NATIONAL FOREST USE AND OUTDOOR RECREATION CONSTRAINTS ACROSS FOUR ETHNIC AND MINORITY POPULATIONS IN GEORGIA by SUSAN ELIZABETH PARKER (Under the Direction of Gary T. Green) ABSTRACT The people of the United States enjoy and recreate on public lands including national forests which provide a variety of settings and opportunities for various outdoor recreation activities. Additionally, recent research has shown the overall percentage of participation in outdoor recreation activities is increasing; however, participation rates are shifting within the available activity options. This outdoor recreation activity shift combined with declining budgets and changes in population demographics are resulting in outdoor recreation managers being challenged to meet the demands of their visitors. Therefore, this study examined forest-based outdoor recreation patterns, preferences, and constraints across four ethnic and minority populations in northern Georgia. This study collected and examined data from two survey areas: on-site and off-site. On-site data were collected using intercept surveys at three sites within the Chattahoochee National Forest which represented the range of recreational facilities and recreation areas available in the national forest. Off-site data were collected using intercept surveys at sites within 70 miles of the Chattahoochee National Forest border and included two flea markets in northern Georgia as well as city, county, and state parks. The research protocol was developed and tested during a pilot test in 2010. The resulting self-administered intercept survey was used to obtain a sample of 1,045 respondents on-site at three national forest recreational sites and 1,005 respondents off-site at various recreational sites in metro Atlanta. Results suggested Whites and Asian Americans are well represented at some recreation sites in the Chattahoochee National Forest. However, some non-traditional users (i.e., African Americans and Hispanic/Latinos) are still under-represented at this national forest. Furthermore, results suggest that patterns, preferences, and perceived constraints to outdoor recreation on national forests of northern Georgia across diverse audiences are complex. Overall, this dissertation established the groundwork for identifying issues related to outdoor recreation on national forests in northern Georgia which can be used by outdoor recreation managers to help meet visitor’s changing demands for forest-based outdoor recreation. INDEX WORDS: Constraints, Ethnicity, Forest-based recreation, Income, Gender, National Forests, Outdoor Recreation, Race, Survey NATIONAL FOREST USE AND OUTDOOR RECREATION CONSTRAINTS ACROSS FOUR ETHNIC AND MINORITY POPULATIONS IN GEORGIA by SUSAN ELIZABETH PARKER B.S., Georgia State University, 1999 M.F.R., University of Georgia, 2003 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2013 © 2013 Susan E. Parker All Rights Reserved NATIONAL FOREST USE AND OUTDOOR RECREATION CONSTRAINTS ACROSS FOUR ETHNIC AND MINORITY POPULATIONS IN GEORGIA by SUSAN ELIZABETH PARKER Major Professor: Gary T. Green Committee: Sarah Covert Cassandra Johnson-Gaither Robert J. Warren Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2013 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would not have been possible without the support provided by a number of people. I would like to begin by thanking my funding sources, the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, the UGA Graduate School, and the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA Forest Service). I would also like to thank the managers and personnel at the national forest sites (Anna Ruby Falls, Brasstown Bald, and Russell Lake) for their kindness and support (and ice cream) during the data collection process. I would like to offer special recognition to my major advisor, Gary Green. From day one, Gary has provided exceptional guidance and wisdom. Throughout my time at UGA, he has always been there to provide beneficial instruction, constructive criticism, and supportive advice. He is one of the busiest yet most accessible people I have ever met. He is an inspiration to students and Gary’s insight to just about everything is amazing and most valuable. Gary is a teacher, mentor, and friend and I am eternally grateful for the time and effort he has supplied during my academic career. I would also like to thank the members of my dissertation committee, Sarah Covert, Cassandra Johnson-Gaither, and Bob Warren for assisting with study design, instrument development, data analysis, editorial suggestions and other issues during the study. So many other people have helped to make this study a success. Lincoln Larson should be applauded for taking the time to translation the survey from English to Spanish, for fielding many off the cuff statistical questions, and for his much needed since of humor. Also, I want to thank all of the members of the Green Lab, especially Ami Flowers, Lauren Ward, and Jason v Whiting for their support and assistance throughout the process. Dr. Catherine Terre-Ketter should also be acknowledged for her every ready emotional support. I would also like to offer general, and most grateful, thanks to the other students, staff, and faculty and the Warnell School who have worked with me over the years, providing both encouragement and administrative and technical support. I am also grateful for the contributions of the people who participated in this study – the national forest users, county, city, and state park users, and flea market visitors across northern Georgia. The positive and supportive responses provided by research participants were inspiring, and the feedback provided by them will help the USDA Forest Service to better manage national forests and the outdoor recreation resources for the enjoyment of all their patrons in the future. Finally, I must thank my family for all of the support they have provided throughout graduate school. I am grateful for the much needed vacation time and restorative sessions provided by my brother, John and niece, Lisa. I would especially like to thank my parents, Jane and James (movers and dog sitters extraordinaire), my aunt, Judith (who is still convinced all that is needed are paddle boats), and my ‘sister’, Sheryl (for so many things), who all have been very supportive, motivating, and most importantly patient. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION, DISSERTATION FORMAT AND LITERATURE REVIEW .....1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................1 Dissertation Format ..................................................................................................4 Literature Review.....................................................................................................6 Problem Statement .................................................................................................17 Statement of Purpose and General Research Objectives .......................................18 References ..............................................................................................................20 2 RESEARCH METHODS AND SAMPLE OVERVIEW............................................29 Intercept Survey Protocol and Instrument .............................................................29 Data Collection ......................................................................................................31 Intercept Survey Response Rates ...........................................................................36 Overall Sample Demographics ..............................................................................37 Limitations and Delimitations ................................................................................38 References ..............................................................................................................43 3 OUTDOOR RECREATION AND NONTRADITIONAL USERS: AN EXAMINATION OF NATIONAL FOREST PREFERENCES AND ACTIVITY vii PARTICIPATION ACROSS FOUR POPULATION SUBGROUPS IN NORTHERN GEORGIA....................................................................................................................53 Abstract ..................................................................................................................54 Introduction ............................................................................................................54 Theoretical Background .........................................................................................56 Problem Statement .................................................................................................60 Research Objectives ...............................................................................................60 Methodology ..........................................................................................................61 Results ....................................................................................................................68