Recreation Trends on Your National Forest

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Recreation Trends on Your National Forest
Managing for Customer Experience University of
Wyoming Presented by Sharon Kyhl,
skyhl_at_fs.fed.us Recreation Planner and
Interpretive Planner, USFS
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Overview

• Brief history of the Forest Service
• What public lands are used for
• National Recreation demands/trends
• The Local Story Medicine Bow
• Recreation trends/focus
• Customer Satisfaction
• The Snowy Range Corridor Management Plan

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Forest Service History
1891 Forest Reserve Act 1897 Organic
Act General Land Office- Rangers/Dept of
Interior 1905 Forest Service created Gifford
Pinchot first Chief (USDA) 1907 Fulton
Amendment 1907 - Millions of acres added 1911
Weeks Act
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Other Important Laws
1960 Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act 1964
Wilderness Act 1969 NEPA 1973 Endangered
Species Act 1976 National Forest Management Act
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The Local Story

• Recreation Opportunities on the Medicine Bow
• Primitive use (ie. no electric hook-ups or
  water/sewer). Dispersed camping, backpacking.
• Developed use - 28 developed rec sites on Laramie
  RD (campgrounds, picnic grounds, and trailheads).
• Non-motorized trails Nordic skiing, mountain
  biking, hiking
• Motorized Recreation - Snowmobile/ATV
• Historic Cabin Rentals Fire Towers, Guard
  stations

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Local Trends
Overall increase in recreation use on this
forest. WHY? Over the last five years, there
has been an increase in dispersed camping with
self-contained RVs pulling ATVs. Motorized
recreation has greatly increased in popularity
locally following national trends. Campground fee
collections remain consistent.
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Local Trends
Increased motorized use -motorcycle - single
track, and ATV trails - Note district looking
to add 100 miles of new motorized trails to
address demand), Illegal 'mud bogging' Dramatic
increase in winter use non-motorized and
motorized Mountain biking steady Cabin/fire tower
rentals (ie. cultural experience) nearly 100
capacity. Geo-caching emerging activity
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Focus Areas
Motorized trails Snowmobile and ATV Designated
trails (i.e. Medicine Bow Rails-to-Trails and
Headquarters Trail) Mountain bike trails Pole
Mountain Ski Areas (Nordic - Happy Jack, Chimney
Park, and Little Laramie and Alpine - Snowy
Range Ski Area), Snowy Range Scenic
Byway Climbing areas (ie. Vedauwoo and Medicine
Bow Peak) Water activities and boat ramps (ie.
Lake Owen, Rob Roy Res., fishing platforms,
stream/lake fishing, North Platte white water for
rafting),
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Customer Satisfaction
Utilizing National Visitor Use Monitoring
studies Providing up-to-date website information
big increase in the number of emails for
information requests matching desires and
expectations Customer Survey forms at office
locations
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Snowy Range Scenic Byway
Corridor Management Plan
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Introduction
The Snowy Range Scenic Byway - a 29-mile
corridor of Highway 130 -was designated a
National Forest Scenic Byway on Aug. 26, 1988.
It was subsequently designated a State Scenic
Byway in 1995 after the national program
began. In 2006, the Forest Service received a
grant from WYDOT and the Federal Highways
Administration Scenic Byways program to develop a
Corridor Management Plan and portal assessment
(Centennial Visitor Center and Brush Creek
Visitor Center). This plan will provide the
vision, goals, objectives, and management
recommendations for enhancing and retaining the
qualities of the scenic byway. It will guide
both short-and long-term future actions along the
byway. Implementation of the CMP will require
NEPA.
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• What is a corridor management plan?
• A vision for the byway and the surrounding area
  as formed collectively by communities along the
  byway
• An inventory of the characteristics, features,
  and resources along the byway
• Documentation of the intrinsic qualities (that
  which is representative, unique, irreplaceable,
  or distinctly characteristic and make the byway
  special)
• A summary of qualities to interpret to stir the
  interest and imagination of visitors
• Summation of the goals and strategies for
  enhancing and preserving the qualities, promoting
  the byway, and ensuring the continuity of the
  visitors experience.

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The CMP will include
1) Map identifying the corridor boundaries,
location of intrinsic qualities, and different
land uses within the corridor. 2) An
identification of all the intrinsic (or special)
qualities along the byway 3) A strategy for
maintaining and enhancing those qualities 4) A
schedule and listing of all agency, group and
individual responsibilities in the implementation
of the plan. 5) A strategy describing
enhancements to existing facilities, or
new development and how it will preserve the
qualities. 6) A plan to assure on-going public
participation
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• 7) A review of the highways safety and accident
  record to identify corrections.
• A plan to accommodate commerce, if needed, while
  maintaining qualities.
• A demonstration that intrusions to the visitor
  experience have been minimized, and a plan to
  enhance the experience.
• A demonstration of compliance to all existing
  laws on advertising/signing.
• A sign plan to support visitor experience
• A marketing plan
• Design standards for roadway modifications.
• An interpretive plan for the byway.

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Timeline
Spring 2007 Stakeholder Meetings and Open
Houses Gather input and develop
proposed action Summer 2007 Inventory, conduct
site planning, and conduct field work on
environmental consequences Fall 2007 Complete
Interpretive Plan Winter 2007 Complete Corridor
Management Plan Complete NEPA based
on proposed actions Spring 2008 Complete
Environmental Assessment and Decision Notice
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Deleted map due to size.

Corridor Map
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Proposed Goals

• Provide guidance for preserving and protecting
  the intrinsic
• qualities of the byway.
• 2. Assess visitor and local community needs to
  define management in
• a manner that balances conservation over tourism
  development.
• Evaluate opportunities for economic development.
• Provide guidance for promotion of tourism.
• Meet Forest, Regional, and National goals for
  site design and
• interpretation.
• Provide a framework and priorities for future
  facilities and
• interpretive activities.
• Enhance public safety and accessibility
• Increase public understanding and appreciation
  for the Forest
• Service, its mission and management, resource
  protection, and the
• natural and cultural history of the Forest and
  this historic travel route.

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Intrinsic Qualities
For Example 1) Archaeological (pre-settlement)
Prehistoric site 2) Cultural (traditions,
events) Centennial Poker Run Cross
Country Ski 3) Historical (post-settlement) Ryan
Park CCC/POW Camp 4) Natural Medicine Bow
Peak 5) Recreational Lakes Trail System
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Opportunities
For Example Potential bike trail along
road Snowmobile Parking area Replace Centennial
Visitor Center Enhance Brush Creek Visitor Center
and Site Replace galvanized guard rails with
Corten steel
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Public Open House - Laramie Tuesday, April 3 4
pm 8 pm
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Websites referenced http//www.fs.fed.us/recreat
ion/programs/tourism/ http//www.srs.fs.usda.gov/t
rends/ http//www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/nv
um/ http//www.funoutdoors.com/recreationforums ht
tp//www.tia.org/index.html