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A Case Study of the Sawtooth Wilderness

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A Case Study of the Sawtooth Wilderness University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2020 Wilderness Recreation Trends and Impacts: A Case Study of the Sawtooth Wilderness Chelsea E. Phillippe Univeristy of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Phillippe, Chelsea E., "Wilderness Recreation Trends and Impacts: A Case Study of the Sawtooth Wilderness" (2020). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11612. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11612 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WILDERNESS RECREATION TRENDS AND IMPACTS: A CASE STUDY OF THE SAWTOOTH WILDERNESS By CHELSEA PHILLIPPE B.S. Environmental Science – University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2004 Graduate Certificate – University of Montana, Missoula - 2017 Thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Resource Conservation The University of Montana Missoula, MT May 2020 Approved by: Scott Whittenburg, Dean of the Graduate School Graduate School Dr. Elizabeth C. Metcalf College of Forestry & Conservation – Department of Society and Conservation Dr. Jennifer M. Thomsen College of Forestry & Conservation – Department of Society and Conservation Dr. Justin W. Angle College of Business ii ABSTRACT Chelsea Phillippe, Master of Science, Spring 2020 Resource Conservation Wilderness Recreation Trends and Impacts: A case study of the Sawtooth Wilderness Chairperson: Elizabeth Covelli Metcalf Abstract As outdoor recreation on public lands continues to increase, land managers are tasked with managing the inevitable detrimental impacts. Wilderness managers must abide by federal legislation requiring them to balance the preservation of wilderness character with the unique recreation opportunity in wilderness for an unconfined experience. To accomplish this, managers need quantitative longitudinal trend data specific to the wilderness(es) they are responsible for. To facilitate this need, this study utilized the unique and robust longitudinal data set, ranging from 1965 to 2015, archived by the Sawtooth Wilderness. Fifty years of visitation data, campsite impact data, and management actions were visualized to reveal solitary trends, and then coupled to reveal relationships. The results from this longitudinal quantitative data exposed unexpected trends in visitation rates, visit characteristics not previously recognized, and successful management actions. By coupling the quantitative data, surprising patterns in detrimental impacts were also exposed, especially at unanticipated destinations throughout the Sawtooth Wilderness. This work will support Sawtooth Wilderness managers in their precipitous goals of endorsing wilderness recreation while simultaneously protecting the wilderness’ natural conditions. Advice for management actions and educational messaging may be drawn from these results and recommendations. Future research from wilderness character monitoring in the Sawtooth Wilderness may continue to benefit management direction as it reveals trends in visitors, and detrimental behaviors previously undetected. iii Acknowledgments I would like to recognize the invaluable opportunity and support Dr. Elizabeth Metcalf provided me to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Montana. Your positive energy and insightful challenges introduced me to not only new ideas but new ways of thinking. Thank you. I am also grateful for my thesis committee, Dr. Jennifer Thomsen and Dr. Justin Angle, for their creative feedback and continuous support – even through a pandemic! I would also like to thank the professors and staff at the University of Montana for the tireless investment in their students, especially Kari Gunderson and her contagious passion for wilderness. This work would not have been possible without the support of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and their excitement to share over fifty years of historical records and data with me. Their encouragement and enthusiasm for this work are mutual, and I am thankful to have spent time there with so many incredibly public servants, volunteers, and stewards. A special thank you to Liese Dean, Katy Nelson, and Jack Ader for your mentorship and continuous encouragement. Additional gratitude for Forest Service leadership and assistance goes to Susan Fox, the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute for their work to catalog hundreds of thousands of wilderness permits, and to Linda Merigliano for always having the time to talk about wilderness. Of course, this wouldn’t have been possible without the continuous support of friends and family. Thank you all for encouraging me to go down this path, for checking in, and for providing endless support. A special thank you to my partner Jason Malczyk; I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your incredible patience and friendship. iv Table of Contents Title Page ........................................................................................................................................ i Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... iv Chapter 1: Introduction ...............................................................................................................1 Visitor Trends ...............................................................................................................................2 Visitor Impact Trends ...................................................................................................................3 Management Actions ....................................................................................................................4 Problem Statement .......................................................................................................................5 Research Questions ......................................................................................................................6 Delimitations and Limitations ......................................................................................................6 Definition of Terms ......................................................................................................................7 Chapter 2: Literature Review ......................................................................................................8 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................8 Management Actions ....................................................................................................................8 Recreation Management ...........................................................................................................8 Wilderness Administration .......................................................................................................9 Management Frameworks ......................................................................................................10 Management Categories .........................................................................................................12 Visitor Trends .............................................................................................................................17 Overall Visitor Numbers ........................................................................................................17 Visitor Registration ................................................................................................................18 Visitor Demographics .............................................................................................................18 Visit Characteristics................................................................................................................19 Visitor Impact Trends .................................................................................................................20 Use Density ............................................................................................................................20 Visitor Impacts .......................................................................................................................20 Satisfaction .............................................................................................................................23 Wilderness Management Opportunities .....................................................................................24 Appendix ....................................................................................................................................25 Chapter 3: Methods ....................................................................................................................31 Introduction
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