GIS and Recreation Management

Annotated Bibliography

Created by Paul R Wood Oregon State University GEO 565

Bateman, I.J. et al. 1999. The impact of measurement assumptions upon individual travel cost estimates of consumer surplus: a GIS

analysis. Regional Environmental Change 1(1):24-30.

The estimate of recreational value of open-access (free) sites using the travel cost method was the focus of this study. The authors used GIS analysis to determine recreational value. Travel distance and time are the main component of travel cost analyses. GIS was used to calculate these factors. Straight lines and road networks were the types of distance measure used in the GIS analysis. The authors found that the road network distance measure was the most accurate. Travel cost estimates for the straight line measure was 20% lower than the road network. Travel cost estimates should be used as part of the planning for a new open-access recreation area. Accurate travel costs would be important in finding appropriate site locations.

Beck, M. & R. Gottschalk. 2004. Using GIS to develop a dynamic trail inventory. ESRI User Conference2004.

http://gis.esri.com/library/userconf/proc04/docs/pap1471.pdf accessed 03-01-07

This paper presented methods used to create and update a trail inventory using GIS. The authors used an ArcGIS geodatabase to manage the trail inventory. The article describes the history leading up to the development of the new trail inventory. This article presents a detailed look at how this inventory was created. The authors provide their insights into this process and gave a simplified overview of the steps to create the trail inventory. This paper would be a helpful resource for recreation managers to begin developing a trail inventory using GIS.

Gajda, A. et al. 2000. Managing coastal recreation impacts and visitor experience using GIS. USDA Forest Service Proceedings

RMRS-P-15 Vol. 5:115-123.

This paper analyzed recreation impacts and visitor use of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve using GIS. Baseline data was collected from 1996 to 1998 at 75 sites in the area. The baseline data and user night data was incorporated into the National Park Reserve’s GIS. Recommendations for management of the park were made using GIS analyses. The analyses were conducted to find the level of impact on each campsite. Indicators analyzed included: physical impact, ecological impact, sensitivity to erosion, cultural heritage site sensitivity, and visitor use levels.

Itami, R.M. & H.R. Gimblett. 2001. Intelligent recreation agents in a virtual GIS world. Complexity International 8:1-14.

This study looks at the integration of GIS in recreation simulation models. The simulation tool the authors concentrate on is Recreation Behavior Simulation (RBSim 2). RBSim 2 uses artificial intelligence combined with recreation concepts and GIS to produce models of human recreation behavior in a natural landscape. GIS provides the environment for the artificial recreation agents to interact in. RBSim2 artificial recreation agents make decisions based on the environmental attributes in the GIS database. Attributes such as road width and trail length become factors in the decision making process. Different management scenarios can be simulated using RBSim2 and the spatial data of GIS.

Nicholls, S. 2001. Measuring the accessibility and equity of public parks: a case study using GIS. Managing Leisure 6:201-219.

The ability of GIS to assess accessibility and equity of public parks is the focal point of this paper. The spatial interaction of users and recreation facilities is determined in a case study analyzing GIS, accessibility, and equity in the public parks of Bryan, Texas. The author determines the park accessibility using GIS network analysis and buffer tools. The author found that the network analysis gave a more accurate representation of park access than the straight line buffer. Equity was determined using standard statistical tests. The accessibility layers and a population density layer were combined to determine the number of residents with and without access. The network analysis and buffer layers were compared with the equity statistics to find if there was an equitable distribution of the Bryan, Texas parks. The author concludes that GIS is a capable and valuable tool for planning and managing recreation facilities.

Queen, L. et al. 1997. Modeling impacts of forest roads on recreation opportunities. Northern Journal of Applied Forestry 14(4):194- 201.

This paper looks at the use of GIS in a Road Impact Model for recreation opportunities. The goal of this model was to determine the relationship between road system change and potential recreation impacts. The model breaks recreation dependency on forest roads into four categories. These categories include: experiential recreation opportunities, physical recreation opportunities, transportation network opportunities, and aesthetic opportunities. The spatial distribution of roads determines possible recreation opportunities. The model creates inventories of existing recreation opportunities of forest roads. It also can predict opportunities on new road networks based on attribute data. The model uses GIS spatial analysis to find the relationship between roads and recreation. The paper also contains a case study of the Road Impact Model and recreational hunting opportunities. Recreation managers can adapt the Road Impact Model to create a recreation resource inventory model.

Rudis, V. 2000. Land use, recreation, and wildlife habitats: GIS applications using FIA plot data. Second Annual Forest Inventory

and Analysis Symposium Salt Lake City, October 17-18. p. 129-136.

This paper looks into the use of GIS to determine the distribution of recreation opportunities. The author uses the USDA Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis program data to find areas suitable for recreation activities. The study uses GIS analysis to look at forest attributes including: roads, hunting signs, and forest fragment size. All of these attributes are indicators of recreation use. The author combines ground surveys and aerial photos to facilitate the GIS analysis.

Tarrant, M. & H.K. Cordell. 1999. Environmental justice and the spatial distribution of outdoor recreation sites: an application of

geographic information systems. Journal of Leisure Research 31:18-34.

The authors look at spatial distribution of outdoor recreation sites compared with their distance to census block groups to determine if there is socio-economic unfairness. GIS is used to find census blocks that are within 1500 meters of the Chattahoochee National Forest, NC. The results of this study used GIS data, but did not use GIS analysis to determine the socio-economic fairness of an outdoor recreation site.

Wang, B. & R. Manning. 1999. Computer simulation modeling for recreation management: a study on carriage road use in Acadia

National Park, Maine, USA. Environmental Management 23(2):193-203.

This study analyzed the carrying capacity of the carriage roads of Acadia National Park to determine if computer simulation was an effective management tool. The authors modeled the travel patterns of visitors using computer simulations and GIS. GIS analysis was used to calculate the distances between carriage road segments. This GIS data was used as a baseline along with visitor surveys and visitor counts to model the amount of carriage road use. The authors determined that computer modeling was a useful management tool.

Wing, M. & B. Shelby. 1999. Using GIS to integrate information on forest recreation. Journal of Forestry 97(11):12-16.

The focus of this paper was GIS analysis in recreation research. The author looked at spatial patterns of user density of a heavily used forest trails. The objective of the study was to determine the total and seasonal number of users. Visitor surveys and their map routes were the primary sources of data. The trail system was analyzed using the dynamic segmentation module in ArcInfo to create a route network. This was the first time dynamic segmentation has been used in recreation research. The results of the study determined use patterns of the different recreational users (hikers, bikers, runners, and horseback riders). Use per road section, use per season, and total yearly use were determined. The ability to see the different levels, locations, and type of use helps to make recreation management decisions.

ARTICLES:

Hicks, J.& R. Hammond. No more guess with GIS. Parks & Recreation June 2005.

http://www.nrpa.org/content/default.aspx?documentId=2299

This article looks at GIS as a planning, design, and management tool for new or existing recreation facilities. The authors indicate that GIS can be brought in at the planning and development stage of new facilities, linking all the contractors and public input to one spatial database. GIS analysis tools can help park managers site the new facilities in regards to constraints such as flood plains or wetland buffers. The GIS created in developing the new recreation facility will decrease the costs associated with the management of operations and maintenance. The authors believe that GIS should be incorporated into all parks and recreation departments as a management tool.

Lee, B. & A. Graefe. GIS: a tool to locate new park and recreation services. Parks and Recreation October 2004.

http://www.nrpa.org/content/default.aspx?documentId=1559

This article discusses the use of GIS in the field of recreation. GIS is defined in a recreation setting and the early use in recreation is described. The authors give an overview of the use of GIS in outdoor recreation and urban parks and recreation settings.

Naber, M. & Y. Young. Technology lend a helping hand. Parks and Recreation July 2006. p.24-30.

http://www.nrpa.org/content/default.aspx?documentId=4526

This article discusses the development of GIS as a recreation planning, analysis, and management tool. The advantages of GIS in a recreation setting are discussed. The authors concentrate on recreation resource managements use of GIS to communicate information, aid in planning, analysis of recreation resource data, inventorying of resources, and monitoring resource change over time.

Nicholls, S. Measures of success: measuring park accessibility using GIS. Parks and Recreation August 2003. p. 52-55.

This article looked at the use of GIS to calculate user walking distances to city parks. The author compared the buffer tool to a network analysis of secondary street access as a means for finding the amount of population within 1/2 mile walking distance of the parks. The comparison was made because the author suggests that the buffer tool is inherently inaccurate in a city park setting. The author looks at secondary streets networks to determine users because the traditional buffer only takes into account straight line access. The ability and ease of residents to access a park is a function of how successful the park will be. The secondary street network analysis found 26 percent less residents than the traditional buffer found. The author concludes that the secondary street network analysis is a better measure of city park accessibility