Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration Commons^™

How To Shred Gnar(Ly) Problems: An Innovative Webinar Series Addressing Housing Affordability Issues In Utah And Across The West, Elizabeth Sodja

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Housing affordability is a critical issue in many Gateway and Natural Amenity Region (GNAR) communities. The extreme increase in home prices during the COVID-19 pandemic have made it an even bigger challenge for residents. In response, the GNAR Initiative created a six-part interactive webinar series providing tools to address housing affordability and short-term rental management.

Bears Ears And Outdoor Recreation In San Juan County, Jordan Smith, Emily Wilkins, Anna B. Miller

All Current Publications

The creation and subsequent downsizing of Bears Ears National Monument has been one of the most publicized and politicized land management decisions within the state over the past decade. However, relatively little research has been conducted to determine if, and to what extent, the creation of the monument impacted outdoor recreation and recreation-related industries. Now, more than three years after the monument was created, there are sufficient data to take a retrospective look at the influence of the monument. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the influence of Bears Ears National Monument on outdoor recreation and its related …

Kudos And K.O.M.'S: The Effect Of Strava Use On Evaluations Of Social And Managerial Conditions, Perceptions Of Ecological Impacts, And Mountain Bike Spatial Behavior, Noah E. Creany

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Smartphone based self-tracking fitness applications (apps) like Strava are increasingly becoming a part of recreation experiences in parks and protected areas (PPAs). Recreation research has employed smartphone GPS tracking (SGT) and volunteered geographic information (VGI) to study visitor behavior in PPAs, but little is understood about how smartphones or fitness apps affect visitor perceptions and behavior during their experience.

The first chapter of this thesis is a literature review of recreation survey and behavior research, social-psychology and technology use theory, gamification, and mountain bike social science and recreation-ecology research. The second chapter is formatted for submission to the Journal of …

Alternative Futures For Dalton Wells, Mary Oliver

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Visitation to the Moab region has increased significantly in recent years, causing campgrounds near town to be consistently full. The Dalton Wells area, a recreation area off Highway 191 just north of Moab, has become an especially popular place for dispersed camping, as it is free and in close proximity to town. Dalton Wells does not have the infrastructure or management necessary to support the current number of visitors, straining the site’s fragile desert ecosystem. The site also hosts a dinosaur quarry and the foundations of a historic CCC camp. These resources are unmaintained and at risk of pillaging and …

Identifying And Assessing Conflicts Between Future Development And Current Migratory Bird Habitat Around Farmington Bay, Utah, Aubin A. Douglas

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Every year, the Great Salt Lake (GSL) and its associated wetlands provide critical habitat for over 250 migratory bird species from both the Pacific and Central Flyways. The GSL borders the Wasatch Front, which is the fastest growing and most populous region in Utah. To support the ever-increasing working population, the government of Utah aspires to increase the robust economic growth of the region through economic incentives and development of infrastructure. As this area continues to develop, greater pressure will be placed on the surrounding natural resources, including the GSL, its wetlands, and the open space and agricultural land that …

Cooperative Conservation To Enhance Human–Wildlife Interactions, Terry A. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

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An Evaluation Of U.S. National Wildlife Refuge Planning For Off-Road Vehicle Use, Robert L. Fischman, Vicky J. Meretsky, Katie Freeman, Alexi Lamm, Leah Missik, Scott Salmon

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Off-road vehicles (hereafter, ORVs) rank high among public-land management challenges because they are popular, often impair environmental conditions, and may cause conflicts with other recreational users. Unit-level planning for federal lands increasingly translates broad, system-wide objectives, such as maintenance of ecological integrity, into place-based limitations on ORV use to minimize and mitigate adverse impacts on wildlife. We reviewed 176 planning documents covering 313 National Wildlife Refuges (hereafter, Refuges) to understand how planning supports or undermines ORV recreation management. These plans offer an important perspective on ORV management because the Refuges are a large, diverse system of conservation lands where recreation …

Sources Of Recreational And Community Conflict From Tourism In Moab, Utah, Susan R. Van Patten

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A written survey of 200 Moab residents was used to measure residents' attitudes 11 toward tourism. Three regression models were developed using variables identified in the tourism literature to measure the relative importance of interpersonal contacts with tourists, negative impacts to outdoor-recreation experiences, and community experience in predicting attitudes toward tourism. Interpersonal contacts and recreation impacts both had fairly high predictive capabilities. It was concluded that interactions between recreation visitors/tourists and local residents should be a focus of further research.

Data from the Moab resident survey were also used in conjunction with a survey of mountain bikers visiting or living …

Recreation, At A Glance, Michelle A. Wilkins

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

As Utah prepares to showcase its majestic landscapes worldwide during the 2002 Olympic Games, countless travelers continue to explore the state's splendor. Utah is famous for its land of many faces. From the red rock of Canyonland National Park to the snow-capped mountains along the Wasatch front, the state is rich in natural diversity. This diversity translates into a broad spectrum of recreational opportunities the state can offer. For instance, Utah's alpine and cross-country ski conditions are among the best in the world. In warm months, rigorous alpine and rock trails have earned Utah the reputation as the "bicycling capital …

Chemical Quality Variation In A Small Mountain Watershed, David C. White

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to quantify the chemical nature of the Chicken Creek waters, and to investigate the variability and causes of that observed chemistry. The three objectives of the study were: 1) inventory the chemistry of the water produced by the subject watersheds, 2) determine chemical budgets for the watersheds, and 3) identify the sources of the primary chemical components.

Chemical surveys were made: 1) on the stream exiting from each gaged watershed, 2) at various points within the West Branch drainage network, 3) of the atmospheric inputs (rain, snow, and dust), 4) of the soil solution, …

Communication And Job Satisfaction Attitudes Within The Utah Division Of Parks And Recreation, Brian J. Vachowski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Communication patterns and job satisfaction are important components in understanding organizational behavior. Further, research evidence indicates relationships among communication, job satisfaction, and organization effectiveness.

After attitude indices were devised from questionnaire items administered to Utah Division of Parks and Recreation personnel, Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine the degree of relationship between attitudes toward communication and each of the following attitude indices for field operations employees: (1) degree of responsibility and participation in decision making; (2) career opportunities, security and training and (3) a combined index of the preceding two indices. Moderate but statistically significant correlations were found.

Analysis …

Utah Ski Area Use: A Descriptive Analysis, Timothy L. Silva

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Use of ski areas in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah has increased rapidly over the last two decades. To facilitate planning and management of programs and facilities designed to meet this need, public and private organizations should have information which delineates the factors affecting use of these ski areas. The objectives of this study were therefore: (1) to determine what factors were responsible for variation in use at Utah ski areas, (2) to determine the relative importance of these factors in explaining ski area use, (3) to ascertain if these variables explaining use differ significantly between two ski seasons, (4) …

The Utah Division Of Parks And Recreation And Intergovernmental Communications, Brande Faupell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study of intergovernmental communications between the Utah State Division of Parks and Recreation and recreation-related agencies in the State of Utah was designed to explore the extent and nature of their role in decision-making within the Division. The purpose of the study was to determine what factors related to communication might help improve the effectiveness of Division operations.

A questionnaire aimed specifically at discovering what types of communication existed between the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation and sampled respondents was administered to private, municipal, county, and federal recreation personnel within Utah. The respondent's level of participation with the …

The Recreational Use Of Irrigation Canals: Logan City Canals As A Case Study, William R. Gast Jr.

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Irrigation plays a major role in Utah and other arid regions of the West. Canals transporting water from lakes, rivers and reservoires have converted millions of acres of marginal land to rich productive sites and are the lifeblood of western agriculture. These canals are common ingredient in the landscape and life styles of most communities of the state. Cache valley, Utah is one example of an area which has flourished with the use of irrigation canals diverted from the Logan River.

The growth of urban populations and demand for outdoor activities has created need for more local parks and recreation. …

Tourist Recreation Interests In Logan, Utah And The Surrounding Area, M. Leon Hunsaker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of the people that visited Bridgerland, the interests of these people and what these people participated in while visiting Bridgerland.

The population studied was the tourist group that visited a tourist information booth in Bridgerland during the 1967 and 1968 summer tourist seasons. Data collection was done in the form of a questionnaire which was given to the tourists who visited the tourist information booths in Bridgerland.

It was determined that in most cases the party head was an adult male. He was well educated, with a college degree or …