Document Type
Report
Publication Date
8-2024
Abstract
This guidebook aims to help recreation managers think through the nuances of distributing recreation opportunities with fairness and equity in the forefront and provide a recommended framework for allocation design in a river context. The information in this guidebook is supported by a systematic review of the recreation management literature, as well as qualitative interview data from 50 recreation managers across the U.S. We also explore the primary concerns of managers regarding allocation, user groups and stakeholders that must be engaged throughout the process, and allocation strategies that have gone well and poorly. We consider the pros and cons of several rationing techniques, with support of constructed case studies regarding allocation decisions, and discussions of balancing equitable and efficient allocation outcomes. The primary goal of this guidebook is to provide a concise reference guide for managers and planners as they approach allocation decisions and to summarize the research insights on this topic to date.
Rights
© 2024 The Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Phillips, K. E., Rice, W. L., Armatas, C. A., Pitas, N., & Zou S. (2024). Allocating recreation with fairness at the forefront: A research-based planning and management guidebook. Missoula, MT: Wildland and Recreation Management Research Laboratory, University of Montana
Comments
This guidebook was made possible by funding of the U.S. Forest Service and collaborative support from the U.S. Forest Service Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Washington Office staff. It builds on the foundational work of researchers including, but not limited to, Bo Shelby, Stephen McCool, Doug Whitaker, Robert Manning, Jack Utter, Suzanne Cable, George Stankey, and Arthur Magill. We thank Drs. Manning, McCool, and Shelby for their generous external, expert review of our systematic review reference list. We also thank Hayley Johnson for curating the rationing definitions provided herein. The findings and conclusions in this publication are those of the authors and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy. Graphic design and illustration by Kelly Stone.