NWSI 2026 Allocating Recreation in Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers: Research-Based Guidebook

Description: Federal recreation managers across the U.S. are often faced with the complex task of distributing recreational opportunities in areas where use is limited for one reason or another. In designated Wilderness or Wild & Scenic Rivers this complexity is magnified. Whether these opportunities are for limited campsites or multi-night river floats, managers must determine how to fairly and efficiently distribute, or allocate, these limited opportunities among the public. Calls for an allocation framework were first voiced as use limits began to be implemented at an increasing rate in the 1970s, and continued in the 1990s. This presentation serves as a formal introduction of a newly minted guidebook aiming 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. This guidebook was developed in 2023 and 2024 as a cooperative effort between the U.S. Forest Service, University of Montana, and University of Illinois. 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 consider the pros and cons of several rationing techniques, with support of constructed case studies regarding allocation decisions, and discussions of balancing fair 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. References: Allocating recreation with fairness at the forefront: A research-based planning and management guidebook : https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesear... TreeSearch: https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch Data-informed support of applied visitor use management on public lands: https://research.fs.usda.gov/rmrs/pro... Presenter: Chris Armatas, Research Social Scientist, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, U.S. Forest Service