated that norms for encountering small groups were not affected by social class or race; affiliation with a small group during a wilderness visit was associated with a dislike of large groups, membership in a conservation organization had no such association; members of conservation organizations preferred fewer encounters with hunters; membership in a conservation organization also prompted the respondents to dislike encounters with horseback riders; females, older visitors, and people with children disliked encountering nude bathers; and inexperienced and less self-reliant visitors enjoyed encounters with rangers. Theoretical, managerial, and social implications of these results were then discussed.

Includes the full and summary reports of State of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area: an evaluation of management effectiveness. / Title from home page (viewed on June 9, 2005). Full report also issued in print and CD.

Includes the full and summary reports of State of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area: an evaluation of management effectiveness, "bonus material ... and papers describing the management evaluation system."--Container insert. / Title from home page (viewed on June 9, 2005). Full and summary reports also available in print and on the internet.