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Wilderness and Primitive Area Recreation Participation and Consumption: An Examination of Demographic and Spatial Factors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 September 2016

J.M. Bowker ,
D. Murphy ,
H.K. Cordell ,
D.B.K. English ,
J.C. Bergstrom ,
C.M. Starbuck ,
C.J. Betz  and
G.T. Green
J.M. Bowker
Affiliation:
USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Athens, GA
D. Murphy
Affiliation:
University of Georgia, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Athens, GA
H.K. Cordell
Affiliation:
USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Athens, GA
D.B.K. English
Affiliation:
National Visitor Use Monitoring Project, USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC
J.C. Bergstrom
Affiliation:
University of Georgia, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Athens, GA
C.M. Starbuck
Affiliation:
University of Georgia, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Athens, GA
C.J. Betz
Affiliation:
USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Athens, GA
G.T. Green
Affiliation:
University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Athens, GA
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Abstract

This paper explores the influence of demographic and spatial variables on individual participation and consumption of wildland area recreation. Data from the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment are combined with geographical information system-based distance measures to develop nonlinear regression models used to predict both participation and the number of days of participation in wilderness and primitive area recreation. The estimated models corroborate previous findings indicating that race (black), ethnicity (Hispanic), immigrant status, age, and urban dwelling are negatively correlated with wildland visitation, while income, gender (male), and education positively affect wild-land recreation participation and use. The presence of a distance or proximity factor mitigates some of the influence of race and ethnicity. The results of the cross-sectional models are combined with U.S. Census projections of total population, changes in population characteristics, and estimates of current National Forest Wilderness visitation estimates to give some insight into pressure that might be expected on the nation's designated wilderness during the next half century. Results generally indicate that per-capita participation and visitation rates will decline over time as society changes. Total wilderness participation and visitation will, however, increase, but at a rate less than population growth.

Keywords

logisticnegative binomialparticipationrecreationvisitswildernessQ21Q26Q24
Type
Invited Paper Sessions
Information
Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics , Volume 38 , Issue 2 , August 2006 , pp. 317 - 326
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 2006

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