Date of Award

Spring 2025

Project Type

Thesis

Program or Major

Recreation Management and Policy

Degree Name

Master of Science

First Advisor

Michael D Ferguson

Second Advisor

Lauren A Ferguson

Third Advisor

Forrest Schwartz

Abstract

The increasing use of parks and protected areas by visitors in recent years has necessitated improved management strategies, especially in ecologically sensitive zones such as Congressionally Designated Wilderness Areas. According to the Wilderness Act of 1964, Wilderness Areas must be managed to preserve their natural conditions and unspoiled beauty. The rising popularity and resultant crowding of Wilderness Areas pose significant concerns for natural resource managers. These concerns are due to a fundamental aspect of the wilderness experience being opportunity for solitude, as well as needing to maintain the highest standards of ecological integrity. This study explores visitor perceptions of wilderness character qualities (WCQ) within the six Wilderness Areas of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF), situated in northern New Hampshire and western Maine. It aims to examine the influence of the importance of WCQ and trip circumstances on stress-coping substitutions and intentions to return (ITR) through a mixed methods analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. These data were collected from WMNF wilderness area visitors in the summer of 2024 through an on-site intercept survey (n=1,086). Both descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis (e.g., structural equation modeling) revealed that social (e.g., solitude) and ecological (e.g., clean air and pristineness) impacts significantly affect perceptions of WCQ. These qualities, in turn, significantly influence visitors' substitution behaviors and their overall ITR. This research contributes to the advancement of wilderness study frameworks, provides empirical support for the further examination of WCQ, and highlights the importance of adopting an adaptive systems approach to the long-term management of Wilderness Areas.

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