Opinions of Campers and Boaters at the Allegheny Reservoir USDA FOREST SERVICE RESEARCH PAPER NE-307 1974 NORTHEASTERN FOREST EXPERIMENT STATION FOREST SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 6816 MARKET STREET, UPPER DARBY, PA. 19082 F. BRYAN CLARK, STATION DIRECTOR WEAUTHORS GEORGE H. MOELLER is a research forester with the USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Sta- tion's research project at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in forest economics from Southern Illinois University and studied social research methods at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. He joined the Forest Service in September, 1965, and has served at the Syracuse recreation project since March, 1968, RODNEY G. LARSON is the recreation staff officer on the Allegheny National Forest, ?Varren, Pennsylvania. He has a B.S. degree in Forestry Management from the University of Minnesota. His experience with the U.S. Forest Service since 1960 covers a range of resource management assignments in land use, land acquisition, administration, information and education, and outdoor recreation programs and planning. DOUGLAS A. MORRISON is a research associate with the School of Environmental and Resource Management, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He holds a PhD. degree in resource management from the University of Oregon. Since joining the college in 1969, he has conducted research in the social and psychological principles gover~ingleisure behavior. The study reported here was carried out and funded as pa.rt of the graduate recreation studies program at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse, N.Y. MANUSCRIPTRECEIVED FOR PUBLICATION 2 APRIL1974 Opinions of Campers and Boaters at the Allegheny Reservoir by George H. Moeller Rodney G. Larson Douglas A. Morrison ABSTRACT Interviews with 157 campers and 281 boaters near the Allegheny reservoir on the Allegheny National Forest re- vealed that their perceptions of management problems differed from those of managers. Different users had different atti- tudes toward recreation use controls, fee policies, recreation zoning, law enforcement, and facility development needs. This diversity indicates that changes in recreation management policy will not affect all recreation users equally; their impact will depend on how active the users are, the number of activi- ties they participate in, and how familiar they are with the area. Fiqure I. - Sarnp,ling locations Ig he !ny Reservoir, nal Forest. Parties Sampled CAMPGROUNDS 1. Kiasutha. ......53 2. Red Bridge. .....30 3. Dew Drop. ......38 4. Willow Bay. .....15 Total 136 ] PENNSYLVANIA ( Pittsburgh Harrisbura BOAT LAUNCH SITES 5. Wolf Run Marina ...60 6. Kiasutha. ......76 7. Dew Drop. ......53 8. Willow Bay. .....59 9. Roper Hollow. ....33 Total 281 THE STUDY PROBLEM State. At normal summer pool, the reservoir is 27 miles long and has 91 miles of shoreline. Recreation resource managers are con- Most of the land around the Pennsylvania fronted with the problem of managing fixed portion of the reservoir is administered by resources for growing recreation needs. the U. S. Forest Service as part of the Alle- Management programs must be developed to gheny National Forest. Others with vested balance conflicting recreation demands equit- management responsibilities include the U. S. ably while, at the same time, maintaining Army Corps of Engineers, Seneca Nation of the integrity of the natural resource, Indians, New York State Department of En- Recreation management decisions continue vironmental Conservation, Cattaragus Coun- to be made without adequate knowledge of ty, New York, and various private land- the recreation user, his attitudes, and his owners. opinions of management policies and problem The Forest Service has developed 17 rec- solutions. Past research has shown that re- reation areas on or directly adjacent to the source managers are not always able to per- reservoir. These provide for a wide range of ceive objectively management policies that recreational activities that include boating, are acceptable to recreation users (Hendee swimming, camping, picnicking, and sight- and Hccrris 1 9 70). seeing. Information about facilities and The purpose of this study was to provide services is provided through a centrally resource managers and planners with infor- located Forest Service information center mation about the attitudes and opinions of near the Kinzua Dam. The capacity of de- recreation users. Interviews were conducted veloped recreation facilities was increased with campers and boaters near the Allegheny from 2,480 people at one time in 1966 to reservoir in the Allegheny National Forest, 13,460 in 1972. in northwestern Pennsylvania. The results The Allegheny Reservoir has the potential of this study should provide recreation man- to be a major recreation attraction. It is agers elsewhere with better information on within 1 day's drive for over 80 million peo- which to base critical management decisions. ple (fig. 1). Since 1966, when the reservoir Although some recreation management prob- and recreation adjacent facilities opened, lems concern a particular area, many prob- recreation use has increased from 91,900 to lems discussed in this study- overuse of approximately 772,600 visitor-days per year2 facilities, control of resource use, law en- Projections are that recreation use could forcement, facility development, and user reach 5 million visitor-days by the year 2000.2 fees-are common to other heavily used rec- reation areas. THE STUDY AREA 1 A visitor-day consists of 12 user-hours, which may be aggregated continuously, intermittently, or simul- The Kinzua Dam in northwestern Pennsvl- taneously by One Or persons- 2 Projection obtained from 1972 Reservoir Manage- vania' '.' east of Pennsyl- ment Plan. The possibility of reaching the projected vania, impounds the 12,080 acre Allegheny level depends on many companion factors such as im- Reservoir, 7,634 acres of which are in Perm- proved road systems, program funding, and recreation facility development by government and private in- sylvania and the remainder in New York terests. STUDY METHOD tivities, with fishing and visiting scenic over- looks as the most comn~on. Visitors were sampled at four developed The average boater respondent was 41 campgrounds and five boat-launching sites. years old and had 2 years of college. His They were selected on 20 randomly selected $11,150 median annual family income ex- weekend days and eight weekdays during ceeded the current national median by $650. June, July, and August, 1971. The self- He tended to work in a managerial or related designated "head'' of the camping group was occupation. Chances are four to one that he interviewed for the study of campers (Ap- had previously boated on the Allegheny Res- pendix B). Boaters were contacted as they ervoir. If so, he averaged 2.4 years of boat- returned to launching sites. Interviewers ing on the reservoir, and had spent 11 days briefly explained the purpose of the study boating on the reservoir in the year before and handed the person who was driving a the study. He averaged 8 years of total boat- questionnaire to be returned by mail (Ap- ing experience. Most typically he used a 16- pendix C). For non-power boats, the appar- foot boat powered by a 26- to 80-horsepower ent "head" of the group was the respondent. motor. His average investment in boating Interviews were allocated to recreation equipment was $2,500. He traveled an aver- sites in approximate proportion to their use age distance of 78 miles in less than 2 hours on the sampling day. A total of 157 campers to reach the reservoir. Chances are about and 281 boaters responded. Only two camp- even that he was also a camper. If so, he ers refused to participate in the study. An stayed an average of 4 nights. If he did not 89-percent response was obtained from boat- camp, he stayed on the water for an average ers after one follow-up mailing of the ques- of 5 hours. His group averaged 3.5 people, tionnaire. and chances were about even that it included children. In addition to pleasure boating, his most typical water activity was waterskiing, STUDY RESULTS followed by fishing and swimming. Respondent Profiles User Attitudes A brief discussion of the characteristics of What kinds of management problems do respondents will provide some background users perceive and which do they think are for the attitudes and opinions discussed most important? How do users feel about later. More details are given in Appendix A. current management ? What are their opin- It should be recognized that the two groups ions about management alternatives? surveyed were not mutually exclusive-that Most campers did not feel that facilities is, many campers boated and many boaters were overused. But they did see uncontrolled camped. camping-camping in areas other than desig- The average camper respondent was 42 nated campgrounds-as a problem. Camp- years old and had a high school education. ers criticzed current management for not His $11,000 median annual family income ex- having better facilities, more specialized ceeded the current national median by $500. services, better information services, and site Chances are even that he had camped on the registration procedures. The majority of Allegheny before the study. He had an aver- campers supported limiting the number of age of 6 years total camping experience. His campers, opposed higher fees, felt camping average investment in camping equipment- should be allowed only in designated areas, typically a tent or tent trailer---was $1,400. and favored regular law enforcement with He traveled an average distance of 160 miles appropriate punishment for violators. in 3 hours to reach the reservoir and stayed Most boaters did not view the reservoir for 5 nights.