Year of Award

2024

Document Type

Professional Paper

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism

Department or School/College

School of Journalism

Committee Chair

Joe Eaton

Committee Co-chair

Ray Fanning

Commitee Members

Jennifer Thomsen

Keywords

access, outdoors, outdoor recreation

Abstract

Questions of access and allocation are growing more pressing in today’s society as elements such as economic inequality, amenity migration and climate change create resource scarcity and complicate access to the outdoors. Whether it is apportioning the Colorado river, accessing busy National Parks, or owning land in an expensive mountain town, there are ample examples across the American West of the challenges posed when there are not enough resources to meet demand. At a time when natural resources are starting to feel more limited, allocation, ownership and access become increasingly important. For my Master’s Portfolio I reported three stories that fall within the theme of access to the outdoors. Each story examines a different aspect of access, using the lenses of recreation, residence and employment to investigate questions of outdoor access. My interest in this topic stemmed from both observations of broader cultural and societal trends as well as personal life experiences. The primary goal of my Master’s Portfolio was to understand how access has changed over time and will change in the future.

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© Copyright 2024 Eleanor R. Hall