Katmai and Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
Research to evaluate visitor use distributions, impacts, crowding, and conflicting use at multi-use sites in Katmai National Park & Preserve and Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
Description:
This project is evaluating visitor use distributions (e.g., temporal and spatial), impacts, and experiences at interior multi-use sites and coastal sites at Katmai National Park & Preserve (KATM) and Lake Clark National Park & Preserve (LACL), both in Alaska (U.S.). Specifically, the project contributes to managers’ understanding of crowding and conflict at KATM and LACL. Ultimately, this project is intended to help managers understand where, when, and to what degree crowding and conflict is occurring, and how different distributions and use levels may influence the visitor experience. The work conforms to the processes and principles outlined in the Interagency Visitor Use Management Framework by explicitly incorporating sliding scales of analyses for the specific elements of the visitor use management framework (VUMF).
Management and objectives:
Results from this research is providing KATM and LACL managers with information to a) guide backcountry management plans, b) understand current and future projected visitor use distributions (e.g., spatial and temporal), and c) ascertain how use distributions are influencing the visitor experience and resource conditions.
To achieve these results, this project has five objectives:
To achieve these results, this project has five objectives:
- Evaluate the frequency, type, density, and temporal and spatial distributions of visitor use within and across seasons in key locations to inform crowding and conflict mitigation efforts at KATM and LACL.
- Determine the relationships between use patterns and resource conditions (e.g., impacts) in key locations (including, but not limited to, commercial access points, trailheads, and visitor attractions).
- Identify current and desired resource conditions and attributes to enable KATM and LACL to achieve their strategic objectives.
- Identify suitable visitor uses, timing, amounts, and management actions that may mitigate negative impacts to the resource and facilitate desired conditions, including ideal visitor use distributions over time and space.
- Design an objective standardized protocol to evaluate indicators and thresholds for resource attributes, uses, and distributions.
Collaborators:
- Kansas State University
- Washington State University
- U.S. National Park Service