Year of Award
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
Master of Science (MS)
Degree Name
Parks, Tourism and Recreation Management
Department or School/College
W.A Franke College of Forestry and Conservation
Committee Chair
Dr. Keith W. Bosak
Commitee Members
Dr. Libby C. Metcalf, Dir. Shawn Johnson
Keywords
Fuel management, Visitor satisfaction, Bitterroot National Forest, Aesthetic naturalness, Behavioral adaptation, Wildland character
Subject Categories
Leisure Studies | Other Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
Fuel management practices such as prescribed burning, thinning, and fuel breaks are increasingly implemented across U.S. national forests to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest resilience. While these practices provide important ecological benefits, they can also alter forest landscapes in ways that may influence visitor recreation behavior and experience quality. Understanding how visitors respond to visible fuel treatments is therefore important for balancing wildfire mitigation with recreation management goals. This study examines how recreationists perceive and react to these landscape changes in the Bitterroot National Forest, Montana.
Data from on-site intercept surveys reveal three distinct visitor segments based on treatment response orientations: Spatial Avoiders, who tend to prefer untreated areas; Smoke Avoiders, who adjust timing primarily due to smoke impacts; and Non-Avoiders, who exhibit minimal behavioral change. Overall satisfaction remained high (4.5–4.8/5.0) across all segments, with visitors who noticed evidence of prescribed burns reporting significantly higher satisfaction than those who did not. Perceived aesthetic naturalness varied significantly across treatment cues; indicators of ecological recovery such as plant regrowth were rated most positively, while smoke and haze were rated least favorably.
These findings provide insights for forest managers seeking to balance wildfire risk reduction with visitor expectations in national forest recreation settings. The study highlights the importance of targeted communication and interpretive strategies that help visitors understand the purpose and trajectory of fuel treatments and reinforces that management interventions are more likely to influence within-site decisions than overall visitation.
Recommended Citation
Omolara, Phoebe Oluwadunsin, "THE INFLUENCE OF FUEL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON VISITORS’ RECREATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND SATISFACTION IN BITTERROOT NATIONAL FOREST (BNF)" (2026). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12655.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12655
© Copyright 2026 Phoebe Oluwadunsin Omolara