Title:

Bent Creek Experimental Forest: Data from the 2005-2007 survey of visitor characteristics, perceptions, economics and traffic

Author(s):

McNab, W. Henry; O'Shields, Julia K.; Zarnoch, Stanley J.; Bowker, J. Michael; Bergstrom, John C.

Publication Year:

2022

How to Cite:

These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the following citation:

McNab, W. Henry; O'Shields, Julia K.; Zarnoch, Stanley J.; Bowker, J. Michael; Bergstrom, John C. 2022. Bent Creek Experimental Forest: Data from the 2005-2007 survey of visitor characteristics, perceptions, economics and traffic. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2022-0049

Abstract:

Vehicles and visitors entering Bent Creek Experimental Forest (BCEF) in the Pisgah National Forest, near Asheville, NC, were inventoried from mid-2005 to mid-2007 to establish a baseline of visitation for management of dispersed recreation. A study using a stratified random sampling design was conducted that resulted in three datasets: (1) blocks of sampling dates and times during which all vehicles entering were counted, (2) onsite interviews of drivers of selected vehicles entering during a block of time to determine their reason for visiting and other information, and (3) telephone follow-up interviews of selected visitors to determine costs of their visit and other information. A total of 350 blocks of 2-hour intervals of time were designated for counting all entering vehicles and interviewing drivers of randomly selected vehicles. Onsite interviews were conducted with 4,167 vehicle occupants to determine the destination in BCEF of their visit, the type of planned recreational activity (hiking, biking), the number of occupants by gender and age class, and if pets were present. Telephone interviews were conducted later with 1,106 visitors to obtain additional data including their age, education, evaluation of environmental conditions, number and distance travelled for this visit, and expenses. Included with the three data sets are survey forms used for the data collection and maps of the BCEF.

Keywords:

society; economy; Environment and People; Recreation; dispersed recreation; economic values; forest recreation; local community recreation activities; recreation survey; seasonal variation; tourist expenditures; traffic trends; unmanaged recreation; vehicle counts; vehicle occupants; visitor's pets; Bent Creek Experimental Forest; North Carolina; Buncombe County; Pisgah National Forest; Pisgah Ranger District

Related publications:

• McNab, W. Henry; O'Shields, Julia K.; Zarnoch, Stanley J.; Bowker, J. Michael. 2023. Estimating recreation use in Bent Creek Experimental Forest. Research Paper. SRS-RP-67. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. https://doi.org/10.2737/SRS-RP-67
• English, Donald B. K.; White, Eric M.; Bowker, J. Michael; Winter, Susan A. 2002. A review of the Forest Service's National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) program. Agriculture and Resource Economics Review. 49(1): 64-90. https://doi.org/10.1017/age.2019.27 https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/61566
• White, Eric M. 2017. Spending patterns of outdoor recreation visitors to national forests. General Technical Report. PNW-GTR-961. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 70 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/PNW-GTR-967
• Bowker, J. Michael; Bergstrom, John C.; Gill, Joshua. 2007. Estimating the economic value and impacts of recreational trails: a case study of the Virginia Creeper rail trail. Tourism Economics. 13(2): 241-260. https://doi.org/10.5367/000000007780823203

Metrics:

Visit count : 209 0
Download count: 10
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