Best Practices in Recreation Resource Planning

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Best Practices in Recreation Resource Planning

• John M. Baas, Ph.D
• Timberline Associates

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Overview

• Background
• Organization of Best Practices Guide
• Where to obtain information
• Best practices examples
• Work in progress
• How to contribute

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Background

• No single source of published information on
  recreation resource planning.
• Purpose of project to develop an internet-based
  best practices guide on recreation resource
  planning.
• Project started in 2007, NARRP sponsorship
  initiated in 2008.

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Principles

• Dont re-invent the wheel.
• Focus on area-wide, not site level planning.
• Focus on rapid dissemination, self-published
  chapters available online.
• Adhere to QA/QC principles.
• Target toward early career professionals.
• Strive for diversity of authors and viewpoints.

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Organization of Chapters

• Chapter 1, Introduction
• Chapter 2, Principles
• Chapter 3, The Planning Process
• Chapter 4, Scoping
• Chapter 5, Studies and Inventories
• Chapter 6, Estimating Supply and Demand
• Chapter 7, GIS Applications

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Organization of Chapters

• Chapter 8, Collaborative Planning and Public
  Outreach
• Chapter 9, Managing the Recreation Planning
  Process
• Chapter 10, Analyzing Alternatives
• Chapter 11, Planning and Decision-making
• Chapter 12, Plan Implementation
• Chapter 13, Emerging Issues
• Chapter 14, Case Studies

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Accessing the Best Practices Guide

• http//www.narrp.org

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Best Practices Examples
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Example 1 Recreation Capability Modeling for
Spring Mountains NRA
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Recreation Capability Modeling for Spring
Mountains NRA

• GIS-based model focused on trail and facility
  development.
• Potential recreation development constrained by
  several major factors.
• Model for coarse filtering of recreation
  capability.

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Spring Mountains NRA Regional Setting
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Recreation Activities Modeled

• Highly developed summer and winter campgrounds.
• Summer and winter picnic areas.
• Winter campgrounds.
• Designated summer and winter camping.
• Trailheads.
• Low and High mileage trails.

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Importance Ratings
Criteria Criteria importance for low mileage trails
Slope for trails 1
Proximity to Roads 1
Proximity to day use areas and campgrounds 0.75
Proximity to scenic vistas 0.50
Proximity to user created trails 0.50
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Landscape Criteria- Low Mileage Trails
Criteria Highly Capable Fairly Capable Not Capable
Proximity to day use areas and campgrounds LT 0.25 mile GT 0.25 miles but LT 0.50 miles GT 0.50 miles
Proximity to Roads LT 2 miles GT 2 miles, LT 4 miles GT 4 miles
Proximity to user-created trails overlap overlap no overlap
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Capability Assessment

• Identify the relevant landscape criteria.
• Identify the importance of each criterion.
• Use capability criteria to estimate the
  capability for the entire project area.
• Multiply capability criteria ratings by
  importance.
• Sum the ratings to generate capability scores for
  the entire landscape.
• Break the scores into 4 categories ranging from
  no to high capability.

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Recreation Capability Modeling Conclusions

• Data manipulation steps time consuming.
• Model works reasonably well for area-wide
  planning, but doesnt replace site level
  analysis.
• Model useful for identifying trail corridors, but
  not specific alignments.

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Example 2 Framework for Planning for and
Determining Visitor Capacity
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Background

• Forest Service LAC Draft policy (1980).
• Visitor Capacity was solved (1980-90s).
• 1999 Recreation Capacity Congress.
• 2000-2002 Federal Interagency Task Force on
  Visitor Capacity on Public Lands and Waters.

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Definition

• Visitor capacity is the supply, or prescribed
  number, of appropriate visitor opportunities that
  will be accommodated in an area.

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When to make a visitor capacity decision
Post Mature Not Ripe
Ripe
Level 3 Analysis Extraordinary Level 2 Analysis
Ordinary Level 1 Analysis Modest
Visitation
Premature- Not Ripe
Time
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Adaptive Visitor Capacity Management
Unacceptable
B
C
D
Capacity Range
At Risk
A
Level of visitation
Visitation
Acceptable
Time
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The level of analysis increases longer you wait.
Post Mature Not Ripe
Level 3 Analysis Extraordinary Level 2 Analysis
Ordinary Level 1 Analysis Modest
Ripe
Visitation
Premature- Not Ripe
Time
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How to make a capacity decision

1. Sound professional judgment.
2. Full consideration of important information.
3. Use Public Planning Process.
4. Disclose capacities within alternatives.

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What is the hard part about making a visitor
capacity decision?

• Need for clear and meaningful
• management goals and objectives
• desired recreation opportunity
• desired future conditions
• management zones
• The devil is not in the details.
• It is in not being detailed.

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Example 3 Recreation Resource Standards and
Monitoring
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Why Monitor?

• Needed component of a long-term management
  strategy.
• Helps maintain acceptable range of social and
  resource conditions.
• Provides a basis for appropriate management
  responses.
• Allows for adaptive management.

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Indicators and Standards

• Indicators variables that define the social and
  resource conditions of an area
• Standards minimum accepted condition of an
  indicator

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Social Indicators and Standards Example
Key Indicator Standard Method Management Action
Daily average number of encounters while on trail. 20 encounters with other parties per day on the trail. Count number of encounters per day. -attempt to redistribute use -implement permit system
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Biophysical Indicators and Standards Example

• Indicator Number of new user created campsites
• Standard No more than 10 increase per year over
  2010 baseline number

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Conclusions about Standards and Indicators

• Often the forgotten element in planning.
• Difficulty in choosing standards and indicators
  is common.
• Transparency is important.
• There are a lot of how to examples.

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Example 4 Content Analysis of Public Comments
Black Hills Travel Management Plan EIS
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Background

• Forest Service received approximately 700 letters
  and e-mails with 2,000 comments
• Comments assigned to 16 categories
• Identified four issue areas
• Effects on natural and cultural resources
• Effects on recreational opportunities
• Effects of transportation system design on
  management capabilities
• Social and economic concerns

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Content Analysis Guidelines

• Need a home for everyones comment.
• Categories should be well-defined.
• Need a transparent way of progressing from
  comments to major categories, to issues.

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Comment Categories

• Add motorized routes
• Remove motorized routes
• Off-road opportunities
• Accessible (ADA) opportunities
• Environmental concerns
• Enforcement concerns
• No off-road opportunities

• Special use permits
• Big game retrieval
• Roads versus trails
• General disagreement
• Multi-use conflicts
• Partnership/cooperation
• Duplicate records
• Forms with no comments

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Work in Progress

• GIS applications for analyzing wildlife habitat
  constraints.
• Rapid recreation capability assessment.
• Social networking tools for public outreach.
• Economic sustainability analysis for facilities
  planning.

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Conclusions Black Hills Travel Management Content
Analysis

• Analysis addressed a controversial topic with
  many comments.
• Clear distinction made between comment
  categories.
• Clear link between comments, categories, and
  issues.

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A Special Thanks to Contributors!

• More than 50 recreation planning professionals
  have contributed to the guide thus far
• Contributions for todays examples from
• Kevin Gabel, Entrix
• Sergio Capozzi, AECOM
• Dr. Glenn Haas, Aukerman Haas and Associates
• Tom Willems, Black Hills National Forest
• Bob Rinehart, New York Parks Recreation and
  Historic Preservation

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Questions/Want to contribute?

• For more information about this project please
  contact John Baas at jbaas_at_timberlineassoc.com